February 15, 1999

Box Score

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Shawn Marion scored 20 points and Nevada-Las Vegas forced 23 turnovers Monday to defeat Tulsa 54-53 and become the first team to defeat the Golden Hurricane on its new home court.

With the victory at the Donald W. Reynolds Center, UNLV (8-3, 15-8 Western Athletic Conference) increased its hold on first place in the WAC's Mountain Division while Tulsa (6-5, 18-8) fell 2 1/2 games back in third place.

Brandon Kurtz pulled Tulsa within 54-53 on a tip-in with 2:05 left but neither team scored after that.

UNLV guard Mark Dickel missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw with 19 seconds left, then Tulsa's Greg Harrington shot a 10-foot floater in the lane that rimmed out with six seconds left.

Kurtz came up with the ball and missed a point-blank layup with two seconds remaining.

In addition to the 23 turnovers, Tulsa shot 36.7 percent, hitting 18 of 49 shots. TU stayed in the game by forcing UNLV into 34.5 percent shooting (19 of 55) and by outrebounding the Rebels 44-30.

Kevin Simmons and Dickel added 11 points each for UNLV.

Tony Heard topped Tulsa with 15 points, followed by Kurtz with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Tulsa had been 6-0 in the Reynolds Center and 12-0 at home overall this season.

Tulsa led 25-23 at the end of a rugged and sloppy first half despite 13 turnovers and 37 percent shooting. UNLV shot just 31 percent in the half.

Tulsa jumped out to a 17-9 lead before UNLV guard Greedy Daniels got going. Daniels had three steals and forced several other turnovers, creating easy baskets for Marion.

Tulsa tried numerous lineups in a desperate effort to find someone who could bring the ball upcourt and protect it from Daniels, who ranks third in the WAC in steals at 2.3 per game.

Neither team led by more than three points throughout an intense and better played second half. There were six ties and nine lead changes.

UNLV center Kaspars Kambala suffered a knee sprain three minutes into the game and did not return. Kambala is the Rebels' second leading scorer (13.3) and rebounder (6.8).