Lobos win messy exhibition game 74-70 against UTEP

ALBUQUERQUE A s preseason exhibitions go, it went pretty much as expected.

The starters looked good, nearly everyone got to play and, of course, there were plenty of sloppy sets and a handful of ooohs and ahhhs.

Ultimately, the curtain officially rose on another college basketball campaign for the University of New Mexico after Monday nights 74-70 win in The Pit against UTEP.

The NCAA doesnt always get everything right as far as it pertains to rules changes and I think they got this one right, said Lobos coach Richard Pitino, referring to a policy shift that allows Division I programs to schedule one another for scrimmages and practices rather than lower-level opponents who dont offer more of a challenge.

To be able to play a Division I opponent is phenomenal for us.

As expected, it wasnt a thing of beauty.

The Lobos turned it over 25 times against a fouling, physical team that will again be among the nations leaders in fouls committed.

UTEPs 27 whistles doubled those of UNM, which made for a busy night at the free-throw line.

While the Lobos hit just 5 of 23 shots from the 3-point range, their 36 tries from the charity stripe allowed them to play a more aggressive style at both ends of the floor.

That includes guard Tru Washington, a sophomore who appears to be entrenched as a starter alongside point guard Donovan Dent.

The pair combined for 36 points, not to mention a dazzling transition alley-oop from Dent to Washington with five minutes left in what turned into a tight game.

When I first got here, honestly, I didnt like my role, Washington said.

I came in, I was the backup but I learned a lot from the guys who were in front of me so it was just a learning experience.

Washington committed himself to the weight room in the offseason, shedding a bit of teenage weight and putting on more muscle.

He went from 195 pounds as a freshman to a more chiseled 205.

I tell them I dont want to pay taxes, I dont want to go to head coaches meetings all the time, theres a long list of things I dont want to do; just got to wait your turn and you gotta continue to work, Pitino said.

Washingtons 17 points included a pair of 3-pointers to start the game, part of an 11-0 run out of the gates.

One of those buckets was a hurried Dent 3-pointer from the wing, and he spun around and yelled into the crowd as he trotted back the other way.

Those trio of 3s were essentially the last Lobos fans would see of the outside game.

Everything else came from the inside where Nelly Junior Joseph and Mustapha Amzil had 27 rebounds between them.

Josephs 16 boards were a team high, but far from what Pitino would expect on a nightly basis.

Sixteen would be Dennis Rodman numbers, the coach said.

The Lobos led 36-30 at halftime and by as many as 14 when Washington threw down his dunk from Dents assist.

The Miners got hot down the stretch, making it a one-possession game in the waning moments.

Pitino said he was compelled to put his starters back in to manage the bleeding, but said everything else was about getting as many bodies on the floor as he could.

The only scholarship player not to see the court was freshman Daniel Thomas, a 6-foot-8 forward who is fighting for playing time behind Amzil, Jovan Milicevic and Ibrahima Sacko.

Amzils 11 rebounds offset a 1-for-8 shooting night while Sacko, an offseason transfer from Georgia Tech, flashed signs of his explosive athleticism.

As for Milicevic, he was one of the first people off the bench and showed the workmanlike blue-collar effort that has the coaches buzzing about his potential.

Milicevic had seven points and three rebounds in just eight minutes.

He brought the crowd to its feet in the first half when he blocked a shot at one end, hustled back for a rebound on the offensive glass and was one of the first players to set up at the far end of the court just seconds later.

I like Jovan, hes very aggressive, Washington said.

Hes versatile.

Two newcomers with spotlight potential had quiet nights.

Arizona transfer Filip Borovicanin started but attempted just two shots in 20 minutes of playing time, scoring one point with five rebounds and a pair of assists.

Guard C.J.

Noland played 16 minutes in a reserve role, missing the four shots he took to go with four turnovers and no assists.

I told [Borovicanin] the first half you cant play and not shoot, Pitino said.

Youve got to have five threats on the court at all times, so yeah, but again its a guy who hasnt played a lot in two years and all of a sudden youre throwing him in in front of 10,000 so maybe hes a little nervous.

Mondays crowd of 10,359 was UNMs largest for an exhibition game in six years and was the Lobos debut for Noland, Borovicanin, Sacko, Milicevic, guard Kayde Dotson and center Atiki Ally Atiki.

None of those players had more than seven points.

I think a little bit I was tight in the first half, Borovicanin said.

I think it comes with time.

The Lobos will officially open their season Monday against Nicholls in The Pit, the first of 31 regular season games, 18 at home.

Joseph was called for a lane violation twice on the same pair of free throws or, at least, so said the arenas public address announcer.

He broke in to say Joseph had been called for stepping foot in the lane during a free throw attempt in the second half when, in fact, it was a UTEP player.

Seconds later Joseph was again called for it, this time for real, when he stepped into the lane well before the free throw was taken.

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Every Lobo who played scored at least one point.

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UTEP had two players foul out and had four more finish with at least three fouls..

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