ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Miles Byrd (14 points) and Jared Coleman-Jones (10 points) each reached double figures, but it was not enough for San Diego State as the Aztecs came up short 62-48 at New Mexico on Saturday morning.
The Aztecs (10-4, 3-2 Mountain West) dropped a game for the first time in 2025. The team returns to America’s Finest City to take on Colorado State and UNLV next week.
New Mexico (14-3, 6-0 MW) has not lost since suffering an 89-83 defeat at home against their rival, New Mexico State, on December 7.
Magoon Gwath scored on the opening possession of the game and Coleman-Jones scored his first bucket the next time down the floor to give the Aztecs a 4-2 lead early. New Mexico scored the next 12 points to go ahead 14-4. SDSU responded with five of the next seven points to get within seven. After the Lobos pushed their lead to 14, Coleman-Jones drained a three-pointer just inside of four minutes. He scored eight of his ten points in the opening 20 minutes. Each team would make just one more shot in the first half with Byrd making his first three with 45 seconds left to finish the scoring in the first half with the Aztecs trailing 30-20.
Byrd opened the second half with a three-point play and a Coleman-Jones layup just 46 seconds into the second half cut the Aztec deficit to five points. Byrd would drain a pair of three-pointers just two possessions apart around five and six minutes into the second half to bring SDSU back within nine points. The Lobos would push the lead back out again, culminating with a Donovan Dent layup with 3:52 left in the game, but it was all Aztecs the rest of the way. While the Aztec defense shut out New Mexico for the remainder of the game, Wayne McKinney III made two baskets and Nick Boyd connected on a pair of free throws as the Aztecs fell 62-48.
While Byrd and Coleman-Jones led the way scoring for the Aztecs, Boyd dished out five assists while Gwath swatted four shots for the sixth time this season.
Donovan Dent (16 points, 5 assists) was the top scorer for New Mexico while Tru Washington (13 points) and Mustapha Amzil (10 points, 11 rebounds) also finished in double figures. Filip Borovicanin (nine points, nine rebounds) and Nelly Junior Joseph (nine rebounds) crashed the boards for the Lobos.
San Diego State shot better from the line (52.9%-40.0%) and beyond the arc (31.3%-21.4%) and the teams were nearly identical from the field (35.8%-35.4% in favor of UNM). The Aztecs blocked more shots (8-7). SDSU bench players outscored their Lobo counterparts (9-8).
THE NOTE
Byrd is averaging 13.5 points per game when playing at New Mexico in his career compared to 6.4 points per game overall in his career.
SDSU returns home to Viejas Arena next week to take on Colorado State on Tuesday night at 8 p.m. The game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network and San Diego Sports 760.