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Show Cagers Seek Key To Lobo Defense There's no let-up this week for the conference title - ambitious Runnin' Redskins, who move to Albuquerque Saturday night to take on nationally rated New Mexico University. THE LOBOS, last year's NIT representative from the WAC is rated 12th in the nation and has lost but one game going into the current home stand which features BYU and Utah. The Utes are tied with Tulsa for 15th according to this week's UPI poll. COACH BOB KING will feature feat-ure one of the nation's top defensive de-fensive clubs when his Lobos take the floor in the 6,700 seat Johnson Gymnasium. The Lobos are holding all opponents to an average of 59.6 points per game utilizing the boring slow down tactics. But don't get the idea all UNM does is sit on the ball. They can score and are averaging averag-ing 79.5 after 11 games. New Mexico has won crucial road games from Iowa State of the Big Eight and Hawaii and a host of home games including Baylor, Denver and perenial "WAC foe Wyoming in the conference con-ference opener last week. THEY MET Brigham Young University, nationally rated sixth, in a WAC game last night. Back from last year's WAC runnerup squad is all-Conference center Mel Daniels. Daniels stands 6-9, is averaging 23.6 points per game in 11 outings and is hauling in 10.6 rebounds per evening. HE IS BACKED up by a great forward wall featuring the man that killed Utah last year, Bill Morgan. Morgan stands 6-7 and is tanking 15.4 per game. Gen Monroe is also back at 6-3. Monroe Mon-roe is hitting 12.7. New Mexico is rebuilding at guard with redshirts and transfers trans-fers and has come up with a fine squad. The question Saturday Satur-day will be can the Lobos contain con-tain the fast running Utes? Other Lobo stars include 6-6 Don Rose, a transfer from Tu-lane, Tu-lane, 6-7 Paul Buchana, a red shirt from last season and 6-0 Ray Dupree, up from the frosh. New Mexico lost its great guard Skip Kruzich and Bob Ellis from last years 18-8 squad, but the bulk of the scoring and rebounding punch will return in Daniels, Morgan and Monroe. Utah's second string proved against ASU it can come through in the clutch and Jeff Ockel, Leonard Black, Gene Lake and Ron Cunningham were especially especial-ly impressive in reserve. |