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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) -- Damion Walker scored 21 points, Wayland White added 19 and New Mexico hit 13 of its first 17 shots in the second half Saturday to beat Utah (No. 20 ESPN/USA Today, No. 21 AP) 72-65.
New Mexico (15-11, 7-4 Mountain West) beat the Utes' imposing
frontline with quickness and an assortment of acrobatic drives to
the basket by Walker, White and Lamont Long.
|  | | New Mexico's Wayland White slams for two of his 19 points. |
Long finished with 17 points.
New Mexico, which trailed through most of the first half, used a
16-3 second-half run to put away the Utes (19-5, 8-2). Long scored seven points in the run, Walker had six and freshman point guard Marlon Parmer hit a 3-pointer that swished through as the 35-second clock expired
That put the Lobos up 66-54 with 5:20 left, but Utah cut the
deficit to six points on back-to-back 3-pointers by Tony Harvey.
Harvey had 4 3-pointers and 17 of his team-high 19 points in the
second half.
Utah had a chance to do further damage, but Alex Jensen missed a
wide open 3-pointer and center Nate Althoff missed the front end of
a one-and-one foul situation with 1:37 left.
White pushed the lead up to 68-60 with a pair of free throws,
and after Harvey connected for another 3, Parmer hit a baseline
jumper with 33.3 seconds left.
New Mexico has been beaten up all season by big frontlines like
Utah's. And through the first 20 minutes, it looked like the Utes
would continue the trend.
The 6-foot-11, 260-pound Althoff scored eight of his 17 points
in the first half and led the Utes to a 21-12 rebounding edge. When
Althoff wasn't scoring off second-chance rebounds, Jensen -- who
scored 16 -- was roaming the perimeter and hitting 3-pointers.
But New Mexico's quickness took over in the second half. Walker,
the Lobos' 6-foot-7 center, consistently drove around Althoff for
layups or forced Althoff to foul him. Walker hit 7-of-8 free throws
and 6-of-7 shots in the second half.
That also helped free up White and Long to penetrate the Utes'
defense for drives to the basket.
New Mexico shot 71 percent through the first 13 minutes of the
second half.
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ALSO SEE
Mens College Basketball Scoreboard
Utah Clubhouse
New Mexico Clubhouse
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Marlon Parmer makes a huge play beyond the arch.
avi: 696 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Marlon Parmer hoists up the jumper.
avi: 731 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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