AP Photos NMJS101-104
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) -- Mark Walters scored 15 points, four of them in the final minute, and New Mexico got a big lift from backup guard Jeff Hart in a 62-58 win over UNLV Saturday night.
New Mexico (15-5, 2-3 Mountain West) overcame a nine-point second half deficit to beat the Rebels (9-8, 2-3 MWC) for the first time since 2002.
The Lobos had four players in double figures, but equally huge was the play of Hart, who broke into the starting lineup for the first time in two years because point guard Chris Collins broke a bone in his right foot earlier in the week.
The 6-foot-1 Hart scored 6 points, tied his career-high with 5 rebounds, had 3 steals and defended Rebels point guard Jerel Blassingame so well that Blassingame hit just 2 of 10 shots.
Odartey Blankson led UNLV with 21 points, with 16 of them in the second half. He also had 9 rebounds.
UNLV's Louis Amundson hit the final basket of the first half to cut the Lobos' lead to 29-24 and the Rebels started the second half with a 14-0 run to take a 38-28 lead.
New Mexico went more than six minutes without scoring to start the second half. Guard Ryan Wall ended the drought by hitting one of two free throws and that kicked off a 15-6 run by New Mexico. A layup by New Mexico's Danny Granger tied it at 44 with 7:54 left and after three ties, the Lobos took the lead for good at 53-50 on a three-point play Granger with 3:29 left.
Granger, playing for the first time since undergoing surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee, had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
After Granger's 3-point play, Blankson got the Rebels within a point with a basket inside over New Mexico center David Chiotti. Chiotti countered with a short jumper with 2:07 left and Walters, Hart and Chiotti sealed the win with seven free throws in the final minute.
Alfred Neale scored 12 points for New Mexico, while Chiotti had 11.
