Men's Hoops Falls To New Mexico, 72-62

Dec 28, 2001

Box Score

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - Eric Chatfield scored 17 points and led New Mexico's solid free throw shooting in a 72-62 win Friday night over Saint Mary's in the first round of the COMCAST Lobo Invitational.

New Mexico (8-3) meets Dartmouth (6-5) in Saturday's championship game. Dartmouth beat Southeastern Louisiana 62-59.

Chatfield hit only 3 of 10 shots from the field, but went 9-for-10 at the free throw line and also had a team-high five assists.

New Mexico, which won its sixth straight, hit 24 of 29 free throws. The Lobos' proficiency at the foul line offset their sluggish shooting from everywhere else early in the second half.

New Mexico went nearly six minutes at the start of the second half without a field goal and that helped the Gaels stay close.

Ethnie Stubbs scored 18 points and Ross Benson 12 for the Gaels (4-6). The two combined to take 26 of Saint Mary's 52 shots.

New Mexico used a 9-0 run to take a 60-48 lead - their biggest of the game - with 7:00 left. Marlon Parmer hit four free throws and Ruben Douglas had two field goals in the run.

Saint Mary's closed the deficit to 63-58 with 3:47 left on a basket by Benson, but Chatfield then banked in a shot and Parmer added five points over the final 2{ minutes.

New Mexico never trailed in the game but Saint Mary's erased a 39-33 halftime deficit as the Lobos missed their first six shots of the second half. New Mexico snapped a 41-all tie and went ahead to stay with a 3-point play by Jamaal Williams and a 3-pointer by Tim Lightfoot.

Lightfoot has hit eight straight field goals and seven straight 3-pointers over the past three games. Lightfoot's buzzer-beating baseline jumper gave New Mexico the 6-point lead at halftime.

Schedule

GAELS IN THE PROS

CHAMPIONS

HALL OF FAME

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