Fresno State edges last unbeaten team in No. 21 New Mexico

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — Isaih Moore scored 16points and Fresno State beat the last unbeaten team in the nation,topping No. 21 New Mexico 71-67 on Tuesday night.

Isaiah Hill added 14 points, making three free throws in thefinal seconds to wrap up the victory for the Bulldogs (6-8, 2-1Mountain West).

“It’s definitely a physical fight tonight,” Hill said. “It camedown to some free throws, and we had to make them.”

Jemarl Baker added 13 points and five assists, and 6-foot-11Eduardo Andre, averaging just over four points a game, scored acareer-high 12 and had eight rebounds.

“This group has been working really hard, and they stick withit, and that’s what it’s about, right?” Fresno State coach JustinHutson said. “ To continue to stick with it, stick through the goodtimes and bad times. We’ve had some defeats that we didn’tlike.”

After sitting out for over nine minutes of the second half withfour fouls, Andre returned with 20 seconds left and the Bulldogsleading 70-67. He blocked a layup by Jamal Mashburn Jr. and grabbedthe rebound, leading to Hill’s final free throws.

The Lobos came in as the last remaining unbeaten Division I teamafter No. 1 Purdue’s loss to Rutgers on Monday. The 14-0 start wastheir best since a school-record 17-0 in 1967-68.

“I told the team we have to keep it in perspective,” Lobos coachRichard Pitino said. “We are 14-1. It’s been an unbelievable run togo two months without a loss. It is tough to win on the road,especially in conference. We will try not to get too emotionalabout this, but just get back home and learn from it.”

Mashburn finished with 22 points for New Mexico (14-1, 2-1).Morris Udeze added 18 and Jaelen House had 15.

“It kind of went the other way than some of those close gamesthat we won at the end,” Pitino said. “They made one or two playsmore than us, one or two more free throws than us. The game wentthe way I thought it would go. They slowed down the pace.”

There were 19 lead changes and 13 ties in a game in whichneither team led by more than eight. Moore made the go-ahead basketwith 1:30 to go after Josiah Allick had given the Lobos their finallead on two free throws. The Lobos didn’t have a field goal overthe final 4:30.

Fresno State led 36-32 at halftime but the Lobos quicklyovertook the Bulldogs in the opening minutes of the second half.The Bulldogs regained the lead with eight minutes left and the gamewent back-and-forth from there.

Fresno State snapped a 28-game losing streak to teams in TheAssociated Press Top 25, the last victory coming over No. 14Oklahoma State on Feb. 10, 2002.

The Bulldogs have won the last seven meetings with the Lobos andthe eight straight on their home court.

HOUSE-FUL OF SCORERS

House became the fourth member of his extended family to score1,000 career points. His father, Eddie, had 2,044 career pointsfrom 1997-00 at Arizona State; grandfather Henry Bibby scored 1,293points from 1970-72 at UCLA and uncle Mike Bibby scored 1,061points at Arizona (1997-98).

UP NEXT

New Mexico: Hosts UNLV on Saturday night.

Fresno State: At Colorado State on Saturday.