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The Lobos were the cat this weekend. The Blue Hose, Bonnies and Lions took turns as the ball of yarn.

The one sensible mascot in that bunch kept its matchup with New Mexico exciting on Sunday - for about 9 minutes.

The Loyola Marymount Lions were ahead, 9-8, in the first half against UNM in the final game of the three-day Basketball Travelers Invitational at The Pit. Then point guard Darren Prentice scored six points in seven seconds (on two 3-pointers) and the Lobos cruised to an 86-58 win. The 28-point margin of victory was the second-closest game UNM played over the three-day span. St. Bonaventure got blown out by 27 on Saturday. On Friday, New Mexico thrashed Presbyterian by 31.

"We don't look at the score," said J.R. Giddens, the Invitational Most Valuable Player. "We just play and try to improve. When you win by a margin like that, you've got to look within."

In all of college basketball, there are two teams standing at 5-0 right now: Rhode Island and the Lobos. This would matter more if UNM hadn't creamed cupcakes in getting to this point, as the 6,000-plus empty Pit seats clearly demonstrated on Sunday.

Ritchie McKay started last season 5-0, too, and all five wins were blowouts. This didn't translate into success: The Lobos ultimately ended up 15-17 and lost in the pigtail game of the Mountain West Conference tournament to TCU.

Whether it matters or not, here's what we've seen five games into Steve Alford's tenure:

The 3s have been kind: "I have not had, in my 17 years of coaching, a team that shoots the three ball at the clip we've been shooting," Alford said after Sunday's game.

UNM was scorching from deep all weekend, nailing 48 percent of its 3-pointers. Prentice was 5 for 9 on Sunday, Roman Martinez was 3 for 4 and Chad Toppert hit 3 of 5. Toppert nailed 5 of 8 3s Friday against Presbyterian.

"We have a lot of shooters on this team," Prentice said. "We're using the drive and dish, and it's working."

Prentice can be a spark: Jamaal Smith starts at point guard for UNM, but Prentice has played brilliantly through five games. He scored 19 points in 25 minutes Sunday night, and on the season he's dished 22 assists and committed three turnovers.

"Coming off the bench is not a problem for me," said the senior.

The leash is short: Daniel Faris picked up his second foul less than one minute into the game and didn't see the court again until the second half. He played six minutes Sunday night because of foul trouble.

Giddens had a game-high 21 points but, said Alford, "I took J.R. out three different times for not doing the things right."

All 10 Lobos saw playing time in the first five minutes against LMU. A weak opponent makes it easier, but Alford says he'll sub early and often, even if that means going small. At one point, five guards were on the court for UNM.

Freshman contribution: Starting guard Jonathan Wills showed in his Lobos debut he could score, with a game-high 13 against Colorado. On Sunday night he showed he's coachable.

Wills passed up an open shot on the wing to drive inside and feed Monquel Pegues under the basket. The pass was intercepted, though, and as the teams headed the other way Alford glared at Wills, screaming "Shoot!" and flicking his wrist at him.

Wills obliged on the Lobos' next trip down the court by taking, and making, a 3. He finished the night 2 for 4 from deep. (He had a freshman moment as well when, in the first half Sunday, he clanged a breakaway dunk off the back of the basket.)

Giddens on the glass: Heading into the game against LMU, Giddens was leading the Mountain West in rebounding. He grabbed 12 rebounds Saturday to go with 11 points against the Bonnies. He leads the Lobos with 8.8 rebounds and 13 points per game in this young season.

Now the question becomes whether Giddens and his teammates can keep up the strong play when their margins of victory no longer hover around 30 points. If they play three consecutive nights again, it won't be until there's a lot more at stake.

"We feel good," Giddens said, "and we'll have to win three games in three nights in March to win the conference tournament."