Alfred Neale isn't into the in-between game.
The Lobos' highest flyer scored 20 points in their 88-71 win over San Diego State University on Monday night at The Pit. Twelve of those points came from three-point range, four from alley-oop dunks - he also threw in a putback and two free throws.
"Those threes and dunks are energy plays," head coach Ritchie McKay said.
More than provide energy, Neale's highlight-reel run in the second half turned an eight-point game into a blowout.
With just over 11 minutes left, guard Troy DeVries hit a streaking Neale from just past half court for his first alley-oop of the game. A minute later, Neale hit from deep, and he went on to add two more threes and his other oop before exiting the game to a standing ovation.
At that point, UNM's lead had ballooned to 19.
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"He was hot, alright," McKay said. "One time I said swing it, and I know he heard it, and he acted like he didn't hear it and shot a 22-footer and made it. He was coming out if that didn't go in."
Neale said the crowd was too loud for him to hear his coach.
"I was just blocking everybody out - blocking the crowd out - and doing what I usually do," Neale said.
But while Neale helped widen the Lobos' lead, it was a healthy and energetic Danny Granger who built it. As the teams swapped buckets in the early going, Granger showed he'd shaken off any rust from his three-game layoff that ended on Saturday against University of Nevada-Las Vegas.
He showed off every weapon he had in the first half, hitting from the three-point range twice, nailing jumpers in the face of defenders and getting inside for an easy finger roll.
"Danny Granger's presence on the floor does a lot for our offensive success," McKay said. "He looked good tonight. The rust is shaken off."
Granger finished the game with a team-high 21 points, 14 coming in the first half.
"He draws so much attention on the inside, and he probably draws the other team's best defender, and it just opens everything up for the other guys," guard Mark Walters said of Granger. "Me and Al on the perimeter are able to get open looks on the perimeter because of Danny, and when he scores inside, it's good for us too."
Walters finished the game with 13 points and five rebounds but did his best work on the defensive end. He hounded the Aztecs' leading scorer, Brandon Heath, into a woeful performance. Heath, who has averaged more than 18 points per game this year, had just 11 and shot 3-for-12 in the game and 0-for-6 from behind the three point line.
"I was just guarding him," Walters said. "It was nothing special. He's one of their leading scorers, and I usually draw the best player on the other team, so I just go out and try to do the best job I can do, and I also got a lot of help from my teammates getting my back."
SDSU's other big scorer was also held way below his season's average. Forward Marcus Slaughter hit just two field goals the entire contest and also finished with 11 points - seven below his average.
DeVries added 18 for the Lobos, who improved their Mountain West Conference record to 3-3, tying them for third in the conference with SDSU and Wyoming.
