Point guard Dairese Gary sat alone on the floor and contemplated the future after his team’s demoralizing overtime loss on Wednesday.
The UNM men’s basketball team’s lone senior was wide open but witnessed his teammates put up two attempts that would have tied the game. Both of them missed the mark, and the Lobos dropped a 77-74 decision to UNLV at The Pit.
“I was thinking about everything — being a senior, knowing that my games are running down and trying to think why we can’t close out games,” Gary said. “It’s a stressful thing.”
Stressful because it was UNM’s sixth loss by six points or less in Mountain West Conference play and the team’s fourth in a row.
Gary gave the Lobos an early lead in the extra period, 69-67.
UNLV tied the game and eventually took the lead as UNM struggled to make a basket, even at the free-throw line. The Lobos’ last opportunity to tie came on an off-balance shot by Phillip McDonald as time expired.
“I didn’t get a good handle on the ball, so I couldn’t get the shot I wanted to,” said McDonald, who finished with 11 points.
Head coach Steve Alford couldn’t fault his players for the loss.
“Our kids played really, really hard,” he said. “We need to try and find ways to make those game-winning plays late.”
All night long, Gary was great.
The senior hit his first four shots, including a full-court drive where he dribbled around four defenders before reaching the basket. He finished with a career-high 26 points and six assists. He struggled defending UNLV’s Tre’Von Willis, who hit a career-high five 3-pointers en route to 25 points.
“He was hot tonight,” Gary said. “I take it as a challenge. Coach got onto me a little bit about playing harder defense because he was scoring.“
For a moment, it seemed that Willis was going to lead his team to a rout as the Rebels led 51-36 halfway through the second half. The Lobos fought back.
Down 65-64 with 1:12 left in the contest, Gary found center Drew Gordon in the paint to give the Lobos their first lead of the half, 66-65.
UNLV called a timeout and set up a play for a 3-point shot, but Oscar Bellfield missed.
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Gordon grabbed the rebound and the fed the ball to Gary, who was fouled, but only hit one of his two free throws.
Bellfield made up for his last miss and tied the game 67-67 on a drive to the basket. The Lobos called timeout with 12 seconds left.
Gordon took the inbounds pass from Kendall Williams, who found Gary on the top of the key. Gary moved into the lane, inches away from Willis’ outstretched arms and created an open for a running jumper. Gary missed and the game went into overtime.
And in overtime, UNM couldn’t hit its two last-gasp attempts, leaving Gary to ponder the future.
“We’ve had four games that went to the last play of the game — literally the last play of the game,” Alford said. “… We need one of those games where we can win one like that, and hopefully we’ll be clear of mind.”
