10th-Ranked UNLV Beats San Jose

Junior guard Freddie Banks scored 21 points to lead 10th-ranked Nevada Las Vegas to a 62-55 victory over San Jose State Thursday night in a Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. game.

The Rebels improved their conference record to 9-0 and their overall mark to 20-2. The victory was Nevada Las Vegas’ 10th in a row. San Jose State dropped to 5-5 and 12-7.

Spartans, who led, 31-18, late in the first half, took a 37-30 halftime lead behind sophomore Ricky Berry’s 20 points.

However, UNLV scored the first seven points of the second half to tie the score. The Rebels took the lead for good, 52-51, on forward Armon Gilliam’s dunk with 4:48 left.

San Jose State reserve guard Herb Simon hit a three-point shot with 33 seconds left, pulling the Spartans within 58-55. Banks, however, scored four consecutive free throws to give UNLV the seven-point victory.

Gilliam added 13 points and forward Anthony Jones scored 10.

Berry scored just two points in the second half and finished with a game-high 22 points. Simon added 11 for San Jose State.