ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — — Donovan Dent finished with 40 points for New Mexico in a 78-71 victory over VCU on Wednesday night.

Dent added five rebounds for the Lobos (9-3). Nelly Junior Joseph scored 15 points while shooting 5 of 11 from the field and 5 for 8 from the line and added 11 rebounds. Mustapha Amzil shot 5 of 12 from the field and 5 of 7 from the free-throw line to finish with 15 points, while adding eight rebounds.

The Rams (9-3) were led by Max Shulga, who recorded 20 points and two steals. Phillip Russell added 13 points for VCU. Joe Bamisile also had 12 points and two steals. The Rams broke a five-game winning streak with the loss.

New Mexico took the lead with 11:11 to go in the first half and never looked back. The score was 37-30 at halftime, with Dent racking up 15 points. Dent scored 25 points down the stretch in the second half to help lead New Mexico to a seven-point victory.

NEXT UP

New Mexico’s next game is Saturday against Colorado State on the road, and VCU hosts William & Mary on Sunday.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Sanders says he’s aiming to win USC’s RB1 job in 2025, and is coming off a breakout 2024 with New Mexico where he ran for 1,063 yards and nine touchdowns.

Originally Published: December 18, 2024 at 4:05 PM PST

The USC Trojans have landed a commitment from former New Mexico running back Eli Sanders over Arkansas, Michigan State, Virginia Tech and Arizona after he spent the last couple of days on campus. Sanders is the second player to commit to the Trojans, joining former San Jose State cornerback DJ Harvey since the transfer portal opened on Dec. 9. He was the No. 17 running back in the 247Sports Transfer Portal Rankings and will have one season of eligibility remaining.

Sanders signed with Iowa State as a three-star prospect coming out of Chandler (AZ) High School in the 2021 recruiting cycle. He spent three seasons with the Cyclones, rushing for 703 yards and four touchdowns and added 15 receptions for 135 yards and one touchdown before he transferred to New Mexico in 2024. This season he rushed for 1,063 yards and nine touchdowns and caught 15 passes for 134 yards with the Lobos. Sanders announced on Dec. 6 that he would be entering the portal.

“Coach Lincoln Riley, coach Anthony Jones Jr. and the entire staff just made the whole experience at USC awesome,” Sanders told 247Sports. “It was a family oriented atmosphere there. It’s going to be close to home for me, too, just about an hour and half away from family in Oceanside. The offense is a great fit for me; I feel very comfortable running counter, going either inside or outside zone. It’s perfectly fitted for my skillset.”

Running back was a big area of need with Woody Marks headed off to the NFL following a stellar senior season. Marks carried the ball 198 times for 1,133 yards and nine touchdowns. He became the first Trojans players to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark since Ronald Jones in 2017 and earned Second-Team Big-Ten honors. Marks was a consistent threat out of the backfield, and he played with a toughness and passion that resonated with the entire team.

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Redshirt freshman Quinten Joyner entered the portal when it opened on Dec. 9. Joyner carried the ball 63 times for 478 yards and three touchdowns this season. He averaged 7.6 yards per carry. The former four-star prospect in 2023 recruiting cycle possessed elite speed and had the ability to break a long run at moment. Joyner was an excellent complimentary back for Marks and stepped up throughout the season whenever his number was called. Ohio State has emerged as the favorite to land the former Trojans running back after a visit to Columbus last weekend.

“USC had two phenomenal backs last season and seeing their production, seeing how they were able to run the football, it’s definitely got me excited about my fit in the scheme,” Sanders told 247Sports. “It was definitely a dream school of mine growing up, going to games at the Coliseum and once I got the opportunity in the portal I knew I wanted to play for USC.”

Coach Lincoln Riley has looked to the portal to find his lead running back every season he has been at USC. In 2022, he signed Travis Dye from Oregon and Ausin Jones from Stanford. In 2023, it was MarShawn Lloyd from South Carolina and then Marks from Mississippi State this season. And now it will be Sanders in 2025.

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