Gambler’s Luck Doesn’t Exist in LA: The Bruins Fall to the New Mexico Lobos in Sin City 72-64
The Bruins (1-1) were ravaged by the New Mexico State Lobos (2-0) 72-64 in Las Vegas on Friday, in a game that saw the Bruins revert back to the habits that impeded them last season. Shooting 36.4% from the field, 21.7% from beyond the arc, and accumulating 21 turnovers was a recipe that led the Bruins straight into the wolf’s den.
Junior Forward Tyler Bilodeau was the only player for the Bruins that generated consistent offense. He finished the night with 23 points and 15 rebounds, shooting 8/20 from the field—no other Bruin cracked double-digit points.
From the tip off, the Bruins appeared sluggish compared to the tenacious Lobos. The team surged out to a 21-11 lead close to eight minutes into the first half, cashing in on nine out of their first 11 shot attempts. The Bruins would never be able to recover from the Lobos’ scintillating start.
This warning manifested itself into the Bruins’ worst nightmare, since the Lobos came to accomplish more than just play a game of basketball: They came to win. On the night, the Lobos shot 51% from the field and drained 40% of their shots from behind the arc.
Despite multiple attempts to cut into this double-digit lead throughout the contest, the Bruins were never able to go on a run to regain their lead. In fact, there wasn’t a single moment where the Bruins had a lead over the Lobos.
With the Bruins down 41-30 going into the second half, they had an opportunity to turn the game around by regaining their composure in the locker room and opening the second half with a resounding bang. However, the exact opposite happened, and the Lobos continued to pull away. The Lobos largest lead on the night would end up being 16 points.
The Bruins mustered a slight comeback with around five minutes to go in the second half, playing aggressive defense to generate multiple Lobos’ turnovers. Despite this infusion of defensive intensity, the Bruins couldn’t capitalize off these opportunities, especially with the persistence of their egregious shooting.
Given the Bruins’ shooting struggles, it will be interesting to see how Cronin chooses to utilize Senior Guard Dominick Harris, who shot an astounding percentage of 44.8% from the three-point line last season with Loyola Marymount. This season, he has not made a single shot from beyond the arc.
The Bruins will look to rebound after this rattling loss to the Lobos, returning to Pauley Pavilion to face the Boston University Terriers on Monday.
