Dec 29, 2002
Box Score
LAS VEGAS (AP) - Marcus Banks' 3-point play with 14 seconds left lifted UNLV past West Virginia 70-67 at the Jim Thorpe Classic Saturday.
Led by Jermaine Lewis and Dalron Johnson with 15 points apiece, UNLV (7-2) rallied from three 14-point second-half deficits.
Demetrius Hunter added 14 for the Rebels.
West Virginia (7-2) went 27-of-46 from the field for 58.7 percent. Josh Yeager and Drew Schifino led the Mountaineers with 17 points each.
Yeager, who was 4-of-6 from the 3-point line, missed a three at the final buzzer that would have sent the game into overtime.
UNLV out-rebounded West Virginia 34-26 and outscored the Mountaineers 25-4 on second-chance points.
West Virginia's final 14-point lead came at 51-37 with 16:43 left in the game. The Rebels cut that lead to 60-57 with 6:11 left.
After the Mountaineers built a 62-57 lead, UNLV tied it 65-65 with 2:32 left on a Lewis 3-pointer. The Mountaineers regained the lead at 67-65 with 2:15 left on a basket from Schifino, but Johnson tied it with a field goal with 1:14 left, setting up Banks' 3-point play.
