NCAAB Game Recap - Nevada at New Mexico
Tue Feb 18, 2020 9:00 PM EST

Baylor
65
Okla
54
F
Dayt
66
VCU
61
F
NW
67
MD
76
F
Pitt
67
FSU
82
F
Ill
62
PSU
56
F
KY
79
LSU
76
F
Crei
73
Marq
65
F
OkSt
47
WVU
65
F
(N/A)
80
UTRGV
93
F
StFNY
87
LIU
77
F
Vand
61
Tenn
65
F
David
72
StJos
73
F
RobM
71
StFPA
86
F
Purd
65
Wisc
69
F
(N/A)
52
Bry
61
F
Akr
71
W MI
67
F
MtStM
61
Merrim
67
F
CenMI
69
Ohio
77
F
StLou
63
UMass
67
F
Ark
59
Fla
73
F
Kent
49
E MI
70
F
FaDi
75
CenCT
76
F
Ball
59
Buff
72
F
Miss
68
Mizzu
71
F
Nev
88
NM
74
F
ColSt
56
UNLV
80
F

Feb 18, 2020, 9:00 PM EST

Final

1

2

T

Nevada

44

44

88

New Mexico

35

39

74

Harris helps lift Nevada over New Mexico 88-74
Wed Feb 19, 2020 12:00 AM

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) Sparked by another standout game from Jalen Harris, who scored 26 with nine rebounds, Nevada beat New Mexico 88-74 on Tuesday night.

It was a game that marked the first return to the Pit of former Lobos coaches Steve Alford, who left New Mexico to coach UCLA before ending up at Reno, Nev., and Craig Neal, who replaced Alford with the Lobos, before getting fired after four years and joining Alford with the Wolf Pack.

Both were booed heartily at their entrance to the arena.

"Whether it was booing or if was going to be an ovation, I expected it to be loud," Alford said. "I expected it to be pro-Lobo red. That's why we loved it here and that's why we still love and admire this place."

"I won awful lot of game on this court sitting on the other bench," he said. "And now, I win a game sitting on the other bench. It's just an odd, bittersweet feeling."

While New Mexico showed an intensity that has been missing of late, a 13-3 Wolf Pack run late in the first half turned a 30-30 game into a 43-33 Nevada lead.

The Lobos never really threatened from there, getting no closer than 49-42 early in the second half.

"We're playing very well and we grew together," Alford said. "We defended the way we needed to defend. We came in and out rebounded them. We knew they were going to come at us."

Jazz Johnson added 15 points, including his 1,500th career point, for Nevada (17-10, 10-5 Mountain West Conference), which has won four straight.

Vance Jackson had 15 for New Mexico (17-11, 6-9).

Lindsey Drew scored 14 points with six rebounds and four assists to become the first Wolf Pack player in program history with 900 points, 600 rebounds and 500 assists in his career.

"They just came down and made some really big shots," New Mexico coach Paul Weir said. "We were earning everything we got, and they'd just come down and make a talent play. They'd just come down and make a great play. "

Harris came into the game averaging 32 points a game over his last five.

"Harris is a player-of-the-year type player," Weir said. "It start there and then when you surround him with other guys, it's a very good perimeter team for sure."

BIG PICTURE

Nevada: The win moves the Wolf Pack into a second-place tie with Utah State. It is a key spot in which to be as every team is striving to be in the bracket opposite No. 4 and undefeated San Diego State, which Nevada has to play at home in the regular season finale Feb. 29.

New Mexico: The Lobos continue to stumble along and now have lost three of four at home after starting the home slate 13-0. New Mexico is in danger of dropping to the bottom half of the conference tournament play-in bracket.

FIREWORKS

The last two meetings of the teams in Albuquerque have been particularly noteworthy. A year ago, the No. 6 Wolf Pack came in undefeated and left licking their wounds after a nondescript Lobos squad dished out a 27-point beat down. And in 2017, Nevada came back from a 25-point, second-half deficit to win 105-104 in overtime, a game that went a long way to coach Craig Neal's demise at New Mexico. Neal is now the Nevada associate head coach.

UP NEXT

Nevada: The Wolf Pack is home Feb. 22 against Fresno State.

New Mexico: The Lobos are at Boise State on Feb. 23.

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For more AP college basketball coverage: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and http://twitter.com/AP-Top25

Leaders

Nevada PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
J. Harris 26 0 2 9 0 0
J. Johnson 15 0 2 2 2 0
New Mexico PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
J. Lyle 16 0 2 6 2 1
V. Jackson 15 0 2 4 1 2

Team Comparison

Nev NM
Points For 88 74
Field Goals 31/62-50% 26/67-39%
Three Pointers 13/34-38% 11/34-32%
Free Throws 13/20-65% 11/13-85%
Offensive Rebounds 9 10
Defensive Rebounds 33 25
Rebounds 44 38
Blocks 7 3
Steals 5 7
Turnovers 10 11
Personal Fouls 17 17
Technical Fouls 0 0
Ejections 0 0

2019-20 Reg Season - Nev Leads Series 2-0

Date Result Away Pts Ldr Home Pts Ldr
Sat Jan 25 NM 74 @ Nev 96 Z. Martin 23 N. Zouzoua 20
Tue Feb 18 Nev 88 @ NM 74 J. Harris 26 J. Lyle 16

Game Information

Stadium: Dreamstyle Arena, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Attendance: 12,032
Game Time: