SAN JOSE, CA— The road to the top of the Mountain West ran through the cellar on Saturday night, but for the New Mexico Lobos, the ascent was anything but steep—provided your name was Jake Hall.

While the Lobos struggled to shake a gritty, injury-depleted San Jose State squad, their freshman sensation ignited from deep, pouring in a career-high 27 points on a blistering 7-of-9 from beyond the arc. The 90-80 victory, combined with Utah State’s takedown of San Diego State, has officially ignited a fire at the summit of the conference standings.

We now have a logjam at the peak: New Mexico, Utah State, and San Diego State all sit deadlocked at 9-2.

SAN JOSE, CA—New Mexico faces San Jose State looking to capitalize on a struggling Spartans team that has lost 10 of its last 11 games, though coach Tim Miles’ squad is showing signs of improved health. UNM men’s basketball coach Eric Olen emphasized the need to limit big performances, after San Jose State guard Colby Garland scored 31 points in the teams’ first meeting. Garland leads the Spartans with 17.9 points and 4.2 assists per game, while guard Alvaro Washington averages 11.6 points. San Jose State is coming off a 30-plus point home loss to Boise State.