Grambling Tigers vs New Mexico Lobos Prediction
Game: Grambling Tigers vs New Mexico Lobos
Date: Thursday, November 21, 2024
Location: The Pit in Albuquerque, NM
TV: ESPN+
Radio: Lobo Radio Network
The New Mexico Lobos (3-1) will host the Grambling Tigers (1-2) at The Pit on Thursday in the PIT in Albuquerque in what promises to be a great college basketball game.
Last season, the University of New Mexico posted an impressive 13-3 record at home and an overall record of 26-10.
The Lobos averaged 81.0 points per game while allowing 70.7 points per game to their opponents.
The New Mexico men’s basketball team kicks off a two-game homestand on Thursday, hosting Grambling State at The Pit.
Tip-off is at 7:00 p.m., and coverage will be available on the Mountain West Network and the Lobo Radio Network.
New Mexico (3-1) is looking to bounce back after suffering its first loss of the season, an 85-71 defeat to No. 22 St. John’s on Sunday at Madison Square Garden.
Donovan Dent is currently averaging 17.3 points and 8.8 assists per game, making him one of only two players in the nation to record at least 12 points and six assists in every game this season.
The Lobos feature four players scoring in double figures: Dent (17.3), Nelly Junior Joseph (17.5), Mustapha Amzil (12.3), and CJ Noland (10.8). Grambling State (1-2) has already faced two ranked teams, narrowly losing to No. 24 Ole Miss 66-64 and falling to No. 20 Florida 86-62.
The Tigers, picked as the preseason SWAC favorite, are led by Kintavious Dozier, the conference’s preseason offensive player of the year.
Grambling State (1-2) has already played two ranked teams this season. It was edged by No. 24 Ole Miss 66-64 and fell to No. 20 Florida 86-62.
The Tigers, the preseason SWAC favorite, are led by Kintavious Dozier, the preseason conference offensive player of the year.
Their most recent game was an 86-62 defeat to Florida, in which the Tigers committed 20 fouls while Florida was called for 18.
Grambling made 7 out of 23 attempts from beyond the arc, compared to Florida’s stellar 80.8% free throw shooting, converting 21 of 26.
The Gators dominated the boards with 45 total rebounds (17 offensive, 28 defensive) and didn’t record any blocks.
Florida dished out 13 assists and recorded 11 steals, while Grambling allowed them to shoot 45.3% from the floor (29 out of 64).
The Tigers finished the game with 21 rebounds, including just 3 offensive boards, and forced 12 turnovers while recording 6 steals.
Grambling made 14 of 17 attempts (82.4%) at the charity stripe and shot 42.6% overall (23 of 54), including 2 of 12 from three-point range.
Kintavious Dozier stood out for Grambling, scoring 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting (63.6%), along with 5 rebounds and 1 assist in 33 minutes of play.
Grambling enters this matchup with a 1-2 record for the season. The Tigers average 18 turnovers per game and commit 17 personal fouls per contest.
As a team, they average 38 rebounds and 27 assists per game, which ranks them last in the country in assists per game.
They have been efficient from beyond the arc, hitting 41.1% of their three-point attempts (23 of 56), and shooting 67.3% from the free-throw line.
They average 72.7 points per game, ranking 265th in the nation, with a field goal percentage of 47.4%. Defensively, Grambling forces 12 turnovers per game and gives up 16.7 fouls.
The Tigers have limited opponents to 23.8% shooting from three, ranking 77th in the nation and allowing only 64.7 points per game.
They hold opponents to a 35.4% field goal percentage and average 38 rebounds per game. Grambling ranks 27th in the nation in defending assists, giving up just 33 assists so far this season.
In their last game, the New Mexico Lobos fell to St. John’s by a score of 85-71, allowing St. John’s to grab 45 rebounds (19 offensive).
The Lobos shot just 22.2% from three-point range, making only 4 of 18 attempts. They finished the game shooting 43.8% from the field (28 of 64) and made 13 of 20 free throws (65.0%).
St. John’s shot 50.0% from the field, converting 34 of 68 attempts. New Mexico hit 8 of 18 from beyond the arc (44.4%) and forced 11 turnovers while collecting 9 steals.
They had a total of 26 rebounds, including 13 offensive boards. Mustapha Amzil was a bright spot for New Mexico, scoring 16 points on 6-of-14 shooting (42.9%) along with 4 rebounds and three assists in 34 minutes of play.
The Lobos are currently 3-1 on the season, averaging 83.5 points per game and shooting 45.7% from the field, which ranks 178th in the nation.
They average 38.3 rebounds per game and rank 43rd in the country with 18.3 assists per contest.
However, New Mexico has struggled defensively, allowing 78.5 points per game, which ranks 311th nationally.
The Lobos force 19 turnovers per game but have allowed opponents to shoot 45.2% from the field. They also give up 30.9% shooting from three-point range and 60.2% from the free-throw line.
New Mexico ranks near the bottom of the nation in defensive rebounds (353rd) and assists allowed (351st), giving up 42.8 rebounds and 17.8 assists per game.
Grambling’s efficient shooting and solid defense make them capable of covering the spread in this contest.
Thursday’s matchup marks the fourth meeting between the two schools. New Mexico has won all three previous encounters at The Pit.
The most recent clash occurred in the 2021-22 season when the Lobos won 86-61 in the third game of the Richard Pitino era.
The Lobos will wrap up the homestand on Sunday by hosting Texas Southern, the SWAC preseason runner-up. Game time is set for…
The Lobos should bounce back from their loss at St. John’s and play a very physical, scrappy game in the PIT.
This is a strong Grambling team, so it should be a good test for Richard Pitino’s Lobo team at home.
They are tough at home, and the crowd will consist of the usual Lobo faithful, who create noise and a hostile environment for opposing teams.
Look for the Lobos to get back to their winning ways at home. They are just flat-out hard to beat at home, which is why teams don’t like to come and play.
