UNLV Makes Stunning Comeback To Force Overtime Against Boise State, Then Loses Heartbreaker In OT In Mountain West Quarterfinals Thursday
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Story by Alan Snel Photos by J. Tyge O’Donnell
The loss hurt.
UNLV was getting pummeled by 22 points late in the first half and Boise State looked like it would cruise to a quarterfinal win over the Runnin’ Rebels Thursday evening.
But the Rebs came back in the second half. Justin Webster was draining three-point shots. EJ Harkless was driving to the basket and making buckets. David Muoka was blocking shots.
And UNLV’s Shane Nowell made a miracle three-point shot from the deep corner of the court with a mere second left and UNLV and Boise State were tied at 73 at the end of regulation.
“What a ballgame,” Boise State coach Leon Rice said at the postgame presser. “What a great college basketball game.”
It was a stunning comeback by UNLV.
“We chipped away, chipped away,” UNLV coach Kevin Krueger said. “We were chasing it in the first half.”
“We didn’t want the first half to define us,” Harkless added.
But after UNLV clawed its way back into this Mountain West tourney game, the Rebels ran out of gas in OT.
Boise State outscored UNLV, 14-3, in overtime and advanced to the Mountain West semis with a 87-76 win.
UNLV ended its season at 19-13 after winning 11 of its first 12 pre-conference games.
UNLV also went to overtime to defeat Air Force Wednesday.
In another quarterfinal game of note, San Jose State won its first ever Mountain West tournament game with an 81-77 win over Nevada.
The San Jose State Spartans are 20-12 and led by the conference coach of the year, Tim Miles, and the player of the year, Omari Moore.
