FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Daniel Faris's 15 points and eight boards helped New Mexico pad its NCAA credentials Saturday with its 24th win of the season, a 71-52 rout of the Colorado State Rams, who went winless in the Mountain West Conference.

Under first-year coach Steve Alford, the Lobos (24-7, 11-5) tied their school record for regular-season wins set by Norm Ellenberger's 1977-78 team (24-3) and tied by Dave Bliss's team that went 24-4 in 1995-96.

Lobos forward J.R. Giddens scored 13 points and edged Rams guard Marcus Walker for the league scoring title, 18.3 points per game to 18.1.

The Lobos, winners of eight of their last nine, head to Las Vegas this t week as the No. 3 seed in the Mountain West Conference tournament.

The Rams (6-24, 0-16), who extended their own school record with their 17th straight loss, will face Wyoming in the play-in game Wednesday, still looking for their first win over a league opponent under first-year coach Tim Miles.

The Rams have some company in their misery: the women's team also finished without a win in league play, losing at New Mexico earlier Saturday.

Faris collected his points and rebounds in just 22 very efficient minutes. Chad Toppert added 14 points and Giddens had 13 for the Lobos, who took a 39-30 halftime lead that was never threatened in the second half.

The Rams hung tough until the three-minute mark of the first half, when the Lobos went on a 9-0 run to take control at 35-27. Darren Prentice and Jonathan Willis sank back-to-back 3-pointers during the spurt.

The Lobos closed the half on a 13-3 run with the Rams' only points coming from Stuart Creason, the lone Colorado State senior, who was honored in a pregame ceremony.

Creason, the Rams' 7-foot center, was injured chasing down a loose ball 19 seconds into the second half and he sat on the end of the bench in warmups, watching as the Lobos ran away with it.

Colorado State center Ronnie Aguilar, who returned from a foot injury that sidelined him for six games, also spent much of the second half as a spectator, working out on a stationary bicycle near the tunnel.

Walker finished with just six points and lost the conference scoring crown to Giddens by two-tenths of a point (18.3 to 18.1). Josh Simmons was the Rams' leading scorer with 12 points despite making just one basket — he sank all 10 of his free throws.

After going 8-43 in road games over the previous five seasons, the Lobos (8-5) tied a school record with their eighth road win of the season.

AIR FORCE 46, SAN DIEGO STATE 43: At Air Force Academy, Colo., Tim Anderson scored 11 points to lead Air Force to victory over San Diego State on Saturday.

In a physical game under the boards, the key play was a defensive rebound by Evan Washington with a second left to play.

With Air Force leading 45-43, Washington grabbed the rebound off a missed shot by Lorrenzo Wade and was fouled by Ryan Amoroso on the way down. Washington converted a free throw to give Air Force a three-point lead, and the subsequent inbounds pass was deflected at midcourt to preserve the win.

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Air Force (16-13, 8-8 Mountain West) led through the entire second half, but the Aztecs stayed in the game behind the 3-point shooting of D.J. Gay, who scored 17 points.

Keith Maren provided the spark Air Force needed with just under 10 minutes to play.

The senior center drove the length of the floor after stealing a pass beneath the basket to make the score 35-30. He then went to the line to complete a three-point play, giving Air Force a six-point margin.

The Aztecs (19-11, 9-7) never overcame the lead.

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