That's how first-year New Mexico coach Steve Alford described his team, looking back one day before a tough early-season test against Hawaii. Yet 24 hours later, it was impossible to see any of that.

Chad Toppert scored 20 points and center Daniel Faris had 12 of his career-high 16 in a blistering second half as the hot-shooting Lobos beat Hawaii 89-60 tonight.

Five players scored in double figures for New Mexico (6-0), including J.R. Giddens with 15 points, five rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots. Freshman Dairese Gary scored 15 points in his first college start and Jamaal Smith had 12.

Alford said he was concerned after seeing his team dragging on Tuesday.

"We canceled the last half of practice yesterday and that might have been the best thing we did," he said. "They looked tired. They looked fatigued. They looked beat up. We had about six guys coughing."

Good move, coach.

The Lobos made 12 of their last 13 field goals and outscored Hawaii 51-29 in the second half. They shot a whopping 61 percent (36-of-59) from the floor, including a 50 percent clip (24-of-48) on 3-pointers.

Toppert hit 8-of-10 from the floor and was 4-of-10 from 3-point range.

New Mexico outrebounded the bigger Warriors 33-21 and dished out 21 assists with just eight turnovers.

"That's encouraging when you can score almost 90 points and there's only eight turnovers," Alford said. "We're not playing a slowdown game. It tells me the guys are doing a good job of focusing."

New Mexico is off to its best start since opening 8-0 in 1998-99.

Bobby Nash scored 16 for the Warriors (1-3), Jared Dillinger had 15, Riley Luettgerodt 14 and Bill Amis 10. But Hawaii struggled to find a rhythm with Nash slowed by foul trouble in the first half and Dillinger in the second.

"We just didn't get it done," Nash said. "Guys were playing out of position. There are no excuses. New Mexico is a very good team."

The silver lining for the Warriors is they'll get another shot at the Lobos. Although the former WAC rivals now play in separate conferences, New Mexico returns the road trip with a Dec. 27 game in Honolulu.

"They protected their house," Nash said. "That's what you do in your home, but we get another chance at them. It can only get better."

New Mexico led 38-31 at halftime, and everything seemed to go right for the Lobos each time down the floor after that.

Gary scored the first five points of the second half, hitting a 3-pointer and completing a conventional three-point play, as the Lobos opened with a 10-2 run that pushed their lead to 48-31.

It was 52-35 after Giddens made a jumper and scored a layin after a steal less than 5 minutes into the second half. Later, Faris had a fastbreak jumper for a 67-51 lead, forcing a Hawaii timeout with 7:42 remaining.

"We're all having a lot of fun," Faris said. "Everyone is working hard in practice and getting minutes. Our guys are doing a great job of getting open and our guards are doing a great job of finding them."

Dillinger dropped a floater for Hawaii, trimming the deficit to 69-53, but the Lobos answered with a 9-0 burst. Then Toppert made a jumper and scored on a break to give New Mexico an 82-55 lead with 3:30 to play.

During that stretch, New Mexico hit nine straight baskets without a miss.

"They played a great second half and we played probably as bad as we've played thus far in the second half," Hawaii coach Bob Nash said. "I don't know if the guys ran out of energy or what."

Even better for New Mexico, the home fans had The Pit rocking through the second half. The attendance was announced at 13,518, the largest crowd this season and a sign the locals are warming to the new Lobos.

"Just amazing," Gary said. "Packed and real loud. It really gets you going."