Gordon leads New Mexico over No. 11 Rebels

Gordon’s performance was so overpowering that his opponent barely bothered to fight back.

"We’ve been overlooked basically the whole year. The big hype has been about San Diego State and UNLV," Gordon said. "We’re here, and we mean business."

The Mountain West Conference title race is now controlled by New Mexico, which put a classic 65-45 beatdown on the 11th-ranked Rebels on Saturday as Gordon scored a career-high 27 points and grabbed 20 rebounds.

A raucous crowd of 15,411 in The Pit watched the Lobos (22-4, 8-2 Mountain West) roll in the second half as UNLV completely unraveled and fell two games out of first place with four remaining.

The Rebels (22-6, 6-4) were held to season lows in points and field-goal percentage (31.1) while losing for the third time in four games. They also watched fans storm the floor for the third straight time on the road.

"This is certainly the most adversity that we’ve gone through," UNLV coach Dave Rice said.

Gordon, a senior who transferred from UCLA in 2010, shot 13-for-20 from the field and scored 18 points after halftime. The Rebels made 14 field goals in the entire game, and just four in the second half, when they matched Gordon’s 18 points.

"We all had chances to make shots," said junior guard Anthony Marshall, who led UNLV with 18 points and 10 rebounds. "We just didn’t make shots."

The Rebels also committed 17 turnovers, missed 10 of 21 free throws and collapsed on the defensive end as New Mexico blew it open with a 16-1 run midway through the second half.

"I think they took us a little too lightly," said Gordon, who was focused on avenging an 80-63 loss at UNLV on Jan. 21.

"The game in Vegas was a tough loss for us. We lost by 17, which we don’t do. If we lose, it should be a dogfight. But I think we kind of gave up at the end of the game."

The scenario was reversed in the rematch. "You could see them kind of dying at the end," Gordon said.

Mike Moser made two 3-pointers in the first two minutes as the Rebels came out strong. But Moser scored only two points the rest of the way, and UNLV’s 27-26 halftime lead disappeared as the roar of the crowd became almost deafening.

Gordon’s jumper broke a tie at the 12-minute mark and set off an avalanche. Demetrius Walker and Tony Snell sank consecutive 3-pointers, and Snell then drove baseline around Chace Stanback, who made a feeble defensive effort, for a dunk.

A dunk and a layup by Gordon capped a run that turned a 36-36 tie into a 52-37 lead for the Lobos.

"We just were having a hard time getting anything going," Rice said. "Gordon proved why he’s one of the best big guys in the country. It’s why he’s a potential All-American player."

The Rebels rarely double-teamed Gordon in the post, but when they did he split defenders or scored over them. Gordon got the best of Moser, Brice Massamba and every other UNLV player who tried to stop him.

Gordon became the fifth player in the past decade to record at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in a game against a ranked opponent, a feat that New Mexico coach Steve Alford called "pretty special."

Alford walked out of the tunnel wearing a red sport coat and pumping his fist to fire up the fans before the game. When it was over, the Lobos had a seven-game winning streak and the top candidate for the league’s Player of the Year.

New Mexico still must maneuver road tests against Colorado State and Texas Christian, but it appears to have a stranglehold on the regular-season championship.

"We’ve got more fire and determination," Gordon said. "We want a ring."

UNLV, which blew an 18-point second-half lead in a 102-97 overtime loss at TCU on Tuesday, is reeling and sure to plummet in the polls after a nightmare of a week.

"I would think the deck is probably stacked against us at this point," Rice said. "But stranger things have happened."

Contact reporter Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907.