I warn you, this is going to be long, because I have a lot to say:

Looking back on No. 10 New Mexico's 83-81 win Saturday afternoon at the Marriott Center, I have many thoughts on the game that I haven't written about or expressed. First, the Lobos won this game, BYU did not lose it, and the officiating was not the reason BYU lost. The game was filled with many good plays and impressive stretches by both teams. Several players came up big and played clutch. No one should question the effort or performance of any player who took the court. In all close games between two very good teams, which both the Lobos and Cougars are, it comes down to plays late in the game. The winner usually makes the most plays and the losing team doesn't. That's basketball. And it's especially basketball when you have two of the nation's best, which these teams are, competing hard in a high-energy environment. Give credit where credit is due, just as BYU's coaches and players did following the loss. New Mexico is 27-3 because of their poise down the stretch in crunch time, and the Lobos had that again on Saturday.

"Coach (Steve) Alford has himself a very good team. They played well and made enough plays at the end to win," BYU coach Dave Rose said.