ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – In front of over 13,000 fans at The Pit, the Western New Mexico University men's basketball team tipped off the exhibition portion of their schedule Saturday night against Division I University of New Mexico as the Lobos came away with the 89-45 victory.

Early on Steven Loucks (Yuma, AZ/Cibola) and Marcos Castrillo (San Francisco, CA/Pinole Valley) came away with baskets and the Mustangs held a 4-2 lead nearly two minutes in. Castrillo would later push WNMU back in front, 7-6, with a three-point-play at the 16:38 mark. It continued to be a strong start for Castrillo as he added to his team-high tying 14 points with a triple a minute later that again helped the Mustangs regain the lead, 10-9.

After the Lobos began to put a pair of runs together to take the lead into double-digits, Terrez Scott (Santa Clarita, CA/Valencia), who tied Castrillo with 14 points for the team-high, tallied a three near the midway point of the first half to keep the Mustangs down by 10, 28-18.

UNM then exploded over the final 10 minutes of the half going on a 26-4 run to take a 54-22 lead into halftime.

The Lobos would continue with the momentum into the second half to take the victory, although the Mustangs would tally more points in the second (23), than they did in the first (22).

Castrillo just missed out on a double-double as he added a team-high eight rebounds. Brandon Tanter (Long Beach, CA/Los Angeles Prep) led the way in assists with three, while Scott had three steals.

UNM had four players in double-figures led by 22 points from Cullen Neal.

WNMU will head to Phoenix this coming Thursday when they will play at Grand Canyon University in another exhibition contest beginning at 7 p.m.