AIR FORCE ACADEMY — The speed of the game was the story of the game Tuesday night at Clune Arena.
New Mexico coach Steve Alford unleashed his racehorses, and the Lobos led wire to wire and by as many as 23 points on the way to a 75-61 victory over the Air Force Falcons.
It seemed the Lobos (16-7, 4-4 Mountain West Conference) were a step or two ahead until they slowed it down to use up the clock in the last 4:58 with the outcome safely in hand. The dazed Falcons (12-9, 3-5) could only be glad they weren’t outside, where the wind chill factor was said to be 32 degrees below zero.
“We wanted to make it an athletic game,” Alford said. “That was one of the reasons we started four guards. I think that bothered Air Force. We were able to get the game going up and down, and we made shots early. That always helps.
“At the end, we were in the 70s in points and I think anything in the 70s favored us.”
It was Alford’s 400th career coaching victory.
The pace the Lobos brought to the game was evident in their 25 points off of 16 Air Force turnovers. Air Force was caught coming and going in the transition game, but nine offensive rebounds by the Lobos also added up to 14 second-chance points.
While New Mexico’s opening lineup featured four guards and 6-foot-10 forward Drew Gordon, the Lobos also got double-figure scoring off the bench with 12 points from A.J. Hardeman and 10 from Chad Adams. A layup by Adams pushed New Mexico ahead by 23 points, 58-35, with 11:51 left in the game.
“We didn’t defend, and our team has to defend to win,” Air Force coach Jeff Reynolds said. “They got on a roll and really stretched our matchups. They do a good job moving the ball, and we were late getting there. Every time we turned it over, they made us pay.”
Air Force forward Tom Fow, who was 5-for-6 from the field for 12 points, chimed in on Air Force’s spotty defensive play.
“We needed to get stops at the defensive end,” Fow said. “That’s where you win the game. It’s one thing to have turnovers, but we didn’t get back and make up for it at the other end.”
The Falcons actually outshot the Lobos from the field, 55.8 percent vs. 51.1 percent. But New Mexico cashed in on 19-of-21 free throws. Air Force was 7-of-11, and the Falcons didn’t go to the line in the first half.
“It’s one game,” Air Force guard Mike Fitzgerald said in perspective. “We still have half of the conference games left.”
Irv Moss: 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com
