The UNM men's basketball team caught fire from 3-point range as the Lobos cruised to their biggest conference win in 11 years.
UNM bounced back from a two-game losing streak, crushing the Rams 91-51 Tuesday at The Pit.
Lobo forward J.R. Giddens said the game was a must-win.
"Putting us at 4-4 (in the Mountain West Conference) gives us a better chance in the second half of conference play," he said. "So far, this has been the biggest game of the season - kind of a game that we needed to come out and make a statement and play some defense and try to really set the tone."
UNM used a stout defense and hot 3-point shooting to jump out to an insurmountable lead early.
Giddens hit a shot in the paint with 12:13 remaining in the first half to give the Lobos a 21-8 lead, and Colorado State didn't get within 10 points the rest of the game.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
UNM made seven of its first 10 3-pointers and finished the game 12-of-20 from beyond the arc.
Chad Toppert came off the bench to score a career-high 22 points. He was 5-of-9 from 3-point land and dished out four assists.
Giddens finished with 19 points on 9-of-11 shooting and had a game-high seven rebounds.
UNM faced a Colorado State team that entered Tuesday's game 6-15 overall and 0-7 in MWC play.
It was a contrast from the previous contests when the Lobos lost on the road to conference powers UNLV and BYU.
The Lobos fell 79-60 on Saturday to UNLV, which is 17-4 overall and 6-1 in the MWC.
Prior to that, BYU handled UNM 83-66. The Cougars are 17-5 on the season and 6-1 in the conference.
Lobo head coach Steve Alford said it was important to start fast after the recent losing streak.
"I thought the start of the game was going to be crucial," he said. "Anytime you've been away for two weeks, and you have to play the two teams we've had to play and really kind of got beaten up in both games - I was most concerned with just how our mind-set was going to be. I thought we really got things going at the defensive end."
Indeed, UNM frustrated the Rams' offense.
Colorado State managed just seven field goals in the first half and went into the intermission trailing 50-24.
For the game, the Rams shot just 34 percent from the field, including 7-of-24 from 3-point range. The Lobos forced 17 turnovers, which they converted to 21 points.
With the win, UNM improved to 17-6 overall and 4-4 in the MWC.
Giddens said the Lobos should have a better conference record, but Tuesday's win gives them confidence that they can make up ground in the second half of MWC play.
"I'd rather be undefeated or 6-2 - I think we kind of let two slip away from us," he said. "But 4-4 is where we are, so right now, we've just got to try to get those teams that got us at their homes."
Men's basketball vs. Wyoming
Saturday, 7 p.m.
The Pit
