Rams Fall in New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) Troy DeVries scored 15 points and freshman guard Lenny Miles provided the energy in New Mexico's 63-51 win over Colorado State Saturday night.

New Mexico (12-8, 3-4 MWC) never trailed and broke the game open behind the early second-half scoring of David Chiotti and Alfred Neale and Miles' hustle at both ends of the court.

Chiotti and Danny Granger each scored 13 points and Neale had 9 points and 8 rebounds.

Dwight Boatner with 11 points led the Rams (11-9, 3-4), whose victory drought in Albuquerque continued. CSU has lost nine straight and 33 of the last 34 games against New Mexico in The Pit.

The Lobos pulled away from a 28-22 lead early in the second half as Chiotti and Neale combined for 12 points. Chiotti scored New Mexico's first 5 points of the second half and later added a layup, while Neale scored off an offensive rebound and connected on a 3-pointer. That put New Mexico up 40-30 and the Rams got no closer the rest of the way.

Miles, a reserve, played 24 minutes, the most since early December. He scored just 2 points but tied his season-high with five rebounds and got the partisan New Mexico crowd of more than 16,000 into the game with his quickness and reckless style of play.

At one point he leaped over the scorer's table, nearly colliding with a concrete barrier behind the New Mexico bench while chasing a loose ball. He also set up a couple of teammates for easy baskets with his passing and had a block late in the game.

CSU, playing without injured 7-foot center Matt Nelson, struggled on offense all night. The Rams hit just two of 13 3-point shots and shot just 37.5 percent. Nelson, the team's leading scorer and rebounder at 15 points and 5.5 rebounds a game, is out with a sprained knee.