The Lobos will be a man short when they make the trip up north on I-25 to take on the Air Force Falcons in Colorado Springs on Saturday afternoon, as forward Joe Furstinger was given a one-game suspension for a hard foul in the closing seconds of Tuesday’s loss to Boise State at DreamStyle Arena.
Furstinger fouled Marcus Dickinson as the clock ran out, prompting both benches to clear and a brawl on the Pit floor. It is the second time this season that a Lobo has been suspended by the Mountain West Conference from actions in a game against Boise State. Troy Simons was given a one-game suspension for his behavior in a lopsided loss to the Broncos on January 3rd.
No other Lobo received a suspension for their actions, although the league did state that players and staff from both teams were at fault for creating a situation that could have resulted in a more serious result.
An already vertically challenged Lobo team will be without their leading rebounder against the Falcons. On a positive note, the Falcons have lost three of their last four games, and they too rank among the worst in the nation in rebounds per game (321st).
It remains to be seen if Furstinger will miss more than just one game for his actions on Tuesday. Head coach Paul Weir held out Simons an additional four games for his transgression, opening the door to the possibility that Weir will also hold Furstinger out for more than just one game.
