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New Mexico-Oral Roberts Preview

Dec 22, 2009 - 8:20 PM By KATE HEDLIN STATS Writer

New Mexico (12-0) at Oral Roberts (6-6), 8:05 p.m. EDT

New Mexico used a big comeback in its last game to stay unbeaten. It needed a similar rally last year to beat Oral Roberts.

The 13th-ranked Lobos look to open a season with 13 consecutive wins for the first time in 42 years when they visit the Golden Eagles on Wednesday.

New Mexico improved to 12-0 with a 66-61 win over Creighton on Saturday. Darington Hobson had 22 points, 16 rebounds and six assists to help the Lobos overcome a season-worst 29.9-percent shooting performance.

New Mexico trailed by 16 in the first half, but came out of the break on a 17-4 run to take a 45-44 lead with 11:47 remaining. The Lobos didn't take the lead for good until Hobson's layup broke a 57-57 tie.

They have tied the second-best start in school history and with a win Wednesday, would trail only the 1967-68 team that won its first 17 games.

"The most exciting thing is we're 12 up, 12 down," coach Steve Alford said. "This team is doing a great job, but this team also has a lot of room to improve. Our foul shooting's not very good (67.1 percent). Defensively, we have a lot of growth we can add.

"If we grow, this team's got a chance to be really good."

While the Lobos are led in scoring by Hobson, a junior college transfer averaging 16.9 points, Alford said New Mexico looks for leadership from Roman Martinez, the only senior. Martinez had 11 points and 10 rebounds Saturday, and maybe his most important contribution came with a minute left when, after Hobson missed two foul shots, Martinez grabbed the rebound and got the ball back to Hobson for a dunk which increased the lead to 61-57.

"We have a senior who just won't let this team lose," Alford said of Martinez, who averages 16.8 points.

The latest win moved New Mexico up six spots in the AP poll to the program's highest ranking since 1999, when it was No. 12.

Martinez also helped the Lobos rally to win their only previous meeting with Oral Roberts, finishing with eight points and nine rebounds in a 66-63 victory Dec. 17, 2008. The Eagles led by 15 points in the first half, but shot only 36 percent in the second half. New Mexico didn't go ahead to stay until 2:12 remained.

The Lobos are the highest-ranked team to play at Oral Roberts since No. 3 Oklahoma State visited in 1992. The Eagles (6-6) haven't played a home game against a Top 25 team since beating No. 16 Arkansas in 1996.

The Eagles (6-6) are looking to avoid a third straight loss after returning home following defeats at Indiana State and Louisville. They fell 94-57 to the Cardinals last Wednesday, committing 21 turnovers.

"I think it's the worst defeat I've had in 11 years," coach Scott Sutton said. "We did a horrendous job of taking care of the basketball and they made us pay."

Because of injuries, Oral Roberts had only eight players available.

Junior reserve Javier Nasarre is expected to return Wednesday after missing nine games with a fractured wrist, giving the Eagles eight healthy scholarship players for the first time since Nov. 25.

Dominique Morrison is averaging 18.3 points in the last three games for Oral Roberts, which has lost five straight against ranked opponents since winning at No. 3 Kansas in 2006.