In the grand plan, the UNM men's basketball team accomplished what it should have - swept a home series against conference foes and protected its home floor in the process.
Next up in the Lobos' quest for the conference crown is achieving another important goal - winning on the road.
But the task seems rather formidable.
The Lobos haven't won on the road in 20 straight games. To add salt to the wound, Ritchie McKay hasn't tasted victory away from home since his arrival in the Duke City.
But UNM is coming off two galvanizing wins. In ESPN's "Big Monday" game at The Pit, the Lobos won a spine-tingler on their final possession over Brigham Young.
Two nights earlier, UNM dismantled Utah 70-54. The conquest of the Utah teams was the first since the 1999-2000 season.
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For a young team like the Lobos, confidence is essential. And right now, it is soaring.
"Our confidence level is really high," guard Mark Walters said. "But we can't be satisfied with those two wins."
Winning one game on the road may not be such an implausible notion anymore.
With the conference standings stuffed together like sardines, the Lobos find themselves in a dead heat with San Diego State for third.
Road wins now become a necessity, not a commodity.
Saturday night in Sin City, UNM will get yet another shot to extinguish its road misery and break the curse.
The Lobos (11-6, 2-2) will take the court to battle coach Charlie Spoonhour and the (10-6, 1-3) Runnin' Rebels of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.
The Rebels and their consummate style of uptempo play, head into the game in a disappointing slump.
After winning nine of their first 11 games, the Rebels have dropped three of four in the conference. Their only league victory came against Wyoming, while losing to Utah, Colorado State and San Diego State.
Leading UNLV is the transfer from Marquette University, Odartney Blankson. The 6-foot-7 forward is a versatile player who has drawn comparisons to the Lobos' Danny Granger. This matchup stacks two of the most talented forwards in the league. Blanskon is averaging 17.5 points and 10.6 rebounds per game.
"From what I've seen on film, he's a real good player, and he's from a real good program," Walters said. "He's a player we're going to have to work on to win the game."
Blankson's counterpart is another multi-talented, 6-foot-7 forward, Romel Beck, who hails from Los Angeles City Junior College and has made an instant impact, scoring 14 points a game.
Returning from last season is J.K. Edwards a 6-foot-8, 250 pound force on the inside. Edwards is averaging 12.2 points and 5.7 boards per game.
The game against the Rebels is the next true test for UNM. If the Lobos can get the elusive road victory, something that hasn't happened since Jan. 28, 2002, they may finally begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
The game features "Pack the Mack," the Rebels' version of "Pack the Pit," and the game is expected to draw close to a sellout.
Tip-off is set for Saturday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nev.
The game can be seen on KRQE Channel 13 and can be heard live on 770 KOB AM.
