Banks comes through again

Steve Guiremand

Monday, Dec. 30, 2002 | 9:53 a.m.

Ho-hum.

Another game, another game-winning play by UNLV point guard Marcus Banks.

For the third time in 10 games this season, the explosive 6-foot-2 senior point guard from Cimarron Memorial High School rallied the Rebels to victory in the final minute, this time a 79-78 win over stubborn SMU (4-5) on Sunday night in the Jim Thorpe Classic at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Banks, who only 24 hours earlier had made a game-winning three-point play with 14 seconds left to give the Rebels (8-2) a 70-67 win over West Virginia, took over Sunday night's game down the stretch again.

Banks scored 11 of UNLV's final 18 points, including two key free throws with 41.2 seconds left after getting fouled on a drive to the basket to increase the Rebels' lead to 78-75.

He added one more free throw with 17 seconds left to put the Rebels up by four, 79-75. That proved to be the game-winning point when SMU freshman guard Bryan Hopkins sank a desperation 3-pointer with just 0.7 seconds left.

SMU got the ball back with .03 seconds remaining when Rebel forward Dalron Johnson threw away the inbounds pass. But center J.K. Edwards batted away Justin Isham's alley-oop pass toward the basket and time ran out.

Banks also scored a game-winning basket with 0.4 seconds left at Nevada, 82-80, on Dec. 4.

His last minute heroics have become so routine that he somehow wasn't named the MVP of the Thorpe Classic. That honor went to teammate Demetrius Hunter, who scored 29 points in the two games, the same as Banks. In fact, Banks somehow was even left off the all-tournament squad although another Rebel, senior swingman Jermaine Lewis, did make the squad.

It should be noted that none of the three members of the Las Vegas print media sitting at courtside or the Rebel broadcast crew took part in the voting.

"You know what, I'm not worried about that stuff," Banks said afterward. "I'm glad Demetrius Hunter got (MVP) and also that Jermaine Lewis made it because I think it will help their confidence. Anything to get those guys playing like that every game and helps us out is just fine with me."

Victories, not all-tournament honors, seem more important to Banks these days.

"I'm going to do everything in my power to keep this team from losing these games," he said. "If I have to pull it out every night, I'll pull it out every night. I'm a senior and I feel that's my responsibility ... to carry this team when it needs it."

Hunter, who has struggled much of the season offensively after sitting out the 2001-02 season following his transfer from Georgetown, appears to finally be hitting his stride again, especially with his 3-point shot. He finished with 15 points on Sunday night, including 3-of-7 from 3-point range.

"I've always had confidence in my shot," he said. "It was just a matter of time and getting myself worked into the offense.

"I'm being more aggressive on offense now. I was slacking off at first because I didn't know what Coach (Charlie Spoonhour) wanted at first. I have to be aggressive if I'm going to help this basketball team."

As for being named MVP of the four-team Thorpe Classic -- West Virginia defeated Gardner-Webb, 75-58, in Sunday's opener -- Hunter admitted he was somewhat surprised.

"I don't care about this stuff as long as we win the game," the Cheyenne High School product said. "I was kind of surprised (to be named MVP) but at the same time I wasn't. ... I'm speechless man. I just got it. I'm happy to have it. My team helped me to get it. That's all."

Spoonhour was asked about Banks getting snubbed.

"I'm not complaining about anything," he said. "(Banks) was good. He missed some free throws he doesn't usually miss late. ... I thought (Hunter) kept us in the game in the first half."

However, Spoonhour grimaced when the topic of free throw shooting came up. UNLV made just 13-of-29 foul shots, a woeful 44.8 percent.

"If we hit our free throws, its not close at the end," he said.

The Rebels return to action on Thursday night when they host the Indiana-Purdue, Fort Wayne Mastodons at the Thomas & Mack Center at 7:30 p.m. IPFW (2-11) lost at UC Irvine, 96-74, on Saturday night.