After running up and down the court with the University of Nevada at Las Vegas in an 84-81 overtime win Tuesday, the UNM men's basketball team will hit the road Saturday in a game that will feature a decidedly slower pace.
Much has been written about the Air Force Academy (8-12, 2-5 in the Mountain West Conference) and their Princeton-style slow-down offense. And as the Lobos (14-7, 4-3 MWC) prepare to face the Falcons on their home floor, UNM might be keeping a couple of things in mind, including that league leaders University of Wyoming and the University of Utah both needed overtime - the Cowboys needed four - to beat the pesky Falcons.
"I think the key for us is we do a good job of determining the tempo of the game and limiting teams' transition opportunities," Air Force head coach Joe Scott said of his team's success. "When you add it all up, it comes down to a team that cares on every possession of the game."
Air Force also has wins over San Diego State University - which two days before beat the Lobos 78-65 - and Brigham Young University at home. Last year, the Lobos lost to the Falcons on the road 53-49, which means that what was once an assured win in Colorado Springs, is now not such a sure thing.
"They're such a disciplined team," UNM point guard Senque Carey said. "As soon as someone makes a mistake, they make you pay for it."
The Lobos almost paid earlier this season, when the Falcons made them work hard to earn a 50-47 win Jan. 14 in The Pit on ESPN's Big Monday. The now-departed Marlon Parmer watched from the bench as the Lobos struggled offensively, and since that game, they've gone 3-2 and the offense has stalled, in a loss to Utah and shown promise in wins over Colorado State University and UNLV. Saturday's game will be Carey's first against the Falcons as a point guard, and he admits it will be a big test.
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"I'll need to get our team in situations where we can score easy points," Carey said. "I feel on the offensive end we're getting where we want to get."
Head coach Fran Fraschilla tinkered with the starting lineup against UNLV, replacing freshman center Chad Bell with fellow freshman Jamaal Williams. The move did not net outstanding numbers by Williams - he finished with six points, six rebounds and two assists - but it did allow the Lobos to run with the Rebels. And since Air Force is a smaller team, Fraschilla said Williams is likely to start again Saturday.
"It was a little bit of a change," Williams said of being in the starting lineup. "When you come off the bench you get to sit and watch the game and see the flow of it. When you start, you have to get into it right away and be able to stay up with it."
UNM's win Tuesday also put it back in the thick of the Mountain West race.
The Lobos are 4-3 in the conference and trail both Wyoming and Utah, which own 6-1 conference records. UNM still has games against both of those teams.
Also going in the Lobos' favor is the play of post Patrick Dennehy, who followed up his 15-point, nine-rebound game against San Diego State with a 16-point, 14-rebound performance against UNLV.
Scott said he knows Air Force can't match up with UNM inside so instead he is focused on shutting down the Lobo guards.
"How are we going to guard Ruben Douglas and Chatfield?" Scott said. "That's going to come down to keeping our bodies in front of them."
Scott also said he hopes he and his team can continue their success at home.
"We'll be trying to get our third straight home win which would be huge for this program," Scott said.
Game time is set for 2 p.m. with SportsWest TV providing television coverage and 770-KKOB-AM providing the radio call.
