Nevada 86, Rice 68

Thursday, March 6, 2003 | 5:55 a.m.

RENO, Nev. AP) - Terrance Green scored 10 of his team-high 20 points during a 30-5 run in the second half to lead Nevada to an 86-68 win over Rice Wednesday in a key matchup in the Western Athletic Conference.

Sean Paul added 17 points and nine rebounds and Kirk Snyder 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Wolf Pack (16-11, 11-6 in the WAC), who can clinch the top seed in the post-season conference tourney with a victory over Tulsa at home Saturday in the regular season finale.

Mike Harris scored a team-high 25 points off the bench for Rice (18-9, 10 (7)-, which held its last lead with less than 12 minutes left in the game.

Trailing 46-38, Green scored 10 points on a 20-3 Nevada run, including consecutive 3 pointers, to put the Wolf Pack ahead 58-49 with 8:17 remaining.

Harris followed with a basket to cut it to 58-51 at 7:55. But Todd Okeson hit a 3-point goal to start another 10-0 run for Nevada, which he capped with a breakaway layup for a 68-51 lead at 5:31.

Harris, who made 10-13 from the field, converted a pair of free throws to make it 68-52. But Paul made his next four attempts from the line for a 72-53 lead at 4:34. Omar-Seli Mance hit from 3-point range at 4:11 to pull within 72-57, but Rice could get no closer.

Rice, in search of its first 19-win season since 1992, went on a 10-2 run late in the first half capped by Brock Gillespie's 3-pointer for a 32-21 lead at 2:38 and led 35-29 at halftime.

The Owls held Nevada to 35 percent shooting in the first half. But the Wolf Pack shot from 56 percent from the field the second half and outrebounded Rice 43-30 on the game.

Okeson added 13 points and 9 rebounds and Jerry Petty 11 points for Nevada.

Gillespie finished with 16 points for Rice.

Tulsa beat Fresno State 62-59 Wednesday night to improve to 18-9 overall, tied with Nevada for second in the WAC at 11-6.

Fresno State clinched the WAC regular season title with a 13-4 mark, but has been declared ineligible for the WAC tourney so the league's second-place finisher will be the top seed.