After the UNM men's basketball team lost its two previous games, a sluggish start against Air Force on Saturday probably didn't comfort fans at The Pit.
But, thanks to effective 3-point shooting and solid defense, the Lobos eventually opened a big lead, and this time held on, downing Air Force 59-44.
It was a change of pace for UNM after the team let leads of 14 points or more slip away in consecutive losses to San Diego State and TCU.
Senior guard J.R. Giddens said those painful losses were on the Lobos' minds at halftime Saturday.
"We were talking about it in the locker room, just trying to stay smart and disciplined when we have the lead," he said. "When we get up, just focus on getting defensive stops, because when you have a big lead like that, it really shouldn't matter about your offense - it should matter about your defense."
The UNM defense was stout throughout the game, but its offense sputtered at the beginning, as neither team scored with more than five minutes off the clock.
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But, the Lobos got hot from beyond 3-point range, connecting on 6-of-14 from deep to open a 32-17 halftime lead. Five UNM players scored 3-pointers in the first half.
Junior forward Monquel Pegues said the lights-out shooting helped the post players get more opportunities later in the game.
"Like coach said, everybody's going to have their shooting night," he said. "But when everybody's hitting, that's going to open it up for everyone else. Also for the big men as far as getting easy post touches and rebounding more."
As the game went on, nobody benefited more than Giddens. He finished with 15 points - nine in the second half - and 12 rebounds to go with three assists. Giddens left to a standing ovation in the final moments of the game.
Sophomore Roman Martinez was the only other Lobo to score in double figures with 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting. Martinez scored 10 of his 13 points in the first half.
UNM shot 41 percent from the field and 39 percent from behind the arc.
The Lobos will get another chance to put on a strong performance in front of the home fans when they host Utah tonight at The Pit. The Utes are 10-6 overall and 1-2 in the Mountain West Conference after falling 55-52 to BYU on Saturday.
UNM is 15-4 and 2-2 in conference.
As much as the Lobos enjoyed Saturday's win, they know they have to be focused for a tough Utah team, Giddens said.
"We hear they're D'ing up very good," he said. "I think they lost to BYU at home, so their coach is going to probably put them through some pretty tough practices. So, they'll be ready to give us their all."
UNM head coach Steve Alford said Utah is a well-coached team that puts a big emphasis on defense.
"They play very hard," he said. "That will be a tough contest and a very pivotal game with a very quick turnaround."
Men's basketball vs. Utah
Tonight, 7 p.m.
The Pit
