New Mexico whipped Nevada by 34 points on Jan. 28, but two weeks later the Wolf Pack are the much hotter squad.
Nevada aims to get revenge as well as defeat a ranked team for the third straight game when it entertains the Lobos on Tuesday night at Reno, Nev.
The Wolf Pack (19-5, 6-4 MW) notched a 77-63 road victory over then-No. 22 Utah State on Tuesday and followed up with a 70-66 overtime home win over then-No. 24 San Diego State on Friday.
According to the school, it marks the first time Nevada has defeated ranked teams in back-to-back games.
What the recent stretch also has done — the Wolf Pack have won three straight overall — is bolster the program’s NCAA Tournament aspirations.
“Everybody kept saying, ‘What’s wrong?’ when we were 16-5,” Nevada coach Steve Alford said. “I kept saying we’re 16-5, the world’s not going to end. You’re going to have lulls like that.”
New Mexico (19-5, 7-4) certainly is going through a lull by losing its last two home games. The Lobos are 1-2 overall over their past three games.