Rice scores career-best 35 points for Boise State in 86-78 win at No. 19 New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Max Rice scored a career-high 35 points and Boise State beat No. 19 New Mexico 86-78 on Wednesday night, handing the Lobos their first home loss of the season.

Chibuzo Agbo added 16 points for Broncos (15-6, 6-2 Mountain West), and O’Mar Stanley had 12 points and 14 rebounds.

Donovan Dent led New Mexico (18-4, 6-3) with a career-best 31 points. Jamal Mashburn Jr. scored 14 for the Lobos, who fell to 11-1 at home. They had won five straight games overall — each one by at least 18 points.

New Mexico got a subpar offensive performance from Jaelen House, who came in averaging 15.6 points per game. He missed his first eight shots and finished with 12 points on 2-for-15 shooting.

The game was tied at 67 before a late run bookended by 3-pointers from Rice and Agbo gave Boise State a 77-69 lead it did not relinquish over the final 3:44.

Rice was 7 of 14 on 3-pointers and missed just once inside the arc, his latest big performance versus the Lobos after setting his previous career high against them with 30 points against them last season.

Boise State took a 29-20 lead midway through the first half after a 14-0 run over a five-minute span.

New Mexico trimmed it to 41-38 at halftime and regained the lead at 49-48 early in the second half.

BIG PICTURE

New Mexico came in leading the Mountain West Conference in scoring at 84.3 points a game, while the Broncos were allowing the fewest points at 66.4 per game.

The win left Boise State a game behind first-place Utah State.

UP NEXT

Boise State is at home Saturday against Air Force.

New Mexico starts the second half of its conference schedule next Tuesday at Wyoming. The Lobos won the first meeting 77-60.

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