The clock hit zero, and the buzzer sounded; Section 26 rushed Bob King Court, and students hoisted UNM guard Nate Garth above their shoulders at The Pit on Wednesday.
The UNM men’s basketball team defeated No. 25 California, 86-78, as a noisy, near-capacity crowd of 13,549 fans filled University Arena.
It’s the first time the Lobos played a ranked opponent at home since 2007, and it’s the first time UNM has beaten a ranked team at The Pit since the Lobos knocked off No. 13 Utah, 65-54, in 2005.
“That had to have been a very exciting game to watch from a fan’s standpoint,” Lobo head coach Steve Alford said. “I think that is what our fans our getting treated to. Our guys play hard, unselfishly, and, for a young group, they find ways of winning. I can’t imagine a younger team in the country trying to find ways to win.”
In what was a tight game throughout the first half, UNM took the lead with three seconds left, after point guard Dairese Gary banked home an easy layup.
In the end, the home advantage pushed the Lobos over the Bears, Alford said.
Cal head coach Mike Montgomery, however, said the crowd didn’t affect the outcome of the game.
“I think what a crowd does is maybe energizes the home team to where they make a good play,” Montgomery said. “I was pretty proud of the kids’ effort given the circumstances. They could have been gassed and you don’t get any help from the crowd. There is no pick-me-up when you go down and maybe miss a shot.”
Darington Hobson received such a pick-me-up.
The play of the game for the Lobos was made by Hobson, and it shifted the momentum in UNM’s favor after the Lobos trailed by two with 7:41 left.
The junior college transfer drove the lane, dribbled behind his back between two California defenders and made a right-handed layup. The bucket tied the game at 67 with 7:40 to go in the game.
“We were struggling a little bit,” said Hobson, who finished with a double-double, 22 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. “Coach (Craig) Neal told me whenever I get it to just attack, because, I guess you could say, I had a big man guarding me. They did a good job of covering me. It is just a little countermove that I picked up when I was younger.”
Hobson cramped up after the play, but returned two minutes later.
Hobson said he has dealt with cramps for several years.
“I got a cramp in both of my calves and I have always been catching cramps since junior college,” Hobson said.
While Hobson cramped up literally, Cal cramped up figuratively, and Hobson’s basket killed Cal’s energy.
While Hobson received treatment on the bench, guard Nate Garth hit two free throws and a layup to extend Lobos’ lead, 71-69.
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The Lobos’ free throw shooting, coupled with the Bears’ poor shot selection, was the difference down the stretch.
The Bears missed their final eight 3-pointers of the game, while UNM went 13-of-14 from the free throw line in the final minutes.
“It doesn’t make a lot of sense, because we didn’t make many (free throws) until the end,” Alford said. “I thought we could have taken control of it a little bit earlier, but you got to give our kids a lot of credit. In the last five minutes they made them all.”
*The women’s basketball team beat NMSU 92-85 at the Pan American Center in Las Cruces Wednesday night, improving to 5-2 overall.
*Up next
Men’s basketball vs. NMSU
Saturday
7 p.m.
The Pit*
