Despite both teams doing their best "Bad News Bears" impressions, the UNM men's basketball team rallied for a much-needed 72-60 win over Colorado State University at home Saturday.
It was a match-up between two struggling Mountain West Conference teams - CSU in last place with a 10-16 overall record and 1-10 in conference play, while UNM improved to fifth place and 15-10 overall, 5-6 in the conference. The win broke a three-game Lobo losing streak and extended Fraschilla's record against the Rams to a perfect 6-0.
The Lobos have been guilty of playing to the level of their opponents this season and matched the Rams poor shooting. Both teams put up every possible type of brick imaginable during the game, including layups off the glass, airballs in the paint and beyond the 3-point line and plenty of shots that clanged off the back of the rim.
"The key to the game was great defense," UNM head coach Fran Fraschilla said. "We were sloppy at times, but we did what we had to do. Overall, this is a team that makes you play sloppy because they are very physical."
UNM was able to muster a decisive run in the first half keyed by guards Ruben Douglas and Tim Lightfoot that put the Lobos up by 10, a lead they would never relinquish despite an extensive second-half scoring drought.
With 10 minutes remaining in the second half and the game largely out of reach, the Rams employed a hack-a-Lobo strategy, fouling UNM on nearly every possession. If stalling the game was not frustrating enough, the Lobos' poor performance from the line had some fans booing despite a 10-point lead and others heading for the door midway through the second half.
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"The game, in the second half, once we were up 12 or 14, got very choppy," Fraschilla said. "I think the sloppiness was really attributed to the missed free throws and the fact that with five or six minutes left in the game, we had the game in control."
The Lobos shot 39 free throws, while the Rams went to the line 30 times, with UNM shooting 56 percent and CSU 37 percent from the charity stripe. Perimeter shooting wasn't much better, with the Lobos shooting 42 percent and the Rams a shaky 37 percent. The 3-point line was the least friendly, with UNM hitting 35 percent and CSU 39 percent from beyond the arc.
The Rams' effort, combined with limited scoring, frustrated center Patrick Dennehy, who picked up his fifth foul with 4:47 remaining and earned a technical for disputing the way the game was called on his way to the bench.
Douglas, who averages 24 points against the Rams, extended his streak by posting 30 against CSU Saturday. Guard Eric Chatfield scored nine points, while point guard Senque Carey and Dennehy finished with eight each. Carey also nearly picked up a triple double with nine assists and nine rebounds. Brian Greene, who scored 12 points, and Andy Birley, who racked up 11, led the Rams.
"I don't know, I just go out there and try to play hard," Douglas said of his shooting streak. "I guess good things just happen when I play against them. Some games are hard for, some games are easy, but I'm not going to jinx myself. I just go out there and play hard."
The Lobos now have to quickly rebound from an unusual, lethargic game to prepare for league leader University of Wyoming tonight in The Pit. The Cowboys, who favor a fast-paced style of play, have beaten UNM five straight times, including a 79-67 win in Laramie Jan. 26.
"It's like Colorado State and us right now because we own them with our winning streak and, with Wyoming, they basically own us," Carey said. "It's about time for us to take it to them."
Douglas agreed.
"I'm not worried about the conference tournament right now, I just want to beat Wyoming," he said.
