Protect the Pit: Lobos Face Utah State With First Place on the Line
Utah State’s Mason Falslev and UNM’s Jake Hall are the stars that headline a matchup for first place in the Pit on Wednesday. Falslev impacts the game on both offense and defense, while Hall is coming off a season high 27 points vs. San Jose State on Jan. 31. Graphic courtesy of Erik Moulton/The Pit Press.
UNM men’s basketball will put its 23-game home winning streak on the line when it takes on Utah State in the Pit on Wednesday at 9 p.m., MT in what could be the final meeting between these teams in Albuquerque.
By the numbers, Utah State represents the strongest opponent to play on the Pit floor this season. The Aggies enter currently ranked No. 27 in the NET and No. 31 in KenPom — the highest marks of any team New Mexico has hosted.
Utah State has the highest-scoring offense in the Mountain West at 84.25 points per game. The Aggies are incredibly efficient, ranking No. 16 in the country in Ken Pom’s effective field goal percentage.
But perhaps what’s even more impressive is the way Utah State shares the basketball. The Aggies average 18.2 assists per game, which is highest in the MW and 18th best in the country.
Junior forward Mason Falslev (6-4) has lived up to expectations this season for the Aggies with averages 15.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game and being one of the best two-way players on the west coast.
Last year’s first-team All–Mountain West pick scored just eight points in the Aggies crucial win against SDSU on Saturday -- and has had a quiet three-game stretch scoring -- yet his two pivotal second-half baskets put Utah State ahead for good against the Aztecs.
USU senior guard MJ Collins (6-4) is the leading the scorer in the Mountain West Conference averaging 18.6 points per game while shooting 40% from the 3-point line. But Collins’ offensive production has taken a hit as of late. He’s only hit his season average in one of the last six games and is shooting only 25% from the 3-point line during that stretch.
Karson Templin saved the Aggies’ offensively against SDSU when Collins and Falslev were non-factors for most of the game. The pesky 6-foot-9 junior had a season-high 18 points and seven rebounds against the Aztecs.
He’s a physical rebounder and hustle player with a Dennis Rodman kind of game. He will create an interesting battle with UNM’s Tomislav Buljan when both are on the floor.
Freshman wing Aldan Elamine (6-9) is an X-factor type player for Utah State who has an intriguing combination of length and athleticism. He’s averaging 10 points and four rebounds per game in conference.
The table setter for Utah State is fifth-year senior guard Drake Allen (6-5), who leads the Mountain West Conference with 5.16 assists per game. Allen is only a 23% 3-point shooter and someone UNM can help off when he does not have the ball.
Utah State has depth off the bench. Fifth-year senior forward Gary Clarke (6-9) averages 8.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game and was named Mountain West Player of the Week earlier in the season in November.
Senior guard Kolby King (6-1) chips in eight points per game off the bench, and had a season-high 20 points against Wyoming last Tuesday, shooting 4-of-7 from deep.
Defensively, Utah State mirrors UNM in that it tries to cause disruption on defense and force turnovers. Utah State generates 9.55 steals per game, best in the Mountain West conference, and scores 20 points per contest off opponents’ turnovers.
Injury Report
Is Chris Howell close to coming back? He was seen getting shots up in shootaround before UNM’s road game against San Jose State.
Howell has not played since the Lobos defeated FGCU in the Pit on Dec. 14, 2025.
Utah State did not have anyone on the injury report for the SDSU game and its expected to be at full strength.
Keys to the Game:
1.Keep Mason Falslev Out of the Paint: Like UNM, Utah State wants to get downhill and score baskets at the rim first. Look at the Aggies’ shot profile.
The red hexagons show that Utah State shoots a lot of shots at a high percentage at the rim. As a team, Utah State shoots 72% at the rim. Graphic courtesy of CBB Analytics.
Falslev is a catalyst for Utah State’s rim efficiency, as nearly two-thirds of his shots come in the painted area. Something will have to give in this game, as UNM protects the paint about as good as any team in the country. The Lobos allow teams to shoot only 26% of their field goal attempts at the basket which is below the national average.
2. Win the Rebound Count: Utah State just out-rebounded San Diego State 46-31 in their 71-66 win on Saturday. The Aggies are second in the Mountain West Conference in offensive rebounds with 11.75 per game. Utah State is too good of an offensive team to give it second possessions, and so Lobos other than Buljan will have to rebound.
3. Limit Turnovers: Utah State likes to play in the passing lanes and press. Its numbers are atop the league in forcing opponent turnovers. UNM guards Deyton Albury and Uriah Tenette were good against SJSU with only 3 combined turnovers. As a team, UNM cannot be careless when it swings the ball from side-to-side and it’s “end-of-drive decision” will have to be good.
Bottom Line
Utah State’s win over San Diego State on Saturday blew the Mountain West race wide open, creating a three-way tie atop the standings between the Lobos, Aggies, and Aztecs. For New Mexico, a home win against Utah State is essential to staying squarely in the regular-season title chase.
The game will air on FS1, but UNM is capping off retro-week by offering retro prices from the 1990s—Lobo fans can get tickets in select areas of the Pit for as low as $15.00.
