Dec. 27, 2012
New Mexico Basketball Postgame Notes
(rv AP/rv Coaches) UNM at (8) Cincinnati
Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2012 *** Cincinnati, Ohio
- New Mexico improves to 13-1 after knocking off 8th-ranked and previously unbeaten Cincinnati (12-1) by a score of 55-54
- Cincinnati is the highest ranked team UNM has beaten since taking down No. 3 BYU 82-64 in Provo, Utah, on March 2, 2011
- The last time New Mexico beat a top-10 team in non-conference play on its home floor was Dec. 21, 1999, a 70-68 decision at No. 2 Arizona
- The Lobos are 6-1 in their last 7 games against ranked opponents…the lone loss was 59-56 to No. 17 Louisville in last year’s NCAA Tournament
- Tony Snell’s jumper with 2:28 remaining proved to be the winning points…neither team scored the rest of the game
- UNM is 6-0 away from The Pit this season…since the start of the 2011-12 season, New Mexico is 20-5 in its last 25 games away from Albuquerque, including a 10-1 record in the past 11
- UNM was 7 of 19 (37%) from 3-point, but 6 of 11 in the 2nd half, 4 of those by Kendall Williams…Williams scored 14 of his game-high 16 points after halftime
- Under Steve Alford, UNM is 64-1 when allowing less than 60 points, the only loss 59-56 to Louisville in the 3rd round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament
- UNM halts Cincinnati’s 13-game home winning streak…the Bearcats had won 39 of their last 42 regular-season non-conference home games
- Cincinnati shot a season-low 31.3% (20-64) from the floor, including 9 of 38 (24%) from inside the arc
- The Lobos were 6 of 11 from the FT line, both season lows…UNM came into tonight’s game No. 1 in the nation in FTs made (275) and FTs attempted (363), averages of 21.2 made and 27.9 attempts per game
- UNM is 6-17 against current members of the Big East, but 2-0 this season…the Lobos beat No. 21/23 UConn 66-60 in the Virgin Islands on Nov. 19
- The Lobos have shot 68% (93-137) from the FT line the past 6 games after starting the season at 79% (188-237) the first 8 games
- UNM has been outrebounded in 3 straight games for the first time since the first 3 games of the 2010-11 season against Detroit (38-41), Arizona State (33-35) and Cal (35-37)
- UNM has made a 3-point FG in 707 straight games…the last game without a 3 was Jan. 3, 1991 at Colorado State (0-for-8)
- New Mexico has a 93-26 record since the start of the 2009-10 season, a winning percentage of 78.2%
Head coach Steve Alford
- 447-230 in his 22nd season as a head coach
- 139-47 in his 6th year at New Mexico
- 1-2 in his career against Cincinnati
- 14-6 against ranked opponents while at UNM, 5-2 at home, 6-2 on the road and 3-2 at neutral sites
- 41-26 on the road overall, 17-10 in non-conference road games
- 84-11 in The Pit overall, 52-4 against non-conference opponents
- 38-6 in all December games at UNM, 23-1 in The Pit, 12-4 on the road and 3-1 at neutral sites
Junior G Kendall Williams
- 14 of his game-high 16 points came in the 2nd half on 4 3s and a FG
- 4 3-pointers is a season-high
- averaging 19.3 ppg in 7 games away from Albuquerque this year on 14-31 3s (45%) and 34-38 FTs
- moved into 27th place all-time at UNM with 1,024 points
- 1 assist from becoming the 7th Lobo with 1,000 points and 350 assists
Sophomore C Alex Kirk
- 15 points (6-8 FGs), 1 shy of his season-high, plus 7 rebounds and 3 blocks
- made his 4th 3-pointer of the season
- his final block on Cincinnati’s Sean Kilpatrick preserved the win for UNM
Junior G Tony Snell
- 10 points for his 4th straight game in double figures, and his jumper with 2:28 left proved to be the deciding points in the win
Sophomore G Hugh Greenwood
- did not score but had a career-high 8 assists
Senior G Jamal Fenton
- a season-high 4 assists in 11 minutes off the bench