Lobos continue downward spiral
Hosting UNLV after epic collapse, UNM plays uninspired, squanders double-digit lead
The sinking ship that is The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team just took on even more water Tuesday night in an ugly, uninspired 71-66 loss to UNLV in The Pit.
It was UNM’s third straight loss and second in a row at home, this one coming just three days after one of the most improbable, devastating setbacks in school history when the Lobos blew a 25-point lead with 11 minutes to go in an overtime stunner against Nevada.
Tuesday’s visit from a patchwork UNLV program was supposed to be a turning point. For one half, it was.
UNM built a double-digit lead in the first half, then came out flat in the second half before stumbling down the home stretch in the midst of a 10-2 Rebels run to end the game.
Already getting roasted on social media and sports talk radio by disgruntled fans, UNM head coach Craig Neal admitted he’s at a loss to explain this sudden spiral.
“We just couldn’t get it going,” he said. “We just didn’t look like we had any oomph in our step and looked like we were in quicksand all night.”
The players and coaches said there was a residual hangover affect from the Nevada debacle.
“What happened Saturday is hard for any team to go through,” said Lobos guard Dane Kuiper, one of the few bright spots for UNM on Tuesday.
He hit his first six shots and finished with a career-high 17 points in 37 minutes. He had 13 at halftime as the Lobos took a 37-31 lead into the break.
UNLV opened the second half with a 13-2 run to take its first lead of the game. As has been the case for the Lobos all season long, they fell victim to the 3-point shot. The Rebels (9-9, 2-3 Mountain West) hit nine for the game and had three players finish in double figures.
“To get a good road win, any road win is big,” said UNLV guard Jovan Mooring after posting a game-high 19 points. “To do it here is special.”
The Lobos were more than accommodating, giving up two huge offensive rebounds in the final two minutes, rebounds that kept the ball in UNLV’s hands for nearly every bit of those final 120 seconds.
Neal said he sensed things weren’t right at halftime, which is when he posed a simple question to his team in the locker room: “I just said, ‘What is it? Where we going? What’s going on?’ ”
Elijah Brown had 13 points for the Lobos while Tim Williams and Jalen Harris each had 11, but it was far from the kind of effort Lobo fans have been used to. Harris was saddled by sloppy play — he had three turnovers in the first four minutes and played most of the second half in foul trouble — while Williams never got things going against the Rebels’ constant double teams in a 2-3 zone.
As the game drew to a close and UNLV iced it with two late free throws, some fans heading for the exits showered boos as the buzzer sounded. It was reminiscent of the regular season finale last year when the Lobos were blown out at home against San Diego State.
“I don’t hear it,” Neal said. “I’m trying to concentrate on the