Second-Half Rally Helps Lobo Men’s Basketball Team Avoid Sting of a Hornets Upset
Lobo freshman guard Jake Hall (23) goes up for a layup against Alabama State at The Pit on Thanksgiving Eve 11/26/2025. Photo: Chris Rodarte/Game Pass Media
Looking like it would suffer one of its biggest upsets in program history, the University of New Mexico men's basketball team instead received a Hall pass.
As well as a bunch of 3s.
And instead of an embarrassing setback, the Lobos – courtesy of freshman guard Jake Hall – made the seventh biggest comeback in school history with a 93-87 over Alabama State on Wednesday night in the Pit.
"I expect every shot to go, and I finally got into rhythm," said Hall, who hit 6 of 8 3-pointers in one second half stretch to help the Lobos erase a 15-point deficit. "... I just knew that I had to provide a spark, and coach kept me in, so I was just being myself."
Which was pretty darn good.
Hall finished 7 of 12 on 3s – tying the record for 3s by a Lobo freshman (Kevin Henry hit seven 3s in 2017) - and had a team-high 24 points. Senior guard Deyton Albury scored 18 with five assists and Antonio Chol (12) and Uriah Tenette (11) also scored in double figures for New Mexico (5-2).
Despite making the NCAA Tournament last year and winning a game in the First Four, Alabama State (3-5) was given about as much of a chance of surviving the Pit as a turkey has surviving November.
The Hornets came in ranked 275 by Ken Pom and were 20-point underdogs.
But behind the sensational long-range shooting of senior guards Asjon Anderson and Micah Simpson – along with some pretty shoddy Lobo defense – ASU took a quick 8-2 lead and moved it to 20-11.
Anderson finished with a game-high 30; Simpson had 18. The two finished a combined 16-of-34 from the field and 10-of-20 from 3-point range.
Even after the Lobos grabbed a 21-20 lead on an 11-0 run midway through the half, the Hornets responded with a barrage of 3s to snatch a head-scratching 51-38 advantage at halftime.
"Certainly, we're responsible for our share of that," said Lobos coach Eric Olen of the ASU 3s. "Credit to Anderson and Simpson for the way they played, specifically Anderson. "I thought our lack of ball security certainly allowed them some things in transition. It's not just the defense; it's all connected when you're not playing well.
"I think a lot of that is on me, some of the coverage decisions and scheme stuff. I certainly didn't feel I put our guys in the best positions in that first half. We have to get better as coaches as well, not just the players."
Alabama State kept UNM in check the first seven minutes of the second half and had leads of 60-45 and 70-58, the latter with 13 minutes remaining.
Hall then hit a 3 and helped the Lobos pull within 70-64. But ASU worked it back to 75-64 with 10 minutes remaining in a docile Pit that had more than a few fans booing the home team.
Enter Hall again.
He knocked down a tough 3 off the dribble just when it appeared the Hornets were about to take complete control. Hall added another 3 and a trio of free throws to highlight an 14-0 burst that finally put UNM in front 76-75 with seven minutes remaining.
The tiring Hornets still came back with their own run – this one 8-0 – to regain the lead 83-78 with less than five minutes left.
It was then time for another UNM charge and another Hall 3 to cap it. The 10-0 run gave New Mexico the lead for good and left the Hornets gassed.
"I felt like we were capable of winning that game the whole time," Olen said, when asked about how he stayed composed. "We talked about it at halftime and how we were going to respond. ... I like the way we responded. We have tough kids."
BULJAN INJURY: Freshman Tomislav Buljan, who had 19 points and a freshman record 21 rebounds in the Lobos last game, an 80-78 win against Mississippi State, scored just five with seven rebounds on Wednesday. But the biggest concern was when he went down in agony in front of the Lobo sideline with just 14 seconds left in the game.
Buljan had to be helped off the floor and was limping badly.
"There wasn't contact. ... I think he just rolled his ankle," Olen said, adding that Buljan will be evaluated.
ECK YES: With 12 minutes left and the Lobos in the midst of what would be a 20-5 run, football coach Jason Eck took the microphone at midcourt during a media timeout and encouraged fans to come to Friday's enormous football game against San Diego State.
He also said the basketball team would come back and win.
He was right.
