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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Junior Lew Stallworth nailed a deep three with 7.4 seconds left in regulation, but the sixth-seeded University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) men's basketball team fell to third-seeded UMKC 82-78 in overtime in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Tournament Quarterfinals on Thursday at Orleans Arena.
 
Stallworth led UTRGV (10-22) with 20 points and five rebounds. Sophomore Antonio Green scored 19 points with eight rebounds. Junior Nick Dixon scored 17 points with four rebounds and five assists.
 
LaVell Boyd led UMKC (17-15) with 22 points and seven rebounds. Kyle Steward scored 19 points with 12 rebounds. Dashawn King scored 18 points. Broderick Newbill finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
 
The second half was a one possession game for the first 18 minutes before UMKC extended its lead to 67-61 with 1:28 remaining. Dixon answered with a three at the 1:16 mark and then Stallworth hit his shot with one on the shot clock to force overtime.
 
Boyd started overtime with a three-point play and a three-pointer to give UMKC a 73-67 lead. Then, after a pair of Green free throws, Boyd made another layup to make it 75-69.
 
Green answered with a jumper before Broderick Robinson knocked down a three to give UMKC a 78-71 lead.
 
Junior Mike Hoffman followed with a jumper and then Green drove the baseline for a layup to make it 78-75 with 29.1 seconds left.
 
Boyd hit four free throws to put the game on ice.
 
The game was tight throughout the first 12 minutes, with no lead larger than four and six ties, including at 18 after a Green layup.
 
Steward responded with back-to-back baskets to spark a 14-4 run to put UMKC up 32-22, but Dixon hit three free throws and Stallworth drained a three to bring UTRGV within four.
 
Then, after a pair of Robinson free throws, Hoffman hit a three, freshman Lesley Varner Jr. made a free throw, and junior Mike Nwabuzor knocked down a three to give UTRGV a 35-34 lead.
 
UTRGV extended its lead to 40-38 on an emphatic Green dunk at the start of the second half. King tied the game with a layup, but Green answered with a three to make it 43-40. Boyd tied the game with a three and UTRGV and UMKC traded baskets from there, with neither team going up by more than two until Newbill converted a three-point play to put UMKC up 61-58 with 5:02 remaining.
 
Freshman Xavier McDaniel Jr. hit a free throw and then Dixon followed with two of his own to tie the game at 61 with 3:42 left, but Boyd drained a three 56 seconds later to put UMKC back on top.

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