Dent goes length of floor for winning layup in New Mexico's 68-66 win over No. 22 Colorado State
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) Donovan Dent drove the length of the court to lay in the winning shot with 2.8 seconds to play and give New Mexico a 68-66 win over No. 22 Colorado State on Wednesday night.
Dent, who finished with 16 points, barreled straight up the floor with the Lobos trailing by one, found a seam through the lane and banked the ball in off the glass as he was fouled. After he made the foul shot, Nique Clifford’s fadeaway 3-pointer hit the rim at the buzzer.
New Mexico (21-6, 9-5 Mountain West) had four players in double figures, with Jamal Mashburn Jr. also scoring 16 and Jaelen House adding 14. Nelly Junior Joseph chipped in 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Lobos.
“We knew we had to have that game,” New Mexico coach Richard Pitino said. “We have a lot respect for Colorado State. (Isaiah) Stevens is one of the best players to play in this league. Hopefully, I never see him again because he’s really good.”
Colorado State’s Stevens scored 11 of his game-high 20 points in the final eight minutes of the game, including two from the line to give the Rams (20-7, 8-6) a 66-65 lead. Joel Scott added 18 for the Rams.
It was New Mexico’s third win at home this season against AP Top 25 teams, all from the Mountain West. The Lobos had lost two straight at home coming into the game.
“I did not want to walk out of this building with another loss,” Pitino said. “I could not bring myself to do that.”
After the Rams opened the scoring with a Scott bucket, New Mexico scored the next 13 points. Colorado State, however, battled back with a 23-5 run, spurred by two 3-pointers from Jalen Lake and one from Stevens to take a 25-20 lead. It was 30-30 at halftime.
On the winning drive, Colorado State tried to stuff Dent before he reached the paint.
“I think our guys did an unbelievable job of hanging in there. Ultimately, we just needed to get one more stop,” Rams coach Niko Medved said. “Obviously, once we got the lead again on the two free throws from (Stevens), you know they’re going to run something to go downhill. I thought we had the opportunity to build a wall there at the top of the key, but Dent split us and got to the rim and ultimately, that was the play that won the game.”
Dent had a similar, full-court, game-winning sprint earlier in the season and Pitino said he didn’t see any reason to change a good thing.
“Same play,” he said. “Give the ball to Donnie and let him go figure it out. That’s really what it was. We thought they might go zone. They’ve shown that from time to time. But when you have 6, 7 seconds you don’t have a lot of time to run a play. You just put it in his hands and he’ll make the right play and he did that.”
BIG PICTURE
With the win, the Lobos pulled into a tie with San Diego State for third in the conference standings, a game behind league-leading Utah State.
The loss drops the Rams into a virtual tie for seventh with UNLV.
UPCOMING
New Mexico is home against Air Force on Saturday.
Colorado State travels to UNLV on Saturday in what will be an important game for both schools.
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Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
20:00 | Patrick Cartier vs. JT Toppin (Josiah Strong gains possession) | |||
19:45 | +2 | Joel Scott makes two point layup (Isaiah Stevens assists) | 2-0 | |
19:26 | +2 | Jamal Mashburn Jr. makes two point pullup jump shot | 2-2 | |
18:58 | Joel Scott misses two point hook shot | |||
18:56 | JT Toppin defensive rebound | |||
18:39 | +2 | Nelly Junior Joseph makes two point layup (Jamal Mashburn Jr. assists) | 2-4 | |
18:19 | Josiah Strong misses three point jump shot | |||
18:17 | JT Toppin defensive rebound | |||
18:06 | Donovan Dent misses two point layup | |||
18:04 | Donovan Dent offensive rebound | |||
18:02 | +2 | Donovan Dent makes two point putback layup | 2-6 | |
17:37 | Patrick Cartier misses two point layup | |||
17:35 | Nelly Junior Joseph defensive rebound | |||
17:20 | JT Toppin misses two point hook shot | |||
17:18 | Nique Clifford defensive rebound | |||
17:06 | Nique Clifford turnover (bad pass) (Donovan Dent steals) | |||
16:58 | Donovan Dent misses two point layup | |||
16:56 | Lobos offensive rebound | |||
16:55 | Nique Clifford blocks Jaelen House's two point jump shot | |||
16:53 | Lobos offensive rebound | |||
16:48 | Jamal Mashburn Jr. offensive foul (Nique Clifford draws the foul) | |||
16:48 | Jamal Mashburn Jr. turnover (offensive foul) | |||
16:25 | Nique Clifford misses two point jump shot | |||
16:23 | Jaelen House defensive rebound | |||
16:15 | +2 | Jaelen House makes two point pullup jump shot | 2-8 | |
15:53 | Josiah Strong misses three point jump shot | |||
15:51 | JT Toppin defensive rebound | |||
15:42 | +2 | JT Toppin makes two point cutting layup (Nelly Junior Joseph assists) | 2-10 | |
15:22 | Joel Scott misses two point layup | |||
15:20 | Nelly Junior Joseph defensive rebound | |||
15:06 | +3 | Jamal Mashburn Jr. makes three point jump shot (Donovan Dent assists) | 2-13 | |
15:03 | Rams 30 second timeout | |||
15:03 | TV timeout | |||
15:01 | Mustapha Amzil shooting foul (Joel Scott draws the foul) | |||
15:01 | Joel Scott misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
15:01 | +1 | Joel Scott makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 3-13 | |
14:52 | Jamal Mashburn Jr. misses two point jump shot | |||
14:50 | Isaiah Stevens defensive rebound | |||
14:43 | Nique Clifford misses three point jump shot | |||
14:41 | JT Toppin defensive rebound | |||
14:25 | +2 | Jaelen House makes two point jump shot | 3-15 | |
14:13 | +2 | Isaiah Stevens makes two point jump shot | 5-15 | |
13:53 | JT Toppin misses two point layup | |||
13:51 | Joel Scott defensive rebound | |||
13:44 | +2 | Rashaan Mbemba makes two point layup (Isaiah Stevens assists) | 7-15 | |
13:30 | Mustapha Amzil misses two point layup | |||
13:28 | Jalen Lake defensive rebound | |||
13:20 | +2 | Joel Scott makes two point driving layup (Isaiah Stevens assists) | 9-15 | |
13:20 | JT Toppin shooting foul (Joel Scott draws the foul) | |||
13:20 | +1 | Joel Scott makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 10-15 | |
13:10 | +2 | Nelly Junior Joseph makes two point layup (Donovan Dent assists) | 10-17 | |
12:48 | Isaiah Stevens turnover (lost ball) (Nelly Junior Joseph steals) | |||
12:34 | Joe Palmer shooting foul (Mustapha Amzil draws the foul) | |||
12:34 | Mustapha Amzil misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
12:34 | +1 | Mustapha Amzil makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 10-18 | |
12:17 | +2 | Rashaan Mbemba makes two point cutting layup (Jalen Lake assists) | 12-18 | |
12:03 | Mustapha Amzil turnover (lost ball) (Joe Palmer steals) | |||
11:54 | +3 | Jalen Lake makes three point jump shot (Isaiah Stevens assists) | 15-18 | |
11:51 | Lobos 30 second timeout | |||
11:51 | TV timeout | |||
11:40 | Jaelen House misses two point jump shot | |||
11:38 | Joe Palmer defensive rebound | |||
11:13 | Josiah Strong turnover (traveling) | |||
10:49 | Nelly Junior Joseph misses two point layup | |||
10:47 | Rashaan Mbemba defensive rebound | |||
10:32 | +3 | Isaiah Stevens makes three point pullup jump shot | 18-18 | |
10:10 | Tru Washington misses three point jump shot | |||
10:08 | Isaiah Stevens defensive rebound | |||
9:53 | Tru Washington personal foul (Rashaan Mbemba draws the foul) | |||
9:41 | +3 | Jalen Lake makes three point jump shot (Isaiah Stevens assists) | 21-18 | |
9:15 | Patrick Cartier personal foul (Nelly Junior Joseph draws the foul) | |||
9:04 | Tru Washington misses two point jump shot | |||
9:02 | Nelly Junior Joseph offensive rebound | |||
9:02 | Joel Scott blocks Nelly Junior Joseph's two point layup | |||
9:00 | Kyan Evans defensive rebound | |||
8:46 | Nelly Junior Joseph personal foul (Patrick Cartier draws the foul) | |||
8:39 | JT Toppin blocks Joel Scott's two point layup | |||
8:37 | Joel Scott offensive rebound | |||
8:37 | JT Toppin blocks Joel Scott's two point layup | |||
8:35 | JT Toppin defensive rebound | |||
8:25 | +2 | Jamal Mashburn Jr. makes two point pullup jump shot | 21-20 | |
8:04 | +2 | Nique Clifford makes two point driving dunk | 23-20 | |
7:40 | JT Toppin misses two point layup | |||
7:38 | Nique Clifford defensive rebound | |||
7:31 | Nique Clifford misses two point layup | |||
7:29 | Joel Scott offensive rebound | |||
7:28 | +2 | Joel Scott makes two point putback layup | 25-20 | |
7:21 | Kyan Evans shooting foul (Donovan Dent draws the foul) | |||
7:21 | TV timeout | |||
7:21 | +1 | Donovan Dent makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 25-21 | |
7:21 | +1 | Donovan Dent makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 25-22 | |
6:52 | Patrick Cartier misses two point layup | |||
6:50 | Nelly Junior Joseph defensive rebound | |||
6:42 | Jamal Mashburn Jr. misses two point jump shot | |||
6:40 | Nelly Junior Joseph offensive rebound | |||
6:37 | Jaelen House misses two point jump shot | |||
6:35 | Joel Scott defensive rebound | |||
6:28 | Nique Clifford turnover (lost ball) (Jamal Mashburn Jr. steals) | |||
6:20 | Jaelen House misses three point jump shot | |||
6:18 | Nique Clifford defensive rebound | |||
5:47 | Rams turnover (shot clock violation) | |||
5:29 | Jamal Mashburn Jr. misses two point layup | |||
5:27 | Rashaan Mbemba defensive rebound | |||
5:06 | Rashaan Mbemba turnover (traveling) | |||
4:56 | Jemarl Baker Jr. misses three point jump shot | |||
4:54 | Lobos offensive rebound | |||
4:36 | +2 | Nelly Junior Joseph makes two point jump shot (Jaelen House assists) | 25-24 | |
4:21 | +3 | Isaiah Stevens makes three point jump shot (Jalen Lake assists) | 28-24 | |
4:08 | +2 | Nelly Junior Joseph makes two point hook shot (Mustapha Amzil assists) | 28-26 | |
3:57 | TV timeout | |||
3:52 | Nique Clifford offensive foul (Jaelen House draws the foul) | |||
3:52 | Nique Clifford turnover (offensive foul) | |||
3:43 | +2 | Jaelen House makes two point driving layup (Nelly Junior Joseph assists) | 28-28 | |
3:20 | Jalen Lake misses two point jump shot | |||
3:18 | Jamal Mashburn Jr. defensive rebound | |||
3:13 | Jemarl Baker Jr. misses three point jump shot | |||
3:11 | Isaiah Stevens defensive rebound | |||
3:00 | Joe Palmer misses three point jump shot | |||
2:58 | Nelly Junior Joseph defensive rebound | |||
2:42 | Donovan Dent turnover (bad pass) (Isaiah Stevens steals) | |||
2:38 | Joel Scott misses two point layup | |||
2:36 | Nelly Junior Joseph defensive rebound | |||
2:31 | Jaelen House misses two point layup | |||
2:29 | Joel Scott defensive rebound | |||
2:11 | Mustapha Amzil personal foul (Joel Scott draws the foul) | |||
2:10 | Isaiah Stevens offensive foul (Jaelen House draws the foul) | |||
2:10 | Isaiah Stevens turnover (offensive foul) | |||
2:00 | Donovan Dent misses two point jump shot | |||
1:58 | Joel Scott defensive rebound | |||
1:52 | Jaelen House blocks Jalen Lake's two point layup | |||
1:50 | Jamal Mashburn Jr. defensive rebound | |||
1:40 | +2 | Jamal Mashburn Jr. makes two point driving layup | 28-30 | |
1:19 | Patrick Cartier misses three point jump shot | |||
1:17 | Donovan Dent defensive rebound | |||
1:06 | Isaiah Stevens blocks Jamal Mashburn Jr.'s two point jump shot | |||
1:04 | Joel Scott defensive rebound | |||
0:58 | Donovan Dent blocks Jalen Lake's three point jump shot | |||
0:56 | Patrick Cartier offensive rebound | |||
0:52 | +2 | Patrick Cartier makes two point putback layup | 30-30 | |
0:40 | Donovan Dent misses two point layup | |||
0:38 | Nique Clifford defensive rebound | |||
0:15 | Isaiah Stevens misses two point jump shot | |||
0:13 | Isaiah Stevens offensive rebound | |||
0:01 | Isaiah Stevens misses two point jump shot | |||
0:00 | Jamal Mashburn Jr. defensive rebound | |||
0:00 | End of period |