ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Elijah Brown scored 25, including the final five points of the first half Saturday, helping New Mexico beat Northern Iowa 76-57. Brown’s surge capped an 8-0 Lobos’ run that broke a 27-27 tie – the seventh of the first half. That was a key stretch, however, as the Panthers (6-3) could get no closer than five points the rest of the way. Tim Williams added 19 for New Mexico (6-2), while Brown grabbed seven rebounds.

Northern Iowa got 12 off the bench from Wyatt Lohaus, while leading scorer Wes Washpun scored 10, six below his average. The Panthers had a chance to get back into the game early in the second half after cutting the deficit to 44-38. But they botched consecutive fast-break opportunities and threw it away on the next possession. That helped start the Lobos on a quick 7-0 burst that pushed the score to 51-38.