ALBUQUERQUE -- The last time the Lobos had one bad week, it led to 13 days of hell.

If they can manage a good week this time around, it might very well lead to 13 days of glory.

The University of New Mexico men's basketball team travels to southern California's Viejas Arena on Wednesday night to face nationally-ranked San Diego State. Both teams enter the 8:15 p.m. tipoff with identical records of 20-4 overall and 6-2 in the Mountain West Conference.

The winner retains at least a tie of first place in the league standings. The loser will be left scrambling with just five games remaining in the regular season.

Scrambling is something the Lobos know a lot about. Their consecutive losses to the Aztecs and Runnin' Rebels in January dropped them to the bottom half of the MWC standings and forced Alford to challenge his team over the ensuing 13 days to turn things around.

The Lobos responded by winning four straight games by an average of nearly 24 points. They added a fifth straight win last Saturday, beating Wyoming 48-38 in a defensive slugfest in The Pit.

Having won 18 of its last 20 games, UNM is clearly a confident team..

Head coach Steve Alford is quick to point out that his club is either first or second in virtually every major statistical category since MWC play began. It's a sign, he said, that the Lobos aren't just hitting their stride. In fact, they've been in a full gallop for quite a while.

"You're in a top-five league in the country and you can boast not just a very good offense but a very good defense, but both," he said. "I'm very proud of this team."

But Wednesday's visit to Viejas is particularly daunting. The 12,414-seat arena is known for its raucous student section known as "The Show."

"It's more exciting, it's more fun," said Lobos guard Phillip McDonald, one of three seniors on a club that is 9-2 in games outside The Pit this season. "It's like us against the world, that type of feeling. It's got to be that type of mentality once we get there."

McDonald has emerged as one of the top sixth men in the conference. A seasoned veteran who has spent most of his UNM career in the starting lineup, he is averaging seven points a game coming off the bench.

It's that leadership -- along with the maturity of sophomore shooting guard Tony Snell and the improved health of freshman point guard Hugh Greenwood -- that makes the Lobos such a dangerous team, home or away.

Snell didn't attempt a single shot in 23 minutes against Wyoming, but it was his play on defense that erased any lingering doubts about his ability to play at a high level. The 6-foot-7 wing is still the Lobos' leading scorer with an average of 12.3 points.

Alford chalked up Snell's lack of scoring to not coming off screens effectively and not seeking the shots he normally takes.

"But I thought it was the best he's guarded in the second half all year," Alford said. "For a sophomore guard that can unselfishly say, 'Hey, things aren't going well offensively but I can do my job defensively,' that's something we really appreciate he can do."

UNM's first meeting with SDSU produced a 75-70 loss in The Pit on Jan. 18. The Aztecs turned a four-point deficit in the second half into a double-digit lead with a decisive 15-0 run.

As has been the case all season for San Diego State, it was all about the guard play. The team's top four scorers this season are in the backcourt, led by Chase Tapley (16.2 points per game) and Jamaal Franklin (16.0). Sophomore point guard Xavier Thames (10.2) had a game-high 22 points in The Pit.

"There's a heavy emphasis on making sure we do a good job in the backcourt defensively," Alford said. "In the first game it got away from us especially at the point guard position."

It was that game that led to one bad week for the Lobos. It also led to a resurgence that has bracketology experts around the country penciling UNM into the race for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid.

More than that, it put the Lobos in control of their own MWC destiny.

"You gotta punch first," said Lobos senior forward A.J. Hardeman. "Now we've just got to keep our focus and do it again."

Up next

Wednesday: New Mexico (20-4 overall, 6-2 MWC) at No. 13 San Diego State (20-4, 6-2), 8:15 p.m.

TV: CBS Sports Network (Comcast, Ch. 274; DirecTV, Ch. 613; Dish Ch. 158)

Radio: 770 AM-KKOB

Live stats: www.golobos.com