by Andre van der Merwe
Daily Lobo
DENVER - The UNM men's basketball team let go of a 13-point lead in the second half, losing 65-64 to the University of Nevada-Las Vegas on Thursday.
The win sends No. 4-seeded UNLV (16-12 overall, 10-6 Mountain West Conference) into the semifinal round of the MWC Tournament to play against No. 1 seed San Diego State University. Defending champion and No. 5 seed UNM (17-13, 8-9) will have to wait to hear if it gets invited into the National Invitation Tournament.
UNLV head coach Lon Kruger said he was proud of the effort his team displayed in the comeback victory.
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"I'm really, really happy for those guys, proud of these guys," Kruger said. "They've battled all year and not made any excuses. I thought they really battled down the stretch tonight."
The Runnin' Rebels chopped away at the Lobos' lead until both teams were tied at 62 with 2:05 left in the game. UNLV's Ricky Morgan made both free throws to put the Runnin' Rebels up by one with 17 seconds left in the game. Morgan, who regularly averages four points per game, led all scorers with 16 points and added five assists. Twelve of Morgan's points came in the first half.
One of the Lobos' weaknesses for the game was their free-throw shooting. They shot a measly 41 percent from the line going 5-for-12.
Lobo senior Jeff Hart, who led UNM with 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the three-point line, said he was aware of UNM's free-throw troubles, especially at the end of games.
"That's something I think hurt us in a few games late this year," he said. "It would have been nice to knock a few down the stretch."
The closing seconds of the game were tense for both teams, as Morgan said he knew the game wasn't over until the fat lady sang.
"I was a nervous wreck," Morgan said. "They are a great team, and they hustle so hard. I wasn't happy or satisfied until I saw all zeros on that clock."
The game started off fine for UNM as senior Mark Walters hit two early threes. Walters' three-pointers would prove to be a theme for the rest of the Lobos in the first half as they went 7-of-11 from behind the arc. The only ripple in the Lobos' game plan was when senior post David Chiotti got in early foul trouble in the opening minutes of the game. Chiotti sat on the bench the rest of the half and finished the game with only six points.
The Lobos had a comfortable lead going into the locker room up 34-24.
Sophomore Tony Dandrige was the only other Lobo besides Hart in double digits. He finished with 11 points. UNLV, on the other hand, had four players in double figures. Behind the Runnin' Rebels' Morgan was Wendell White, who scored 14 points, grabbed eight rebounds and four steals. The other two Rebels in double figures were Louis Amundson and Jo'Van Adams with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
UNM head coach Ritchie McKay, although frustrated with the loss, complimented Hart's effort and performance in perhaps the final game of his career.
"Jeff's been great the last three games," McKay said. "He's really done a great job of helping our offense."
