The UNM men’s basketball team is no longer desperate for a win, but it is dreaming for an upset victory at No. 3 BYU.
Winners of three straight against the Cougars, the Lobos have a target on their back when they head to the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah. BYU has a 12-game winning streak this season. The Cougars’ last home loss was an 82-80 setback against UNM that propelled the Lobos to a share of last year’s Mountain West Conference regular-season title.
Guard Dairese Gary said tonight’s matchup will be just as exhilarating.
“It’s going to be a crazy match,” he said. “We will come out right from the beginning in the first four minutes of the game, just come out and not try to get down and try to be aggressive and dictate where the game is going to go.”
UNM head coach Steve Alford said his team will be ready for the hostile environment.
“Obviously we beat them last year for the conference championship,” he said. “If that would have happened in our building we would remember that.”
Like last season, a win against the Lobos would give BYU its fifth and last MWC regular-season championship. Unlike last season, a UNM win wouldn’t do much to help its NCAA tournament chances. But it wouldn’t hurt, especially with the NIT selection committee.
UNM is fifth in the MWC, and barring a substantial upset in its remaining games, will most likely play UNLV in the first round of the MWC conference tournament on March 10.
The surest way for the Lobos to make the NCAA tournament is to win the MWC tournament in Las Vegas, Nev.
“We know that the conference tournament is our only hope for a postseason bid,” Alford said. “It’s unfortunate half of our losses have come on the last play of the game.”
The Lobos have lost six conference games by six points or fewer.
At the Pit against BYU, the Lobos pulled ahead during a tense stretch at the end of the game. After coming back from a double-digit deficit in the second half, UNM took a 70-67 lead with more than four minutes left to play. BYU’s National Player of the Year Candidate Jimmer Fredette scored 26 of his 32 points total in the second half, but the Lobos went on a 10-3 run and pulled ahead 80-70. During the stretch Fredette shot 1-of-5 from the field, and UNM pulled a 86-77 upset.
This time around, if the Lobos want to have any chance of beating BYU, they will have to contain Fredette.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
“He’s really difficult to play against, and if you give him free 15-footers with no one guarding him, that’s tough,” Alford said. “You got to be smart, and that’s hard because he is a great offensive player.”
As San Diego State learned in its 80-67 loss to BYU, focusing solely on Fredette isn’t a formula for victory. The Cougars proved they are a complete team, as three other starters reached double-digits in the contest (Charles Abouo, Jackson Emery and Noah Hartsock).
“This is a very experienced group,” Alford said. “They have arguably the best player in the nation running the show. (Fredette) is doing a really good job distributing the ball, and his teammates are hitting their shots.”
The Lobos will depend on center Drew Gordon and Gary. Gordon has averaged a double-double in conference play. Gary has 56 points in his last two games and is looking for another shot at the postseason before his collegiate career ends.
“We need to stay focused and concentrate on what’s in front of us and what we need to do,” Gary said. “It’s a long stretch, but we’re hoping we can get some momentum going into the (conference) tournament.”
