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STILLWATER, Okla. — For the first time since November 1988, a college basketball team other than the Soviet Union national team has defeated Oklahoma State in a preseason game at Gallagher-Iba Arena. On Sunday, New Mexico accomplished the feat, topping the Cowboys 99-89 and bringing an end to their 57-game exhibition winning streak.
Jake Hall, who was named the Mountain West Preseason Player of the Year just five days earlier, powered the Lobos with 31 points. He scored New Mexico's first 14 points and at one juncture had outscored Oklahoma State by himself, 20-17, though the official score at that moment was 22-17 in favor of the Lobos. That outburst came with 10:29 remaining in the first half, and Hall had played only 5 minutes and 21 seconds up to that point in a game that featured frequent substitutions.
Hall finished the contest shooting 6-of-7 from 3-point range and 9-of-10 from the free-throw line, drawing five fouls. His 31 points set a new record for a Lobo in an exhibition game against a Division I opponent, surpassing the 23 points Sam Logwood scored against BYU in 2017. Hall's regular-season career high stands at 32 points.
New Mexico received double-digit scoring from three other players: freshman Fynn Lastring contributed 16 points and three made 3-pointers, while starting guards Hudson Mayes (13 points, seven rebounds, eight fouls drawn) and Uriah Tenette (12 points, three assists) also chipped in. The trio could form one of the nation's top backcourts.
Despite the win, head coach Eric Olen identified areas of concern. The departure of Tomislav Buljan from last year's team has left a void at center, particularly in rebounding. Oklahoma State's more physical frontcourt dominated the boards, out-rebounding New Mexico 45-35 and converting 22 offensive rebounds into 27 second-chance points.
"We got to see some things that we don't see in practice, right?" Olen said, referring to the Cowboys' physical frontcourt. "That's where a lot of the value is (in a game like Sunday) — big, physical, athletic front court that is really actively posting up around the basket a lot. That's not how we play offense, so we don't get those reps in practice."
New Mexico's big men — Federic Grani, a 23-year-old from Italy; Imran Suljanovic, a transfer from St. John's; Lastring, a German freshman; and Benjamin Schuch, a freshman from Austria — were all making their college debuts.
"The level of physicality and athleticism on the glass, that's an area we want to keep getting better," Olen said. "(Giving up) 22 offensive rebounds is not a consistently successful approach. The good news is those are things we think we can get better at, and we will get better at."
A year ago, New Mexico dropped its preseason exhibition opener to a Washington State team that went on to win only 12 games, and Hall shot just 2-of-12 from beyond the arc. Olen knows better than to read too much into an exhibition box score, but Hall's early-game explosion was still remarkable.
"He kind of carried us in those first 10 minutes on offense," Olen said. "I think everyone else was settling in a little bit. Jake walks in here (already) settled in on offense. So, it was good. And there might be nights where he has to do that for us. (But) I think there's other nights where we'll figure out how to leverage the way he's played, and other guys are going to have big games (as a result of how teams have to defend Hall)."
Key Analysis
The victory, while only an exhibition, offers valuable film for a New Mexico squad integrating numerous new pieces. It also highlights Hall's readiness to shoulder a heavy offensive load, though the rebounding deficiencies against a power-conference frontcourt could be a recurring issue if not addressed. For Oklahoma State, the loss ends a decades-long preseason home dominance but serves as an early teaching tool for a team with its own roster turnover.
Originally reported by yahoo.