Final: New Mexico 73, UNLV 69 (OT)

ALBUQUERQUE — Tony Danridge scored 26 points, including a 10-footer on a drive with 5.4 seconds left to break a 69-69 tie and help propel New Mexico to a 73-69 overtime win over UNLV on Saturday at The Pit.

The dropped the Runnin’ Rebels, who started the week in a tie for first place, to just 5-4 in Mountain West Conference play and 17-6 overall while New Mexico improved to 15-9 and 6-3

Guard Wink Adams scored 18 points and swingman Rene Rougeau, who finished with a double of 12 points and tied his career-high with 13 rebounds, led the Rebels. Rougeau, however, wasn’t around for the final 4:28 after picking up his fourth foul and then getting whistled for a technical when he protested.

New Mexico took a 57-57 lead with 2:39 to go when guard Jonathan Wills hit the second of two free throws. The Rebels tied it, 57-57, on a free throw by Adams. He missed his second try, however, but Oscar Bellfield got the long rebound near midcourt.

Tre’Von Willis then drove and missed but got his own rebound and put it in left-handed to give UNLV a 59-57 lead with 1:47 remaining.

The Rebels blew a chance to put the game away when they forced Chad Toppert to turn the ball over under the basket. But after running the clock down to two seconds, Willis fired up an air-ball.

Tony Danridge then tied the game, 59-59, with a 10-footer in the key. The Rebels then ran the clock down to 12.5 seconds before calling timeout with 11 seconds left on the shot clock.

The Rebels cleared the floor for Adams to go one-on-one against Dairese Gary but Adams’ pull-up 15-footer barely drew iron. However, the rebound went out of bounds off a Lobo and the Rebels got a second chance with 3.6 seconds left.

Bellfield then inbounded to Mo Rutledge who came up shot on 12-foot jumper at the buzzer forcing overtime.

The game see-sawed back-and-forth in overtime with the Rebels taking their final lead, 69-67, on a 3-pointer by Joe Darger with 1:03 left. But New Mexico came back to tie it 16 seconds later on a short jumper by Daniel Faris.

Adams then missed a fallaway jumper with 29 seconds left that would have put the Rebels back ahead and set the stage for Danridge’s game-winner.