LOBOS HANG ON AT BUZZER
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Yes, Tim Williams was injured.
But on Wednesday night in the Thomas & Mack Center, the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels would have preferred a Brown out.
Playing without injured senior leader Tim Williams, the University of New Mexico got 29 points from junior guard Elijah Brown and the Lobos hit five of six free throws in the final 27 seconds to secure an 80-77 road win over the Rebels to pull within a half game of first place in the Mountain West standings behind co-leaders Nevada and Boise State.
The Lobos are 14-9 overall and 7-4 in league play.
Brown’s big night, which included a seasonhigh five made 3-pointers, seven rebounds and a perfect 8-of-8 from the free throw line, allowed the Lobos to overcome UNLV (10-13, 3-7) scoring 25 points off 16 Lobo turnovers,
tying a season high for points off turnovers for a UNM opponent this season (Dayton on Nov. 27).
“Elijah Brown showed great poise tonight,” UNM head coach Craig Neal said. “I thought he led them.”
UNM also got 15 points and 11 rebounds from senior Obij Aget and career highs in points (13) and rebounds (9) from true freshman Damien Jefferson getting his first career start in place of Lobo sophomore Dane Kuiper, who is out with a concussion. Joe Furstinger started in place of Williams, who is out with a stress reaction in his foot.
The back and forth game kept the generously announced crowd of 12,001 entertained throughout. With 3:17 left, UNLV tied the game at 66.
Jefferson took over down the stretch for UNM. With 2:51 left, he grabbed an offensive rebound and put the Lobos up 68-66.
With 1:15 remaining, Jefferson assisted an Aget dunk for a 72-68 lead. Brown drained a 3-pointer with 42 seconds left for a six point UNM lead, but drama was sure to follow.
Rebel Jovan Mooring hit a 3-pointer with 29 seconds left, his third (he had 23 points in the game), for a 75-72 UNM lead.
Then, the Lobos free throw shooting took over.
Brown hit two with 27.5 left. Sophomore point guard Jordan Hunter, whose ankle injury limited him to two minutes in a Jan. 10 loss to UNLV in the Pit, hit three of four free throws in the final 18.2, the last putting UNM up 80-77 with 6.2 left.
Neal called a timeout and told his team to foul UNLV instead of letting them shoot a 3-pointer, something that has bit the Lobos plenty this season.
Instead, Mooring got by a screen at halfcourt and got an off balance shot off that fell short as time expired.
UNLV reserve Tyrell Green tied a career high with 23 points.