Biggest In-State Beatdown – New Mexico State 100 New Mexico 65
In the rematch of the Rio Grande Rivalry, things went pretty differently than the 98-84 New Mexico State win over New Mexico from earlier this season.
The Aggies once again defeated the Lobos, but this time they won by nearly 40 points. JoJo Zamora led the way with 27 points on a perfect 6-6 from three in just 18 minutes of action.
The “They’re Still Undefeated” Award – Furman Paladins
There are nine unbeaten teams left in college basketball. Four are mid-majors. With all due respect to Nevada, Buffalo, and Houston, the Furman Paladins have to take this award.
I’m featuring them in a similiar category as last week, and I will continue to feature them in some capacity until they lose.
Best Mid-Major Matchup – Belmont 76 Lipscomb 74
In another mid-major rivalry rematch this week, the Bruins and Bisons squared off with a combined record of 12-2. Once again, Belmont came away with the win thanks to a last-second floater from freshman Caleb Hollander.
Lipscomb’s Nate Moran’s potential game-winning three-pointer rimmed out at the buzzer, and the Bruins walked away with two wins in this year’s Battle of the Boulevard matchups by a combined six points.
Honorable mention goes to Louisiana Tech’s 96-93 overtime win at Stephen F. Austin, Toldeo’s 75-74 win over Marshall which also went to overtime, Ohio’s 78-69 victory against Radford, and UC Irvine’s 60-51 win over Montana.