New Mexico Lobos

Lobos run wild as Cougs get smoked 92-64 in Albuquerque exhibition

The Lobos ran wild in The Pit on Sunday, and there's no polite way to say it: the Cougs got smoked 92-64. That's not a scrimmage score. That's a statement. New Mexico's Jake Hall, the Mountain West Freshman of the Year, put up 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting and made it look easy. The Lobos started with an 8-2 run, then buried WSU with a 16-0 surge in the first half. By midway through the second, the Cougs were down 42 points. That's not a bad afternoon. That's a fire drill. Uriah Tennette hit a three to open the game, and Ronnie Harrison answered with a layup to make it 3-2. That was the last time it felt close. The Lobos went on a 16-point tear in four minutes, and WSU never recovered. Isaiah Watts? Not in the box score we have here. The bright spots: Nate Houston led the Cougs with 14 points and two assists. Harrison added 12 points, four boards, and four assists. But that's cold comfort when you trail 80-38 at one point. It's an exhibition. That matters. But it's also The Pit, and the Lobos looked like a team that knows who it is. The Cougs looked like a team still figuring that out. If you want a better taste of where this program is headed, check out our piece on Owen Eshelman's first start giving Wazzu its best FBS offense yet. That's the kind of story that reminds you what's possible. This one?