Lobos Hold Off Rebels, 62-58

Jan. 29, 2005

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) – Mark Walters scored 15 points, four of them in the
final minute, and New Mexico got a big lift from backup guard Jeff Hart in a
62-58 win over UNLV Saturday night.

New Mexico (15-5, 2-3 Mountain West) overcame a nine-point second half
deficit to beat the Rebels (9-8, 2-3 MWC) for the first time since 2002.

The Lobos had four players in double figures, but equally huge was the play
of Hart, who broke into the starting lineup for the first time in two years
because point guard Chris Collins broke a bone in his right foot earlier in the
week.

The 6-foot-1 Hart scored 6 points, tied his career-high with 5 rebounds, had
3 steals and defended Rebels point guard Jerel Blassingame so well that
Blassingame hit just 2 of 10 shots.

Odartey Blankson led UNLV with 21 points, with 16 of them in the second
half. He also had 9 rebounds.

UNLV’s Louis Amundson hit the final basket of the first half to cut the
Lobos’ lead to 29-24 and the Rebels started the second half with a 14-0 run to
take a 38-28 lead.

New Mexico went more than six minutes without scoring to start the second
half. Guard Ryan Wall ended the drought by hitting one of two free throws and
that kicked off a 15-6 run by New Mexico. A layup by New Mexico’s Danny Granger
tied it at 44 with 7:54 left and after three ties, the Lobos took the lead for
good at 53-50 on a three-point play Granger with 3:29 left.

Granger, playing for the first time since undergoing surgery to repair torn
cartilage in his left knee, had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

After Granger’s 3-point play, Blankson got the Rebels within a point with a
basket inside over New Mexico center David Chiotti. Chiotti countered with a
short jumper with 2:07 left and Walters, Hart and Chiotti sealed the win with
seven free throws in the final minute.

Alfred Neale scored 12 points for New Mexico, while Chiotti had 11.