Lobos continue downward spiral, lose to UNLV

Kuiper said the players definitely hear it. Same, too, for the endless attacks on social media — particularly after the Nevada game.

“It’s kind of hard to see it everywhere, on TV, Twitter wherever you go,” Kuiper said. “You just kind of have to block it out, but then you’re watching ESPN and then it comes on, so you just have to kind of brush it off.”

Neal deflected any questions that hinted about the overall health of the program, often answering media inquiries with questions of his own.

The same applied for any hints about his job security.

“All I can do is keep working,” he said. “I still think we got a really good team.”

Kuiper was asked about Neal’s status, given that college basketball is a results-based industry that can and does cost coaches their jobs when things go south.

“We really try not to focus on that,” he said. “I love coach Neal, I want him here so I just try to do whatever I can to win games.”

Neal admitted that what happened during the Nevada game didn’t go unnoticed and no one on the team was immune to the overwhelming negative blowback.

He said it has had an impact and that the last thing the team really needs now is a road trip; something it will do starting this weekend when UNM has the

first of two straight away games when it visits Colorado State on Saturday.

“I don’t think we want to get away,” Neal said. “I mean, it’s where we live and where we play and where we go to school. I don’t think that’s the answer. Social media follows you wherever you go.”

Game Notes

Shorthanded: The Lobos were without sophomore forward Connor MacDougall, who was out with concussion-like symptoms. He is likely out until the Boise State game on Jan. 17.

Back but in limited form was point guard Jordan Hunter. The sophomore checked in for the first time in the second half and played only two minutes. He suffered a sprained ankle in UNM’s win at San Diego State last week.

Free throws: Normally a frequent visitor to the charity stripe, UNM was just 14-for-17 from the line Tuesday. Williams had just two tries as UNLV outscored the Lobos 16-14 from the line.

JUAN ANTONIO LABRECHE/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS UNLV’s Christian Jones grabs a rebound Tuesday next to New Mexico’s Anthony Mathis during the first half of a game in Albuquerque. The Lobos were more than accommodating in the game’s final two minutes, giving up two huge offensive rebounds that kept the ball in UNLV’s hands for nearly every bit of those final 120 seconds.