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TCU-New Mexico Preview

Mar 2, 2010 - 6:58 PM By KATE HEDLIN STATS Writer

TCU (13-16) at New Mexico (27-3), 8:30 p.m. EDT

New Mexico coach Steve Alford was reprimanded by Mountain West Conference officials this week for his actions following the Lobos' last game.

Now Alford hopes to get the focus back on his team's MWC-record 13-game winning streak, and its chance to clinch its first outright MWC title, when the No. 8 Lobos host TCU on Wednesday night.

The Lobos (27-3, 13-2) secured at least a share of the conference crown and clinched the top seed in the tournament with an 83-81 win over then-No. 13 BYU on Saturday.

The excitement over the victory, which snapped the Cougars' 21-game home winning streak, was overshadowed by Alford engaging in a heated exchange with BYU forward Jonathan Tavernari.

A video posted on YouTube shows Alford directing a vulgarity at Tavernari while the teams shook hands. The incident seemed to stem from an altercation between Tavernari and Darington Hobson late in the game.

"It happened in a competitive nature," said Alford, who called Cougars coach Dave Rose to apologize. "I don't think there's any harm done."

Mountain West officials disagreed. They issued a statement Monday that said Alford violated the league's sportsmanship rule and warranted a public reprimand "for his unduly provocative language toward an opposing student athlete."

New Mexico is looking to clinch its first outright conference title since 1994, when it won the Western Athletic Conference. The Lobos, who have not lost since Jan. 9, shared the MWC crown with BYU and Utah last season.

"There is nothing our guys are more excited about than cutting down the nets Wednesday in front of our fans," Alford told the Lobos' official Web site.

This will be the final regular-season game for the team's lone senior, Roman Martinez, who is averaging 13.9 points and has scored in double figures in 10 straight contests.

New Mexico defeated TCU 73-57 on Jan. 30 for its fourth straight win in the series. Hobson scored 19 points and added eight rebounds, six assists and five steals for the Lobos, who led by just two at the break before pulling away.

Hobson, averaging a team-high 15.7 points, had 20 points and had 14 boards against BYU and added a block in the final second to preserve the victory.

TCU (13-16, 5-9) is looking to win back-to-back games for the first time since early January. The Frogs defeated Colorado State 73-67 on Saturday, rallying from an eight-point deficit with 8:02 to play.

Zvonko Buljan had 17 points and 11 rebounds to lead TCU.

Leading scorer Ronnie Moss, averaging 14.6 points, was held to eight on 3-of-10 shooting.

TCU needs Moss to bounce back as it looks to snap a five-game losing streak against ranked opponents. The sophomore scored a career-high 30 against the Lobos in January.

New Mexico is 7-0 at home against TCU, winning the last three meetings there by an average of 15.3 points.