ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) -- Neale, the Lobos' sixth man most of the season, got
to start and made the most of it. He hit 8 of 11 shots and sparked an 11-0 run
by New Mexico to start the game, scoring on a reverse layup, a 3-pointer and an
offensive rebound basket.
Granger, held to four points in the first half, finished with 17 points and 14
rebounds.
New Mexico (18-6, 5-4 Mountain West) used its quickness on defense to force the
Falcons into low-percentage shots most of the game. Air Force (15-9, 6-3 MWC)
got its first points of the game on a 3-pointer by Matt McGraw with 13:56 left
in the first half.
McGraw, who was 5-for-6 on 3s, led the Falcons with 17 points. Dan Nwaelele
added 12, but Air Force hit just 19 of 53 shots. The Falcons stayed close by
hitting 10 3s.
After the sluggish start, the Falcons steadily chipped away at the Lobos' early
lead and got their only tie of the game after New Mexico reserve center Sean Phaler was called for a flagrant foul with 59 seconds left in the first half.
Air Force center Nick Welch got a steal and a layup to get the Falcons within
23-22. As Welch tried to get back up the court, Phaler pushed him into the
stands. Welch hit one of the two free throws off the technical, but New Mexico
went ahead on a layup by David Chiotti just ahead of the first half buzzer.
The Falcons' shooting troubles resurfaced in the second half, as Air Force
scored just four points -- baskets by Nwaelele and McGraw -- in the first 10
minutes of the second half.
New Mexico parlayed that drought into a 41-27 lead with 9:36 left. But the
Falcons mounted one last run, cutting it to 48-41 on a 3-pointer by McGraw with
4:46 left. That rally ended as New Mexico countered with a layup by Chiotti and
a slam dunk by Neale.
Next up for Falcons: Utah comes to Clune arena, Sat, 19 Feb 05, 1:00
PM. Game is on ESPN-Plus.
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