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A day ago, J.R. Giddens was "day-to-day" because of a sprained left ankle.

The University of New Mexico guard had one of his best "days" Saturday, registering a career-tying 26 points and a career-high 13 rebounds to lead the Lobos to an 86-82 overtime win over Utah.

The announced crowd of 13,532 in The Pit saw the Lobos (12-7, 1-3 in Mountain West Conference) blow a 13-point second-half lead but refuel in overtime to snap a four-game losing streak. The previous two losses came without Giddens.

"This was a must-win," Giddens said. "That sucks (to lose four in a row). We showed maturity with the win. We fought them off when we needed to."

The Lobos held a lead all game until 41 seconds left in regulation, when an acrobatic three-point play by Utah guard Curtis Eatmon tied the game at 73. UNM guard Tony Danridge couldn't connect on a wide-open 13-footer with 16 seconds left, which gave the Utes (5-12, 0-4 in MWC) a final chance to cement the valiant comeback.

The opportunity was lost, as Utah guard Johnnie Bryant and forward Shaun Green missed off-balanced shots in the final 13 seconds to force an overtime. Bryant, who led the Utes with 19 points, missed a contested jumper, then Green grabbed the loose ball and chucked a 3-pointer that missed terribly.

"This was a good college basketball game," UNM coach Ritchie McKay said. "It was a great atmosphere. The more we take it to the basket, the better we'll be."

Known to take about 30 3-pointers a game in recent weeks, UNM went 11-of-21 (52 percent) from beyond the arc, 29-of-57 (51 percent) from the floor for the game.

Lobos guard Chad Toppert hit four consecutive free throws in overtime to seal the game, while Utah went 3-of-9 from the field in the extra period.

Spreading the wealth was the theme for the Lobos, as four different players finished in double figures. Danridge had 14 points, forward Daniel Faris had 10 and Toppert had 13.

Luke Nevill, usually Utah's 7-foot-1 source of 3-foot layups and dunks, fouled out with 8:51 left in the second. He finished with nine points and three rebounds, which bodes well for a Lobos defense that allowed 7-foot Jason Smith of Colorado State to register 28 points and 11 rebounds a week ago. Seldom-used 7-footer David Foster filled in nicely for the Utes, finishing with eight points and nine rebounds.

A rain of 3-pointers by Green sparked the Utes in the second half. Green hit four 3s in the first nine minutes of the second to cut UNM's lead to seven. The Lobos held Utah to 9-of-23 shooting in the first half, when UNM led 37-25.

Holding to their usual billing, Utah let another team shoot the 3-pointer freely. In the first half, UNM went 9-of-13 (69 percent) from beyond the arc, even higher than the 47 percent Utah was giving up entering the game.

The Utes have lost six consecutive games.

"I don't know what it is," Utah coach Ray Giacoletti said. "We have to find a way to win games."