After a close battle, the Lobos eventually fell on the road, losing 79-74 Saturday evening to the Illinois State Redbirds.
It was, officially, New Mexico’s first road loss, but the team has also lost a pair of neutral-site games, making its overall record 5-3.
New Mexico started out well, hitting four of its first five shots to lead 9-5 after the first media timeout.
The Lobos led for most of the first half, but with 8:16 left, the Redbirds started taking control. A 3-pointer by Keyshawn Evans put the Redbirds up 25-23.
New Mexico tied the score on a jumper by Damien Jefferson, but Evans put his team back on top with another 3-pointer.