After breaking its five-game losing streak against the University of Wyoming, the UNM men's basketball team is focusing on San Diego State University with another score to settle.
Minutes after the Lobos toppled Wyoming 74-65 from atop its first place perch in the Mountain West Conference standings late Monday, guard Ruben Douglas and point guard Senque Carey sat at a post game news conference with beaming smiles.
"Tonight, we played as a team," Carey said. "We played well, we stuck together and it builds our confidence because we know we can play with anybody."
Carey's 10-point, four-assist performance and guard Ruben Douglas' 28 points and five rebounds were largely responsible for UNM's (16-10, 6-6 Mountain West) win over Wyoming (18-7, 9-3), its first victory in six tries.
But more importantly, it was the Lobos' inside players who keyed a victory over the Cowboys, widely considered having the strongest group of post players in the league.
UNM's five-man post rotation of Patrick Dennehy, Moustapha Diagne, Jamaal Williams, Chad Bell and Cody Payne combined, offensively, for an unassuming 21 points and 19 rebounds. But it was their defense - they held Wyoming's premier inside duo of Uche Nsonwu-Amadi and Josh Davis to a combined 16 points and 12 rebounds - that proved the difference.
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And according to Payne, his presence gives the Lobos the muscle to contend with the Cowboys.
"Uche's a lot stronger than me, but he wasn't throwing me around like a rag doll," Payne said. "You saw how big they were and I can't think of a lot of baskets they got easily."
No, there were no easy baskets for Wyoming - from the post players at least - and even the presence of Diagne, bum foot and all, was pivotal.
"Heck, if we had a healthy Cody and Moustapha all year, we know things would be different," head coach Fran Fraschilla said. "Moustapha didn't do too much on the stat sheet but just the fact that he's seven feet and sticks his hand up is more than we've had in the past."
Now the Lobos turn their attention to San Diego State University for a Thursday night matchup in the first of two road games to end the conference season.
The Aztecs (16-11, 5-7 MWC) slipped to sixth place in the conference last week after their loss Saturday to the University of Nevada at Las Vegas (16-9, 7-5 MWC) - UNM's opponent Saturday.
Prior to that loss, San Diego State had won three straight over Wyoming, Brigham Young University and Colorado State University, and had many in the league talking about how surprising its success was.
But the Lobos are talking about a loss earlier this season to the Aztecs in The Pit. And one player will especially be looking to avenge that defeat.
"San Diego State's got a lot of Southern California players, and I know Ruben wants to win because he had a lot of people from home call him after we lost to them," Carey said.
Douglas, a native of Altadena, Calif., near Los Angeles, said several acquaintances called him to rub salt in his already hurting wounds.
"I didn't hear the end of it when we lost at home," Douglas said. "They were clowning me, saying, 'Why are you losing to San Diego State?' I'm not planning to go out there and lose."
At this point, the Lobos can finish no higher than third in the league and no lower than sixth. UNM's first round conference opponent would likely be BYU, UNLV or San Diego State.
Payne said the team's confidence is riding higher now than at any point this year, and that the team is looking to enter the tournament on a high note.
"We've got something to prove to San Diego (State) and to UNLV," Payne said. "And going in with the momentum we have, you just never know."
Four San Diego State players average double figures in scoring, ranking them in the top-20 in the conference. Center Randy Holcomb averages 17 points per game, while his teammates Al Faux, Tony Bland and Mike Mackell average 15, 14 and 13, respectively.
Holcomb is an all-around force inside, who also averages nine rebounds per game. Last time the two teams played, he finished with 25 points and nine rebounds.
Thursday's game time is set for 8:07 p.m., with SportsWest providing television coverage on local station KRQE-TV, and 770 KKOB AM will have the radio call.
