Lobos blow big lead, fall to Nevada
Lobos give up 25-point second-half lead and lose in overtime
The collapse was historic.
Up by 25 points with 11 minutes remaining in the second half, the University of New Mexico stumbled down the stretch, watching Nevada hit seven 3-pointers in the final 1:49 of regulation to tie the game before Jordan Caroline hit a final one with 2 seconds remaining in overtime. It capped a stunning 105-104 Nevada win.
Much of the announced Pit crowd of 11,235 had already left by the time Wolf Pack senior Marcus Marshall banked in two off-balance 3-pointers in the final 40 seconds of the second half, the last with 7 seconds remaining to force the extra period.
After Caroline, who had a career-high 45 points, put the Wolf Pack up 105-104 with the game’s final basket, Lobo junior guard Elijah Brown put up a desperation shot at the buzzer that didn’t hit the rim.
Brown and Tim Williams scored 26 points apiece for the Lobos (9-7, 2-2 Mountain West), outpacing Marshall and Cameron Oliver, the league’s leading scoring duo, who had 26 and 13 respectively.
But nobody accounted for Caroline, who added 13 rebounds to his career-night that was aired on national television by ESPN2.
Nevada improves to 14-3 on the season and 3-1 in Mountain West play.
A Sam Logwood 3-pointer with 11:01 left in the second half put the Lobos up 74-49.
From that point on, Nevada chipped away at the lead, and a D.J. Fenner 3-pointer with 3:35 left in regulation cut the New Mexico lead to 87-71. More significant, though, was it was the first of 11 3-pointers Nevada would hit the rest of the half.
The Lobos led by 13 at halftime, and that lead grew. It marked the sixth time in six regular season games against Nevada since Craig Neal has been head coach that the Lobos led by as many as 15. They have now lost two of those.
X-OUT: As he promised, Lobo junior Xavier Adams wore his customary boots on the bench Sat-
urday night. It was his first game out of the lineup since learning this week he’ll miss the rest of the season due to tearing the ACL in his right knee in Wednesday’s loss at Utah State.
HE SAID IT: With 5:25 left in the game, and after scoring his 30th point of the game, Caroline gave an extra long stare at the Lobo defenders around him, drawing a technical foul call for taunting.
A Lobo fan in attendance promptly shouted, “Not so sweet, Caroline!”
NOTES: Lobo sophomore post Connor MacDougall played just 2 minutes before getting hit in the face in first half and leaving the game. He did not return. There was no immediate word on what the specific injury was. ... UNM freshman guard Jalen Harris had a career-high nine rebounds, eight in the first half. His previous high in a game was three . ... Sophomore point guard Jordan Hunter (ankle) missed his second consecutive game.