The Mountain West Conference:

The Scorer's Table: Feb. 28 Edition

By Mick McGrane on February 28, 2012 4:32 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

"The Scorer's Table" is a weekly Mountain West men's basketball feature utilizing information compiled by MW staff members and sports information departments from throughout the league. We couldn't do it without you.

The Scorer's Table: Feb. 28 Edition

0	Colorado State, TCU and UNLV are all undefeated at home in Mountain West play with identical 6-0 marks heading into the final week of the regular season.

2	TCU's win over No. 18/21 New Mexico on Saturday marked the first time in program history that it strung together consecutive victories against a Top 25 opponent (Feb. 14 vs. No. 11/11 UNLV).

17	San Diego State closed out the regular-season portion of its home schedule with a 17-2 mark, setting a program single-season record for most home victories. In addition, the Aztecs set school records for total (229,820) and average (12,096) home attendance, selling out 11 of the 19 contests.

21	New Mexico's Drew Gordon and UNLV's Mike Moser lead the Mountain West and are tied for 21st nationally with 15 double-doubles apiece this season. The duo's 15 double-doubles tie for eighth-most in a season in Mountain West history.

4	Colorado State has played a school-record four different ranked opponents this season (Duke, New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV). Overall, the Rams have played six games against ranked opposition in 2011-12, which ranks second only to the 1950-51 squad that played a total of eight games against nationally-ranked BYU and Wyoming.

10	TCU's win at Air Force on Wednesday marked the fourth time this season the Horned Frogs had overcome a deficit of 10 or more points en route to a victory (Jan. 21 vs. Boise State, Feb. 11 vs. Colorado State, Feb. 14 vs. UNLV, Feb. 22 at Air Force).

2	UNLV ranks second in the NCAA with a league-best 18.3 assist average, trailing only Iona (19.5). The Runnin' Rebels have dished out at least 18 assists in 17 of their 30 games this season. New Mexico ranks 10th on that same list with 16.3 assists per game.

5	New Mexico leads the league and ranks fifth nationally with a .378 field-goal percentage defense. The Lobos have held their opponents to less than 49 percent shooting from the floor in 27 of 28 games this season, with UNLV (51.7% on Jan. 21) being the only exception.

5	San Diego State has won 66 consecutive games in which it has led with five minutes left to play, including a 20-0 record this season.

54	Anthony Drmic has established a new Boise State freshman record with 54 three-pointers this season, surpassing the previous mark of 49, set by Coby Karl (2003-04). Drmic is 11 three-pointers shy of the Mountain West freshman single-season record of 65 (Marshall Henderson, Utah, 2009-10).

6	Colorado State is the only team to rank among the top six nationally in both three-point field goal (.410) and free throw shooting (.767) percentages, ranking sixth in both categories.

6	Air Force's Taylor Broekhuis blocked a career-high six shot attempts against TCU last Wednesday, tying the school record previously held set Bryce Morgan vs. Navy (11/27/93) and Doane (12/4/93).

60	Wyoming has held 22 of its 28 opponents to less than 60 points this season and ranks fourth in the NCAA with a league-low 54.6 scoring defense. The only teams to top the 60-point mark against the Cowboys in 2011-12 are Utah Vally (Jan. 3), New Mexico (Jan. 14), Boise State (Jan. 28), UNLV (Feb. 4) and San Diego State (Feb. 22). Wisconsin leads the NCAA with a 52.0 scoring defense, followed by Virginia (52.2) and Harvard (54.0).

9	Colorado State enters Saturday's outing at Air Force looking to snap a nine-game road losing streak against league opponents that dates back to the end of the 2010-11 MW season. The Rams' last road win overall was on Dec. 28, 2011 at UTEP.

9	San Diego State has won nine games this season in which it has trailed by at least nine points (Long Beach State, at San Diego, at New Mexico, Boise State, Wyoming and Colorado State).

The Scorer's Table: Feb. 21 Edition

By Mick McGrane on February 21, 2012 2:46 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

"The Scorer's Table" is a weekly Mountain West men's basketball feature utilizing information compiled by MW staff members and sports information departments from throughout the league. We couldn't do it without you.

The Scorer's Table: Feb. 21 Edition

0	Air Force had zero offensive rebounds in last Wednesday's win at Wyoming, the first time the Falcons have gone without an offensive board since Feb. 15, 2003 (an 80-75 win over Colorado State).

1	With its victories over then-No. 15 San Diego State and No. 11 UNLV last week, New Mexico is the only team in the country this season to win back-to-back outings as an unranked squad against opponents ranked in the top 15 of the USA Today/ESPN Coaches' poll. The victories vaulted the Lobos into both national polls for the first time this season.

1	With just two weeks left to play in the regular season, the Mountain West is the only league in the nation where every team has an overall winning record.

8	New Mexico's Drew Gordon is the eighth player nationally to record a 20-point, 20-rebound game against a top-25 opponent in the last decade, and only the fifth to do so in regulation. Gordon posted a career-high 27 points and 20 rebounds in Saturday's 65-45 win over then-No. 11/11 UNLV.

2	New Mexico's Drew Gordon and UNLV's Mike Moser are the only two players nationally to record two 20-rebound performances this season. Gordon grabbed 20 boards against both Oklahoma State (Dec. 17) and UNLV (Feb. 18), while Moser pulled down 20 rebounds vs. Grand Canyon (Nov. 11) and 21 against Boise State (Jan. 25).

3	Air Force's Michael Lyons has topped the 20-point mark in three straight games, averaging 25.0 ppg during that span. Lyons' trio of games (24 vs. Boise State and Wyoming, 27 vs. San Diego State) is the best three-game scoring stretch by a MW player in league play this season.

4	New Mexico ranks fourth nationally with a +16.1 scoring margin this season. During their current seven-game win streak, the Lobos have outscored their opponents by an average of 20.7 points.

5	Wyoming has won five road games this season, the most since the 2002-03 squad racked up six while playing its way into an NIT berth.

100	With TCU's 102-97 overtime win against UNLV on Tuesday, the Horned Frogs and Runnin' Rebels became the first Mountain West teams to score 100 points against each other in separate games in the same season. UNLV defeated TCU, 101-78, on Jan. 18, 2012 in Las Vegas.

20	Drew Gordon's 27 points and 20 rebounds against UNLV on Saturday was the first 20/20 outing by a MW player since Colorado State's Jason Smith had 27 points and 22 rebounds in an 86-68 win vs. Wyoming on Feb. 24, 2007. It was the first by a Lobo since Jimmy Allen had 21 points and 20 boards in a 112-103 loss at New Mexico State on Dec.1, 1976.

39	Boise State freshmen have combined for a school-record 39 starts this season, surpassing the previous mark of 38, set by freshmen on the 1989-90 and 1993-94 squads.

22	New Mexico's Steve Alford is the only coach in Lobo history to win at least 22 games in each of his first five seasons. The Lobos have 120 victories overall under Alford, matching the best five-year stretch in school history.

14	TCU's win over No. 11 UNLV last week broke a 15-game losing streak against ranked teams. The last time the Frogs defeated a higher-ranked opponent was a 71-46 home win over No. 10 Louisville on Feb. 24, 2007.

1	Air Force's 58-56 win over then-No. 13/15 San Diego State on Saturday was the Falcons' first against a top-20 opponent and second vs. ranked competition overall (Feb. 15, 1992 vs. UTEP, 75-72). The win snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Aztecs.

The Scorer's Table: Feb. 14 Edition

By Mick McGrane on February 14, 2012 8:53 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

"The Scorer's Table" is a weekly Mountain West men's basketball feature utilizing information compiled by MW staff members and sports information departments from throughout the league. We couldn't do it without you.

The Scorer's Table: Feb. 14 Edition

0	UNLV has not lost a game this season in which it has led at the half (18-0).

2	UNLV senior point guard Oscar Bellfield currently ranks second in Mountain West history with 532 career assists. Bellfield is 32 assists shy of the league's all-time career record of 564, held by New Mexico's Dairese Gary (2007-11).

3	San Diego State sophomore guard Jamaal Franklin is the only player in the Mountain West to rank in the top three in both scoring and rebounding for all games (16.0 ppg - 3rd; 7.3 rpg - 3rd) and MW games (17.6 ppg - 1st; 9.1 rpg - T3rd).

6	TCU, which hosts UNLV on Tuesday night, is 11-2 this season in games decided by six or fewer points, including a 6-0 mark when the margin is three or less. The 11 victories is a new school record, surpassing 10 such wins set by the 1981-82 (10-6) squad and later tied by the 1998-99 team (10-5).

60	Wyoming, which held New Mexico to 48 points on Saturday, the Lobos' second-lowest total this season, has limited 20 of its 24 opponents to less than 60 points. The Cowboys rank third in the nation in scoring defense at 54.0. The only teams to top the 60-point mark against the Cowboys in 2011-12 are Utah Valley (Jan. 3), New Mexico (Jan. 14), Boise State (Jan. 28) and UNLV (Feb. 4). Wisconsin leads the nation in scoring defense at 50.3, followed by Virginia (51.9).

5	New Mexico, which visits San Diego State Wednesday night in a key MW showdown, ranks fifth nationally with a +16.2 scoring margin. During their current five-game win streak, the Lobos have outscored their opponents by an average of 23.0 points.

41	San Diego State has gone 41 consecutive games without allowing an opponent to shoot 50 percent or better from the field, a streak that dates back to last season. In eight league games this season, SDSU opponents are shooting 39.6 percent from the field.

6	TCU's win over Colorado State on Saturday was its sixth straight at home. The six-game run is the Horned Frogs' longest since winning nine in a row at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum in 2008-09. The Frogs are 11-2 overall at home this season.

7	Colorado State, which visits Boise State on Wednesday, is looking to snap a seven-game road losing streak against MW opponents that dates back to the end of the 2010-11 MW season. The Rams' last road win overall was on Dec. 28 at UTEP.

2	UNLV ranks second in the nation with a league-best 18.6 assists per game, trailing only Iona (19.3). The Runnin' Rebels have dished out at least 18 assists in 15 of their 26 games this season. New Mexico ranks 10th on that same list with 16.8 assists per game.

9	Boise State's win at Air Force on Saturday snapped a nine-game road losing streak for the Broncos. Prior to Saturday, the last BSU away from Taco Bell Arena came at Nevada (72-66) on Feb. 26, 2011.

3	New Mexico leads the Mountain West and ranks third nationally with a .371 field goal percentage defense. The Lobos have held 23 of 24 opponents to less than 49 percent shooting from the floor, with UNLV (51.7%) being the lone exception.

9	Boise State's Tre Nichols went 9-for-9 from the free-throw line in Saturday's win at Air Force, the best shooting performance from the charity stripe by a Bronco since Coby Karl went 10-for-10 vs. Idaho on Jan. 27, 2007.

51	Anthony Drmic has established a new Boise State freshman record with 51 3-point baskets this season, surpassing the previous mark of 49 set by Coby Karl (2003-04). Drmic is 17 three-pointers shy of eclipsing the Mountain West freshman single-season record of 65 set by Utah's Marshall Henderson in 2009-10.

9	Air Force's Todd Fletcher dished out a career-high nine assists against Boise State on Saturday, the most by a Falcon since Evan Washington had 11 vs. Utah on Jan. 5, 2011. Fletcher has registered at least five assists in three of his last four games.

The Scorer's Table: Feb. 7 Edition

By Mick McGrane on February 7, 2012 3:16 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

"The Scorer's Table" is a weekly Mountain West men's basketball feature utilizing information compiled by MW staff members and sports information departments from throughout the league. We couldn't do it without you.

The Scorer's Table: Feb. 7 Edition

6	New Mexico ranks sixth nationally with a +16.4 scoring margin this season. During their current four-game win streak, the Lobos have outscored their opponents by an average of 26.3 points.

6	San Diego State heads into Saturday's showdown at UNLV having beaten the Rebels six consecutive times.

3	UNLV ranks third in the NCAA with a league-best 18.5 assist average. The Runnin' Rebels have dished out at least 18 assists in 14 of their 25 games this season. Only Iona (19.5) and Creighton (18.7) are averaging more. New Mexico ranks seventh on that same list with 17.1 assists per game.

3	San Diego State sophomore guard Jamaal Franklin, the reigning MW Player of the Week, is the only player in the league to rank in the top three in both scoring and rebounding for all games (16.0 ppg - 1st; 7.2 rpg - 3rd) and Conference-only games (18.0 ppg - 1st; 9.3 rpg - 2nd).

1	Colorado State is one of two teams (Denver) to rank among the top-25 nationally in field goal, 3-point field goal and free throw shooting percentages. The Rams rank 25th (.480 FG%), 10th (.405 3FG%) and sixth (.771 FT%) in the NCAA, leading the MW in all three categories.

9	Wyoming ranks second in the league and ninth nationally in free-throw shooting percentage, converting 76.3 percent of its attempts at the charity stripe.

1	Wyoming's 68-66 win over No. 11/13 UNLV last Saturday was the Cowboys' first at home against a ranked opponent since beating No. 24 Utah, 88-61, on Feb. 28, 2000.

3	UNLV's Mike Moser is third in the nation with a league-leading 11.5 rebounding average, trailing only Siena's O.D. Anosike (13.3) and Kansas' Thomas Robinson (12.0). The sophomore forward, who is also fourth in the MW in scoring (14.5 ppg), has tallied double-doubles in seven of his last nine games. He leads the league and is tied for 12th nationally with 13 double-doubles overall.

9	TCU's Hank Thorns has moved into ninth place on the school's career assists list (324), despite playing less than two full seasons with the Frogs.

60	New Mexico is undefeated over its last 60 games when holding opponents to fewer than 60 points, including a 54-0 mark under current coach Steve Alford. The last time the Lobos lost when an opponent scored less than 60 points was on February 22, 2006, when UNM fell to Air Force, 51-46.

65	Air Force's nine-game streak of holding opponents to 65 or fewer points ended with the Falcons' 81-42 loss to New Mexico last Tuesday.

8	New Mexico leads the Mountain West and ranks eighth nationally with a .376 field goal percentage defense. The Lobos have held 22 of 23 opponents to less than 49 percent shooting from the floor this season, with UNLV (51.7%) being the lone exception.

60	Wyoming has held 19 of its 23 opponents to fewer than 60 points this season and ranks fourth in the NCAA with a MW-best 54.3 scoring defense. The only teams to top the 60-point mark against the Cowboys in 2011-12 are Utah Valley (Jan. 3), New Mexico (Jan. 14), Boise State (Jan. 28) and UNLV (Feb. 4). Wisconsin leads the NCAA with a 49.8 scoring defense, followed by Virginia (51.4) and Harvard (53.6).

40	San Diego State has gone 40 consecutive games without allowing an opponent to shoot 50 percent or better from the field, a streak that dates back to last season. In seven MW games, Aztec opponents are shooting 39.4 percent from the field.

42	New Mexico's 81-42 win at Air Force last Tuesday marked the fewest points allowed by a Lobo squad in a conference game since a 74-32 win over BYU on Feb. 3, 1997. It also marked the fewest points allowed by UNM in a conference road game since a 40-38 victory at Wyoming on Jan. 23, 1984.

The Scorer's Table: Jan. 31 Edition

By Mick McGrane on January 31, 2012 12:53 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

"The Scorer's Table" is a weekly Mountain West men's basketball feature utilizing information compiled by MW staff members and sports information departments from throughout the league. We couldn't do it without you.

The Scorer's Table: Jan. 31 Edition

20	At 20-3, No. 11-ranked UNLV is off to its best start since the 1992-93 squad posted a 26-2 record for the season. The Runnin' Rebels are one of nine teams (Syracuse 22-1; Murray State 21-0; Kentucky 21-1; Saint Mary's 21-2; Creighton 20-2; Missouri 20-2; Middle Tennessee 20-3; Oral Roberts 20-4) with at least 20 wins through Jan. 30.

1	Colorado State's 77-60 win over then-No. 13/12 San Diego State was its first against a ranked opponent since 2004.

1	UNLV sophomore forward Mike Moser is the only player in the nation with multiple 20-rebound performances this season. Moser, who had 20 rebounds in the Runnin' Rebels' season-opener against Grand Canyon, collected a career-high 21 rebounds in last week's overtime win at Boise State, the fourth-highest total in MW history.

18	San Diego State's 18-3 start is its second-best in its 91-year history. The Aztecs started 20-0 last year.

5	The Mountain West is one of five leagues (ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten) to have three or more teams ranked in the top-25 of the latest NCAA RPI rankings. UNLV is seventh, while Colorado State is 18th and San Diego State is 22nd. Five of eight teams in the MW moved up in the RPI rankings this week.

60	Wyoming has held 18 of its 21 opponents to fewer than 60 points this season. The Cowboys rank fourth in the nation with a MW-best 53.6 scoring defense.

12	Twelve of Drew Gordon's 24 career double-doubles have come in MW play, tying the New Mexico senior forward for fourth-most in league history with Utah's Luke Nevill (2005-09) and Wyoming's Uche Nsonwu-Amadi (2000-03).

23	Colorado State converted 23-of-23 free throws in Saturday's win against San Diego State, setting a MW record for free-throw percentage (minimum 20 attempts). The previous record was 96.4 percent (27-of-28), shared by BYU and TCU.

3	UNLV is 3-0 this season in overtime games, having posted consecutive overtime wins last week against Boise State and Air Force. The Rebels are two shy of the league single-season record of five overtime games, which they share with Air Force (both in 2001-02).

38	San Diego State has not allowed an opponent to shoot better than 50 percent from the field in 38 straight games. In four league games this season, Aztec opponents are shooting 37.7 percent from the field.

20	Derrick Marks' career-best 21-point performance against UNLV marked the fifth 20-point effort by a Boise State freshman this season. Marks has done it twice, while fellow freshman Anthony Drmic has hit the 20-point mark on three occasions.

6	TCU is 9-1 this season in games decided by six or fewer points. The Frogs are 6-0 when the margin is three or less.

11	Boise State has used 11 different lineups in 20 games this season, more than coach Leon Rice used in the entire 2010-11 season (35 games).

0	Neither UNLV (16-0) nor Wyoming (12-0) have lost a game this season in which they have led at halftime.

65	Air Force has limited opponents to 65 or fewer points in nine straight games.

500	TCU senior guard Hank Thorns recorded his 500th career assist in Saturday's contest at New Mexico. Thorns had six assists in the contest, giving him 502 for his career.

The Scorer's Table: Jan. 24 Edition

By Mick McGrane on January 24, 2012 10:39 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

"The Scorer's Table" is a weekly Mountain West men's basketball feature utilizing information compiled by MW staff members and sports information departments from throughout the league. We couldn't do it without you.

The Scorer's Table: Jan. 24 Edition

15	TCU overcame a 15-point deficit in last Saturday's win over Boise State, the largest comeback by the Horned Frogs in coach Jim Christian's four-year tenure.

3	UNLV ranks third in the nation with a MW-leading 18.7 assists per game. The Runnin' Rebels have finished with at least 18 assists in 12 of their 21 games this season.

4	Colorado State ranks fourth in the nation in three-point field-goal percentage, connecting on 42.8 percent of its attempts beyond the arc.

60	Wyoming has held 17 of its 19 opponents to fewer than 60 points this season. The Cowboys are allowing an average of 53.1 points per game, a figure that ranks third in the nation and first in the MW.

10	San Diego State takes a 10-game win streak into Tuesday night's game at Wyoming, the sixth-longest active streak nationally.

7	New Mexico senior forward Drew Gordon has recorded a double-double in seven of his last 11 games. Gordon is tied for the MW lead (UNLV'S Mike Moser) with 10 double-doubles this season, a figure that ties him for 12th nationally.

5	Air Force's five-game win streak came to an end last Wednesday at Wyoming. The streak marked the Falcons' longest since 2008-09.

1	Boise State's Anthony Drmic remains the only freshman ranked in the league's top 20 in both scoring and rebounding. Drmic ranks eighth in scoring (13.4) and ninth in rebounding (4.9).

5	The MW is one of five leagues with multiple teams ranked among the top 21 in the most recent RPI rankings released by the NCAA. UNLV is sixth, while Colorado State is 21st. San Diego State jumped from 37th to 27th in this week's rankings.

17	New Mexico's 17-point loss at UNLV on Saturday marked the Lobos' biggest margin of defeat since falling 79-60 to the Runnin' Rebels in Las Vegas in 2008.

9	Different starting lineups for Boise State in 18 games this season, more than the Broncos used in during the entire 2010-11 season.

76.3	Free-throw shooting percentage for Colorado State, ninth-best in the country.

8	UNLV ranks eighth nationally in scoring offense with a league-high 81.5 points per game. The Rebels have reached or surpassed the 90-point mark seven times this season and scored more than 100 points twice.

38	Combined points scored by Kyan Anderson in last week's games against Boise State and UNLV, the most in two seasons by a TCU freshman over a two-game span.