Andres Leighton/Associated Press

New Mexico Upsets No. 6 Nevada 85-58 Behind Anthony Mathis' 27 Points

Kyle Newport

The New Mexico Lobos pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the 2018-19 college basketball season to date by upsetting the Nevada Wolf Pack 85-58 at The Pit in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday.

Senior guard Anthony Mathis led the way for New Mexico with 27 points, six rebounds and five assists.

It marks Nevada's first loss of the season after starting the year 14-0. That extended winning streak included a 72-66 victory over then-No. 20 Arizona State back on Dec. 7.

This was a game that New Mexico controlled nearly from start to finish. Once the Lobos took a 4-3 lead four minutes into the game, they never looked back.

They were able to quickly create some separation, extending the lead to double digits before the midway point of the first half. Ultimately, they were able to push it up to a 15-point advantage late in the opening half before having to settle for a 12-point lead going into halftime.

And while the Wolf Pack cut the deficit down to single digits in the opening minutes of the second half, the Lobos were able to respond by silencing the rally and putting the game away.

In the end, New Mexico's combination of perimeter shooting and strong defense was too much for Nevada to handle. The Lobos held an 11-4 edge from beyond the arc, while the Wolf Pack shot just 33.3 percent from the floor and committed 14 turnovers.

Senior forward Jordan Caroline (17 points and eight rebounds) turned in a solid effort for Nevada, but it was a tough night for the team's leading scorer, Caleb Martin, who had just eight points on 2-of-14 shooting.

New Mexico snapped a four-game losing streak against Nevada that dated back to March 10, 2016. After having lost five of six games during a recent stretch, the Lobos (8-6) extended their current winning streak to three games.

Nevada was just the latest top team to be handed a loss on Saturday. Four of the top 13 teams in the country lost on Saturday, with both No. 5 Kansas (at Iowa State) and No. 13 Kentucky (at Alabama) being upset by unranked teams. No. 9 Florida State lost to No. 4 Virginia on the road.

   

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