Richard, UNM Lobos beat Rick, Iona in battle of the Pitinos (w/ video)
Dec. 19—A year ago, Rick Pitino watched a Lobos game in the Pit, before he had to catch a redeye back to New York.
The Lobos lost and his son, UNM coach Richard Pitino, didn't feel like a postgame meal, instead dropping dad off at the airport three hours before his flight.
Sunday, after the Lobos held off dad's Iona Gaels 82-74 in an intense Pit-of-old atmosphere with an announced crowd of 14,534, Richard Pitino was more open to a postgame meal with his father.
"I am extremely appreciative that he played this game," Richard Pitino said of his father's decision to play the game in the Pit as his team was headed from New York to Hawaii for a Christmas week tournament.
"He did not need to do this. And you saw the community. They owe him a debt of gratitude obviously for playing it because not a lot of people want to do that. So, really grateful. And hopefully I can buy him a meal."
The father-son showdown was the third time the Pitinos squared off as head coaches. Sunday was the first time Richard Pitino bested his Naismith Hall of Fame coaching father.
More important to Richard, however, was his team improved to 11-0 on the season with just a Tuesday home game against Prairie View A&M standing between UNM and a perfect 12-0 record heading into Mountain West play on Dec. 28 in the Pit vs. Colorado State.
Sunday's win came with the same formula the Lobos used over many of their first 10 victories — balanced scoring with guard play taking over down the stretch. Guards Jaelen House (22), K.J. Jenkins (17) and Jamal Mashburn Jr. (12) combined for 51 points and scored 18 of the Lobos' final 23 points while holding off a furious second-half surge from the Gaels (7-3).
"Congratulations to the Lobos," Iona coach Rick Pitino said. "They were devastating on offense, in the first half especially. House is a very unique guard. He can dominate. Even when we had two guys on him, he still got the ball inbounds and went by us. ...
"New Mexico is an excellent basketball team. So very happy for Richard. I'm very proud of him. Great crowd. Terrific crowd."
In addition to his game-high 22 points, House had 5 assists, 2 steals, drew 9 fouls and regularly broke Iona's press defense.
The Lobos opened up a 17 point lead on a Jenkins basket with 3:30 left in the first half and the scoreboard showing the Lobos up 37-20.
With the Pit crowd buzzing, forward Josiah Allick blocked a shot on the ensuing possession and got called for a technical foul for taunting the opposing player, ending the Lobos run and starting a slow, steady climb back into the game.
Iona dominated the offensive boards and had 18 second chance points to just 1 for the Lobos and also scored 16 points off 16 Lobo turnovers.
A Walter Clayton Jr. 3-pointer with 2:48 left cut the Lobo lead to 76-73 and the nerves of a Lobo crowd desperate for a win were on edge.
But Morris Udeze drew a double-team and dropped off an assist to an open Javonte Johnson for his only basket in the game and the Lobos closed the door from there.
While neither coach said the game was ultimately about them, Jenkins said he was happy the Lobos pulled this one out for their Pitino.
"I believe two Hall of Fame coaches were competing today," Jenkins said. "And it was advertised well. The crowd, they showed up. And everything that was said about this game, it was all out there tonight."
BOX SCORE: New Mexico 82, Iona 74
EMPTYING THE NOTEBOOK: For more news, notes, stats and quotes after Sunday's Lobos win, including how son Richard Pitino finally got the best of dad Rick Pitino and where the team's 11-0 start ranks in program history, read the Emptying the Notebook column.
