Albuquerque, NM – Hugh Greenwood poured in a game-high 17 points to lead No. 18 New Mexico to a 75-67 win over Southern California on Wednesday.
Alex Kirk had 13 points and 13 rebounds and Kendal Williams dropped in 13 to go along with eight assists for the Lobos (9-0), who have won 11 straight home games dating back to last season.
Eric Wise had 14 points and Dewayne Dedmon netted 12 points and pulled down eight boards for the Trojans (3-4), losers in four straight. Byron Wesley also had 12 while Jio Fontan and J.T. Terrell added 11 points apiece in the setback.
USC led, 30-21, with seven minutes left in the first half, but New Mexico used a 22-4 run to take a 43-34 lead into the break.
"It was a big run," New Mexico head coach Steve Alford said. "We were down ten and you end up going up nine at the half so you have a 19-point turnaround in one half."
"We didn't guard anybody," USC head coach Kevin O'Neill said of the surge. "We couldn't guard a lunch in a kindergarten class. The game was really won in the last 7 minutes of the first half."
Kirk's jumper with just under eight minutes left put the Lobos up 70-55, but the Trojans came storming back with a 10-0 run to pull within 70-65 with 2:13 showing on the clock.
New Mexico outscored USC 5-2 the rest of the way to lock up the win.
The Lobos shot 51.9 percent from the field and went 11-for-24 from 3-point range.
Greenwood was 5-for-9 from beyond the arc.
Game Notes
New Mexico holds a 6-5 advantage in the all-time series ... The Lobos have won the last five games in the matchup ... New Mexico is off to its best start since going 12-0 in 2009-10 ... The Lobos have won 33 consecutive home games in the month of December. The last loss was Dec. 22, 2004 when they fell to No. 5 Wake Forest 81-64 ... The Trojans shot 54 percent from the field, but struggled from behind the arc going just 4-for-12.
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