ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The UC Santa Barbara Men's Basketball team (4-2) is back on the road for the third road game of the season. This time, they are heading to The Pit to take on the University of New Mexico Lobos. These two teams have not played each other since 1958 when the Lobos beat the Gauchos by six.
LAST TIME OUT
UC Santa Barbara returned to The Thunderdome for a midweek game against Northern Arizona. With
Ajay Mitchell leading the offense, the Gauchos finished their night with a 70-59 win over the Lumberjacks. Mitchell put up 30 points along with five assists, contributing to 42 of the team's 70 points, while
Josh Pierre-Louis added on a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
TAMING THE LOBOS
New Mexico is currently 7-1 on the season, defeating everyone but then No. 23 Saint Mary's in Moraga, California. Besides that one loss, the Lobos defeated Texas Southern, UT Arlington, Toledo, Rice, Pepperdine, Louisiana Tech and New Mexico State.
When it comes to the national rankings, the Lobos earned a spot in the Top 30 in multiple categories, including free throw attempts (29th), scoring margin (22nd), scoring offense (23rd), turnover margin (23rd) and winning percentage (18th). Not only does the team rank highly in the NCAA, but they also lead the Mountain West in numerous categories including fastbreak points (15.6), offensive rebounds per game (12.4), rebounds per game (41.1), scoring offense (85.5) and turnover margin (4.6).
The Lobos have two players that rank highly on the national stage. JT Toppin is one of the most efficient shooters in the country, ranking fourth in the NCAA with a 71.9 field goal percentage. Teammate Donovan Dent is also highly ranked as he is eighth in the NCAA in assists, averaging 6.9 per game. Dent isn't only great at dishing out the ball, but he is also good at scoring. He currently leads the team in points with 131, which comes out to 16.4 a game. He is one of two players to start in all eight games for the Lobos.
Toppin and Nelly Joseph are the primary rebounders for New Mexico. Joseph leads the team in rebounds with 61 while Toppin is following up close behind him with 60.
WHEREABOUTS
The Gauchos will take on the Lobos on their home court in Albuquerque on Wednesday, Dec. 6. Tip-off will be at 6 p.m. PT in The Pit with a live stream available through the Mountain West Network.
