Balanced Lobos whip Eagles
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The start was impressive, but the tables quickly turned as New Mexico rolled past Eastern Washington 92-57 in a non-conference men’s basketball game Monday in front of 12,016 fans at the “Pit.”
Eastern opened a 10-3 lead, but runs of 12-0 and 17-0 by the Lobos turned that advantage into a large deficit for the Eagles (0-2), who endured a pair of five-minute scoring draughts in the first half as the Lobos (2-0) won in new coach Steve Alford’s home debut.
“Four minutes into the game our players did exactly what we were supposed to do … on both ends of the floor,” said first-year Eagles coach Kirk Earlywine. “We blocked out, stayed in our stance and didn’t have any breakdowns defensively. We executed exactly what we were supposed to do offensively.
“We played eight guys, and five of them were playing in their second Division I game ever,” he said of the game’s turnaround. “I told our players that I don’t understand how they can do exactly what they were coached to do for the first four minutes, then all of the sudden start doing something else.”
True freshman Trey Gross and junior Adris DeLeon each scored 14 points to lead the Eagles. Senior Kellen Williams chipped in eight points, eight rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals.
Four players scored in double figures for New Mexico, led by the 13 points and 12 rebounds by All-America candidate and NBA prospect J.R. Giddens. Jamaal Smith led all scorers with 15 points. He added four assists.
New Mexico outshot Eastern 56 percent to 34 percent and outrebounded the Eagles 42-23 with 11 offensive rebounds.
“Our block-out was pretty good Friday night at Washington State, but it was really bad tonight,” said Earlywine.
New Mexico’s turnaround started shortly after Williams, EWU’s lone returning starter, went to the bench with a second personal foul.
New Mexico proceeded to go on a 12-0 run, forcing five Eagles turnovers as EWU went five minutes without scoring and 6 1/2 minutes without a field goal. After EWU cut the deficit to 20-15, the Lobos went on the decisive 17-0 run.