Lobos Star Scores Career-High 39 Points

The UNM Lobos secured a decisive 94-69 victory against Little Rock, highlighted by a career-best 39-point performance from sophomore guard Jake Hall. Hall showcased his development as a scorer, not just a shooter, by scoring 54% of his points from inside the three-point line and earning frequent trips to the free-throw line, where he made 13 of 15 attempts. This offensive explosion makes Hall the highest-scoring Lobo through the first three games of a season with 92 points, matching Lamont Long's record from the 1998-99 season.

Beyond Hall's individual success, the Lobos demonstrated impressive team play. They achieved their first consecutive games with at least 20 assists and single-digit turnovers since the 2007-08 season, with 21 assists and six turnovers against Little Rock, and 20 assists with two turnovers against Northern Arizona. Reserve guards Chris Howell and Dax Hall lead the Mountain West in assist-to-turnover ratio, with both players also contributing significantly in steals.

In other notable team achievements, the Lobos' defensive intensity led to 13 steals against Little Rock, marking their third consecutive game to start the season with double-digit steals. This follows a trend of strong nonconference performance, with the team holding a 45-6 record since the 2022-23 season, ranking them fourth in Division I for nonconference win percentage.

Coach Eric Olen continues to make his mark, becoming the first UNM coach since Norm Ellenberger to start his first two seasons with a 3-0 record. The team is preparing for a challenging road trip to Santa Clara, with the return of forward Rytis Petraitis from an ankle injury adding depth to the squad.