Feb. 8, 2010
Wednesday: Lobos at UNLV, 9 p.m., Thomas and Mack
Radio: 770 KKOB-AM / Lobo Radio Network
TV: CBS College Sports (Comcast 274, DirecTV 613, Dish 152)
Online: Recap, live stats at GoLobos.com
The two hottest teams in the Mountain West meet Wednesday at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas. New Mexico (21-3, 7-2 MWC), winners of seven straight, visits a UNLV (19-4, 7-2 MWC) team that has won five in a row. UNM’s last loss? 74-62 to the Runnin’ Rebels in The Pit on Jan. 9. Tip-off Wednesday is 9:05 p.m. Mountain Time.
The game will be televised nationally on CBS College Sports, channel 274 on Albuquerque Comcast, 616 on DirecTV and 152 on Dish Network.
The Lobos are 15th in the A.P. poll for the second week in a row. They moved up to No. 19 in the ESPN/USA Today list. UNLV is back in the rankings, checking in at No. 23 by A.P. and 25th in the coaches’ poll.
This is just the second time both teams have been ranked going into the game. On Jan. 17, 1978, the 20th-ranked Lobos got past No. 16 UNLV 89-76 in a non-conference game in The Pit. Ten days earlier, an unranked UNM squad upset the 9th-ranked Runnin’ Rebels 102-98 in Las Vegas, ending UNLV’s 72-game home court winning streak.
The winner of Wednesday’s game will be 8-2 and in sole possession of first place in the MWC. BYU also enters the week at 7-2, but the Cougars do not play until Saturday when they host Air Force.
The Lobos visit an arena where they have not had much success. UNM is 2-12 against the Runnin’ Rebels all-time at the Thomas and Mack and has lost four in a row. UNM’s last win over UNLV in Las Vegas was 77-66 on Feb. 28, 2005. Including MWC Tournament games, New Mexico has dropped 7 straight games on the Thomas and Mack Floor, and is just 1-13 in its past 14 games there.
After starting league play 0-2, New Mexico has won seven in a row after a scintillating 88-86 overtime victory over San Diego State last Saturday. The last time the Lobos won eight straight conference games was 1997-98.