By james art 
Donovan Dent bolstered his case for Mountain West Conference Basketball Player of the Year with a 34-point explosion Saturday afternoon against UNLV.
New Mexico’s junior point guard finished 13 of 21 from the field and made all six of his free throws, including a pair that tied the game at 72-all with 2:44 left. The Lobos (17-4, 9-1) held on down the stretch for a 75-73 win over the Rebels (11-9, 5-4) to stay atop the MWC standings.
Senior center Nellie Junior Joseph also shined for New Mexico, recording a career-high 22 points and 18 rebounds.
“I thought he was phenomenal,” Lobos head coach Richard Pitino said of Joseph after the game. “Donovan obviously had a great score, but the rebound was ridiculous from Nellie.”
UNLV sophomore point guard Dedan Thomas Jr., another MWC Player of the Year candidate, contributed 18 points and seven assists in the loss.
“He’s scary when we’re on defense because he’s very crafty, he does a great job of getting fouled,” Pitino said of Thomas Jr. “I love him.”
Utah State (18-2, 8-1) paced the Lobos Saturday by dismantling Air Force (3-17, 0-9), 87-58.
Star guards Ian Martinez (16 points) and Mason Falslev (11 points, eight rebounds, five assists, three steals) led the way for the Aggies, who could return to the AP Top 25 next week.
“The last two games we played on both sides of the ball,” Utah State head coach Jerod Calhoun said in his postgame press conference. “If you want to win a league title and get to the NCAA tournament, you can’t be a one-trick pony. I think we’re starting to understand that.
“We need to get out of here, get some rest. We have two great games at home at the (Smith) Spectrum.”
The Aggies host UNLV on Wednesday before a Feb. 1 matchup with New Mexico in the MWC’s game of the year so far.
Colorado State (13-7, 7-2) picked up its third straight win Saturday night with a 69-64 comeback victory over Fresno State (5-18, 1-8). The Rams have a chance to make a move in the MWC title race with upcoming games against New Mexico, San Diego State (13-5, 6-3) and Utah State.
The Aztecs, who beat Nevada (11-9, 3-6) 69-50 on the road Saturday night, are in the middle of a softer stretch of their schedule.
Boise State (13-7, 5-4) received its first MWC bye over the weekend and is 3.5 games behind the Lobos in the conference standings.