On a night when context mattered as much as outcome, San Jose State (6-16, 1-10 MW) once again found itself measuring effort against execution, and depth against reality.
The Spartans pushed and prodded for 40 minutes Saturday night at the Provident Credit Union Event Center, but New Mexico’s (18-4, 9-2 MW) balance, shooting, and poise ultimately carried the Lobos to a 90–80 Mountain West victory.
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For a San Jose State team battered by injuries and without interior anchors Yaphet Moundi and Ben Rosborough, the margin felt familiar.
The fight, however, did not waver.
Tim Miles rolled out yet another starting lineup, reinserting Colby Garland after two relentless performances off the bench. Garland rewarded that trust immediately, orchestrating early offense through dribble penetration and kick-outs, keeping the Spartans tethered as New Mexico attempted to stretch the floor. Garland scored 11 first-half points and finished with a Spartan game-high 24, adding six assists without committing a turnover — a small but telling victory for a team often punished by mistakes.
New Mexico arrived with urgency. A win meant a three-way tie atop the Mountain West, and first-year Lobo head coach Eric Olen’s rebuilt roster played like it understood the stakes. The Lobos leaned into what they do best: spacing, shot-making, and size. Jake Hall, already one of the most efficient freshman shooters in the country, poured in 16 first-half points and ended the night with 27 on a blistering 7-of-9 from three-point range.
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Yet despite Hall’s barrage, the Spartans refused to let the game tilt early.
The Spartans stayed relatively close across the stat sheet, answering runs with timely shooting from Pasha Goodarzi and physical rebounding from Marcus Overstreet and Sadraque Nganga. San Jose State trailed just 41–35 at the break; perhaps a testament to collective grit more than polish.
The second-half followed a familiar rhythm.
Garland opened with a three, briefly injecting belief, but New Mexico answered every push with composure.
Lobo Tomislav Buljan’s downhill drives punished gaps, while the Lobos’ guards consistently shut down pick-and-roll actions before they could develop.
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When Jermaine Washington finally found daylight, scoring all 18 of his points in the second-half, New Mexico simply spaced the floor wider and fired back.
UNM’s ability to respond defined the night.
Every Spartan surge, Washington’s back-to-back threes, Nganga’s interior work and Melvin Bell Jr.’s baseline cuts was met with a shot, a free throw, or a fast-break dunk on the other end. New Mexico shot 61 percent in the second-half and knocked down 11 threes overall; all numbers that erase effort in a hurry.
For San Jose State, the takeaway wasn’t moral victory but measured progress. The Spartans matched New Mexico’s bench scoring, competed on the glass, and played one of their cleaner offensive games in weeks. But depth, size, and elite shot-making still separate contenders from rebuilds.
On this night, the Lobos had answers. The Spartans, once again, had resolve.