For a team that has struggled to win close games, Air Force finally held onto one on Saturday — and it was a big one.

The Falcons upset New Mexico 78-77 in Albuquerque for their second Mountain West win. Air Force entered the game No. 273 in the NET rankings, while New Mexico entered No. 20.

Air Force struggled in the first few minutes, trailing by as many as eight. But the Falcons clawed back and took a 37-36 lead into halftime.

The Falcons started the second half hot, leading by seven points midway through the half. The Lobos, though, got back into the game and took a 77-75 lead with 24.6 seconds remaining.

A few seconds separated the game clock and the shot clock on Air Force’s final possession. But Byron Brown drew an on-the-floor foul, which turned the shot clock off. And after the reset, Rytis Petraitis found space, got the pass and nailed a wide-open 3-pointer to put the Falcons ahead.

New Mexico (21-7, 9-6 Mountain West) had seven seconds to score, but the attempt from Tru Washington went wayward and the Falcons sealed their win.

Air Force’s offense thrived throughout the game. The Falcons shot 52% from the field and made 11 3-pointers.

Their defense held New Mexico to a 19% clip (3-of-16) on 3-pointers and forced 10 turnovers.

Five Falcons — Beau Becker, Petraitis, Ethan Taylor, Kellan Boylan and Brown — finished in double figures. Becker scored a team-high 19 points.

The Falcons win is their first since Jan. 23, when Air Force beat UNLV 90-58. The win will go down as a quad-one win, Air Force’s first of the year.

The Falcons return to Clune Arena on Tuesday to host Boise State.