COLLEGE BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : New Mexico State Stops UNLV, Leads Big West

Marc Thompson made a two-foot shot with five seconds remaining to lift New Mexico State to a 90-88 victory over No. 16 Nevada Las Vegas Monday night in a Big West Conference game at Las Cruces, N.M.

The victory left New Mexico State, 21-6 overall and 13-3 in the conference, alone in first place in the Big West. Sam Crawford led the Aggies with 15 points and 13 assists.

The Aggies beat the Rebels for only the second time in 22 lifetime meetings.

New Mexico State led, 50-38, at the half and opened its lead to 14 points a minute into the second half, before UNLV came back to tie, 69-69, with 10:18 remaining.

Dedan Thomas Missed a 23-foot, running shot at the buzzer for UNLV, which was led by Dexter Boney’s 23 points. Evric Gray added 22 points and J.R. Rider scored 20 for Las Vegas (19-5, 12-4).

No. 17 New Orleans 52, Arkansas State 51--Ervin Johnson scored 18 of his 24 points during the second half at Jonesboro, Ark., as the Privateers finished unbeaten in the Sun Belt Conference.

New Orleans (24-2, 18-0) is the first team to go unbeaten in conference play since South Alabama in 1978-79.

Arkansas State is 15-11, 11-7.

Oklahoma 89, No. 19 Oklahoma State 80--The Sooners spoiled the Cowboys’ debut in the rankings with a Big Eight Conference victory at Norman, Okla.

Jeff Webster had 19 points and Bryatt Vann 17 for Oklahoma (19-9, 7-6). Oklahoma State (18-6, 8-5) will remain in race for the conference title if Kansas loses to Nebraska on Wednesday.

No. 23 Massachusetts 86, St. Bonaventure 62--Harper Williams scored 25 points at Amherst, Mass., as the Minutemen repeated as Atlantic-10 Conference regular-season champion.

Massachusetts (19-6, 10-3) had consecutive conference losses to Rhode Island and West Virginia. St. Bonaventure is 10-15, 0-13.

No. 25 St. Johns 90, Syracuse 70--The Redmen guaranteed themselves no worse than a second-place finish with a victory at New York. Shawnelle Scott scored 20 points and had 10 rebounds for St. John’s (17-8, 12-5). St. John’s used a 20-0 run to take 28-13 lead against Syracuse (17-8, 9-8).

OTHER GAMES

Ray Kelly scored the final eight points to lead UC Santa Barbara (15-9, 8-8) to a 67-62 Big West Conference victory over San Jose State (7-17, 4-12) at San Jose. . . . Anfernee Hardaway scored 31 points and had nine rebounds as Memphis State (19-9, 7-2) held on for a 75-72 Great Midwest Conference victory over St. Louis (11-15, 1-8) at Memphis.