Field Level Media
Jan 14, 2023
Jaelen House scored a season-high 29 points to help visiting New Mexico upset No. 23 San Diego State, 76-67, in a Mountain West Conference game on Saturday night.
Jamal Mashburn Jr. scored 22 points, Javonte Johnson scored a season-high 10 points, and Morris Udeze finished with 10 points and 15 rebounds for New Mexico (16-2, 3-2 MWC).
Matt Bradley scored 14 points. Adam Seiko had 13 points off the bench and Keshad Johnson finished with 10 points for San Diego State (13-4, 4-1), which had won six in a row to move back into the AP top 25 this week.
Nathan Mensah scored eight points for the Aztecs before fouling out on a technical foul with 8:20 left.
House made both free throws on the technical and then sank a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession for a 53-49 lead with 8:07 left. The Lobos continued on a 12-0 run to take a 60-49 lead, and House buried another 3-pointer for a 63-50 advantage with 5:19 remaining.
San Diego State cut it to 64-60 with 2:55 remaining, but Udeze scored on a putback and Mashburn on a step-back jumper for a 68-60 lead with 1:28 on the clock.
New Mexico took a 38-28 lead into the half behind 15 points from Mashburn and 10 from Johnson.
The Aztecs started the second half on a 10-4 run to make it 42-38 and eventually tied it 45-45 on a putback by Micah Parrish with 13:33 left.
San Diego State finally wrestled the lead from the Lobos on two free throws by Parrish to make it 49-48 with 9:23 left.
The Lobos took their first double-figure lead at 26-15 on two free throws by Donovan Dent with 8:18 remaining.
The Aztecs answered with back-to-back 3s from Bradley and Seiko to make it 26-21, but New Mexico stretched the lead back to double figures on a layup by Javonte Johnson to make it 34-23 with 3:19 left.
New Mexico won its first 14 games and spent two weeks in the AP Top 25, rising as high as No. 21 before losing back-to-back conference games against Fresno State and UNLV earlier this month.
--Field Level Media