Leading by five points with one minute to go in regulation, the Fresno State men’s basketball team lost 81-80 in double overtime to UNLV at the Save Mart Center on Wednesday night.

UNLV forced the first overtime in the Mountain West opener for both schools when Bryce Hamilton stole the ball with 29 seconds remaining. He then banked in a short jumper to tie the game at 65.

Fresno State’s Noah Blackwell missed a long, potential winning 3-pointer at the buzzer.

In the first overtime, Donnie Tillman made 1 of 2 free throws with 10 seconds left to knot it at 72. The Runnin’ Rebels then stole the ball so the Bulldogs couldn’t get up a last shot.
Hamilton hit a 3-pointer and a layup to give UNLV a 77-72 lead with 1:41 left in the game. He and Tillman each made two free throws to seal the victory.

Bulldogs Had Won Seven Straight vs. UNLV

It was a sweet win for UNLV, which played without its two starting guards and entered with three overtime losses this season. The victory also ended UNLV’s seven-game losing streak to the Bulldogs.
“I’m really proud of our guys,” UNLV coach T.J. Otzelberger said. “So many guys stepped up. We know how hard it is to win on the road. … We knew they were a physical, gritty, tough team.”
The loss dropped Fresno State to 2-5 overall, while UNLV improved to 4-6.
Tillman scored a career-high 28 points, and Hamilton had his first career double-double with 21 points and 14 rebounds.