Aggie fans give Weir a cold reception, Lobos suffer first loss
Deeper, taller NMSU hammers Lobos in Weir’s first game back in Las Cruces
The last person to make an appearance in the Pan American Center’s bright lights on Friday night was the one person everyone had come to see.
With less than two minutes to go before pregame ceremonies were to start, Paul Weir came strolling through the concrete tunnel that leads from the upstairs locker rooms onto the parquet floor. For more than an hour, the New Mexico State student section gathered behind the visitor’s basket, many of them leaning over the railing to search for the man who’d left them high and dry to take over as the men’s basketball coach at arch enemy New Mexico just seven months before.
The wounds were still fresh, as evidenced by the not-suitable-for-work chants showered down upon Weir as he walked by. Some fans stood and paid their respects, but most were there to air their grievances to a man they once entrusted the keys to their kingdom.
In the end, it was NMSU that got the last laugh. The Aggies — deeper, taller and more athletic than the Lobos — dominated the rebounding and rolled to a 75-56 win before 6,839 fans. More than 5,700 seats were empty as the entire top section of the arena was vacant.
Aggie newcomer Zach Lofton poured in a game-high 28 points, while NMSU forward Jemerrio Jones pulled down 16 rebounds as New Mexico State (2-1) never trailed in the second half.
“I was really looking forward to the game. I think our team was looking forward to the game,” Weir said. “I hope everyone around the state or this community was looking forward to just a fun, competitive basketball game. That’s why we do this. That’s why we’re in this stuff. I was hopeful it was going to be that way. That’s my one disappointment; it wasn’t even a close game.”
Weir insisted he wasn’t affected by the taunts from the student section, saying it’s the fans’ right to say and do what they want as long as it doesn’t get out of hand.
He was escorted onto the floor by officers from the city and campus police departments. The chorus of boos included the expected off-center commentary, much of which came from the students camped out behind the basket near UNM’s bench.
They were given what they wanted when Weir was called for a technical foul with two minutes left and the Aggies in control with a 14-point lead. In the moments that followed, he was given a shoulder-high hug by Lobos forward Joe Furstinger and taunts of “He’s a sellout,” by the fans, some of whom donned surgical masks (so as not to be infected by his traitor bug) and waving fake money in his direction.
In truth, there wasn’t much Weir and company could do against NMSU’s aggression on the glass. With UNM big man Connor MacDougall missing his third straight game with a foot injury, the work inside was left to Furstinger and freshman Vladimir Pinchuk.
Furstinger picked up the game’s first two fouls and headed to the bench before he broke a sweat, but the Lobos responded positively by building leads of 8-1 and 11-3. That’s also about the time the Aggies made their dismal shooting start work in their favor.
They started the game by missing 12 of their first 13 shots, but Jones and forward Eli Chuha set up camp in the paint and started grabbing loose balls left and right.
The Lobos (2-1) were outrebounded 23-12 in the first half, including a 14-3 edge on the offensive glass to open a 31-28 lead at the break.
NMSU opened the second half by grabbing the first seven rebounds and hitting three 3-pointers to open a 10-point edge less than four minutes in. The Lobos stayed close for a while, getting within 48-43 when Anthony Mathis hit a 3-pointer with 8:17 left.
It completely unraveled two minutes later when Lobos guard Troy Simons, their leading scorer coming into the game, was whistled for his second technical foul to earn an automatic ejection. He was poked in the face by Jones and responded by chest-bumping his way into Jones and a teammate.
He was the only Lobo not to score, going 0-for-4 with a turnover and two rebounds in 16 minutes.
Mathis was UNM’s top scorer with 14 points. Chris McNeal added 10. Sam Logwood had eight points, but six of those came in first three minutes of the game.
All told, the Lobos were just 6-for-20 from 3-point range and were outscored 21-10 at the free throw line.
The final tally on rebounds: NMSU 50, New Mexico 25. That included a comical 25-9 advantage on the offensive glass.
What’s more, the Lobos’ full-court press that had created havoc in the first two games of the season was beaten regularly and easily by the Aggies. NMSU only had 14 turnovers, often leaving the ball in the hands of scorers like Lofton and Sidy N’Dir.
“It was more breaking their press and making smart decisions,” Lofton said. “I guess that was part of our game plan. If it works, it works.”
N’Dir said the emphasis was simply beating UNM to the point of contact every time down the floor, be it rebounds or going after a loose ball.
“We had to be the first to hit the floor every time,” N’Dir said. “Always being the first to the ball.”
NOTES
The Lobos had more technical fouls (three) than steals (two) and blocked shots (one). The only had five assists on 20 made baskets and Logwood was the only player with more than one; he had two. … NMSU runs a promotion where everyone in attendance gets a free chicken sandwich if an opposing player misses two straight free throws in the second half. That happened with Logwood went 0-for-2 with 1:51 to go in the game. … The Lobos’ point total in three games this season has dropped from 147 to 103, then to the 56 they scored Friday.