PROVO -- In a game that lived up to its pregame-hype, the No. 10 New Mexico Lobos (27-3, 13-2 MWC) snuck by the short-handed No. 13 Cougars (26-4, 11-3 MWC) to get an 83-81 win Saturday in the Marriott Center. The Lobos did it in impressive fashion, shooting 50 percent from the field and out-rebounding BYU 43-32 despite a thundering crowd of 22,644.

The Cougars once again were forced to play without their star player in Jimmer Fredette, who despite feeling well during the pregame shootaround, struggled with a stomach illness and didn't have the energy to compete during most of the second half, recording only 16 minutes in the game.

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Gary leads No. 10 New Mexico past No. 13 BYU

No. 10 New Mexico clinched the top seed in the Mountain West Conference tournament and a share of the regular-season title by defeating fellow heavyweight BYU.

With Fredette's backup, Lamont Morgan Jr., still recovering from knee surgery, the Cougars relied solely on Michael Loyd Jr. to run the offense. The redshirt sophomore didn't disappoint, producing a career high 19 points, adding four rebounds, two assists and a steal. Loyd said if he had to choose between getting playing time and winning, he would choose winning every time.

"I'd rather win to tell you the truth," Loyd said after the game. "I'd like to see the whole team get the glory and we all win. It might be selfish thinking, but later in the stage that puts us on a bigger pedestal for when I actually do play."

The game was close from start to finish, with nine ties and 17 lead changes. The Cougars had a chance to tie the game in the last eight seconds, but weren't able to convert on a play in which Loyd drove the lane and passed the ball to Noah Hartsock, who drove to the basket only to have his shot blocked at the rim by Darington Hobson.

Loyd said it was his decision to either drive to the basket or pass, and after the game he appeared remorseful about his decision to pass the ball.

"I've got to seize that moment next time," Loyd said. "Hopefully I can get back in my career and be able to make a game winner some time."

After New Mexico center Will Brown missed two free throw attempts, BYU snatched the rebound and called timeout with 0.6 seconds left giving them one last opportunity. But BYU needed to go the length of the court. Jackson Emery passed the ball in to Loyd, who let the ball bounce to get closer to the basket before touching it and starting the clock. New Mexico guard Dairese Gary, who led the Lobos with 23 points and six assists, knocked the ball away as time expired to end the game.

BYU Head Coach Dave Rose said that while he was disappointed with the loss, New Mexico deserved credit for making plays down the stretch.

"We had a chance to win it, but were unable to do so," Rose said.

Rose also said he wasn't ready to make any excuses for the loss despite the absence of his star player.

"This is a team. Teams win; teams lose," Rose said after the game. "We lost today. We competed and played well, but we didn't win the game, so it feels the same."

The Lobos went into a frenzy when time expired, dog-piling on Gary to celebrate the victory. New Mexico Head Coach Steve Alford said he was proud of the way his players came through to win.

"This was a great team we beat tonight. Although we missed 9-of-20 free throws, we found a way to win," said Alford before guaranteeing a first place finish. "We are going to enjoy this win for the next 48 hours before we win the Mountain West Conference outright."

Tyler Haws was the Cougars' second leading scorer, with 18 points. Jackson Emery recorded another well-rounded game with 11 points, seven rebounds and five steals in 35 minutes of play.

Loyd said he thinks his team will respond well despite the tough loss.

Said Loyd, "There's a lot of basketball left to play."

The Cougars will face Utah Wednesday, once again following a loss to New Mexico. The Cougars defeated Utah 82-69 in a heated exchange Jan. 30 at the Marriott Center. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City.

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