NEW MEXICO PREVAILS OVER McNEESE

November 16, 2019

It took until the final minutes before New Mexico was able to distance itself from McNeese and a 90-80 victory at Dreamstyle Arena – The Pit.

Senior Corey Manigault (pictured) tied his career-high 24 points in the contest as five Lobos registered double figures on the day.

Manigault went 6-of-8 from the floor, battling in the low post, while scoring 12 more on free throws and posting six rebounds and three steals.

Carlton Bragg Jr. racked up 18 boards and five assists to go along with six points; JaQuan Lyle collected 18 points, four assists, and five rebounds; Makuach Maluach had 12 points; and redshirt-junior Vance Jackson registered his first double-digit scoring game of the season with 11 points.

JJ Caldwell dished 10 assists on the day and contributed four steals, filling in key roles off the ball while taking just one shot from the floor.

With the score tied at 78 apiece with just 2:29 left to play, the Lobos amassed significant momentum, collecting four of their 17 steals in the final two minutes of the contest.

Manigault put the Lobos up by two, 80-78 with a pair of free throws and then up by four (82-78) with a layup before McNeese’s Leondre Washington made a pair from the stripe to cut the deficit back to two (82-80) with 1:10 left on the clock.

The Lobos got the ball back – but quickly turned it over – and it looked as if the Cowboys were about to tie it up again – until a Caldwell steal put the ball back in New Mexico possession with 42 seconds left. Caldwell quickly fired to Manigault who slammed an emphatic dunk to put UNM back up by four, 84-80.

McNeese’s Shamarkus Kennedy led all scorers with 26 points to go with nine rebounds and six blocked shots. Dru Kuxhausen scored 24 points on the basis of seven 3-pointers, several from well beyond the arc, and Washington closed out with 15 points and seven assists.

The Roman Legends Classic presented by Old Trapper resumes on Sunday with Richmond playing host to CSUN.