Where does UNLV’s comeback rank against the all-time greats?

Friday, Feb. 18, 2005 | 10:32 a.m.

The Great

Arizona

The Wildcats' recent victory over Southern California in Los Angeles gave them a 20-win campaign for an 18th consecutive season, the longest active streak in the nation.

The Good

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

In their sixth season, the independent Islanders (17-7) have set a school record for victories. Coach Ronnie Arrow, one of the game's more colorful personalities, has been there from the start.

The Bad

Dan Grunfeld, Stanford

The Cardinal's hopes for postseason success took a hit last weekend when Grunfeld went down with a torn right ACL against Cal. His team-leading scoring average of 17.9 points will be sorely missed.

The Ugly

Sean Phaler, New Mexico

A step behind Nick Welch, who had just converted a break-away dunk, Phaler forearmed the Air Force junior under the backboard support Monday at The Pit. Welch was sent to the line, then the Falcons got the ball back.

The Lobos won, but their freshman from Anaheim Hills, Calif., has a lot to learn.

UNLV coach Lon Kruger felt bad for San Diego State boss Steve Fisher.

Aztecs sophomore guard Brandon Heath admitted that he and his teammates had started counting their "chickens before they hatched."

The local paper did not temper its opinion about SDSU's epic meltdown Saturday against UNLV at Cox Arena.

"(SDSU) grabbed its own spot," read the San Diego Union-Tribune, "high on the chart of its athletic program's profound history of gagging defeats."

Ouch.

Where does UNLV's stunning 93-91 overtime victory over SDSU actually rate among the game's most dramatic comebacks? With input from a few insiders and experts, we gauged and ranked those all-time shockers.

Anyone remotely familiar with Carmichael Auditorium, Albert "Slap" Jones or when a team could elect to either shoot free throws or retain possession after one of its players got fouled will want to keep reading.

10. Pacific 64, Utah State 63

Feb. 12, 2005

The Tigers were in jeopardy of holding their first Associated Press ranking since 1967 for only a week when they trailed the Aggies by eight points with 37 seconds remaining.

Then UOP turned it on. Christian Maraker sealed only the second victory for the Tigers in 32 games at Smith Spectrum in Logan by hitting a jumper with 2.5 seconds left.

Utah State had beaten 70 of its previous 74 conference foes on its own court, including 16 in a row.

9. Vanderbilt 75, North Carolina State 73

March 21, 2004

In the second round of last season's NCAA tournament, the Commodores trailed the Wolfpack by 10 with 2 minutes, 44 seconds left in Orlando.

Vandy got a boost when Pack star Julius Hodge fouled out by brushing against Matt Freije as Freije attempted a 3-point shot. Freije hit all three of his subsequent free throws, then sank a 3-pointer and the comeback was on.

8. North Carolina 96, Duke 92 (OT)

March 2, 1974

Without the benefit of the shot clock or the 3-point line, the Tar Heels rallied from eight points down with 17 seconds left to force extra time at Carmichael Auditorium.

Bobby Jones, who went on to star for the Philadelphia 76ers, and current Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak played crucial roles in the comeback, and Heels faithful must still see Walter Davis in their dreams.

Davis, after hauling in an inbounds pass from Kupchak, connected on a 28-foot prayer -- as documented in Tar Heels annals -- at the regulation buzzer to push the game to overtime. Orange County Register columnist Mark Whicker, a veteran college hoops writer with extensive Tobacco Road ties, recalled Davis' shot as a 40-footer. He also provided a reason why we didn't give this one a higher rating.

"It was at home against a bad Duke team," he said.

7. UNLV 93, San Diego State 91 (OT)

Feb. 12, 2005

Blassingame. Blankson. Terry. Those names now go down in Rebels lore, which is shocking enough considering these two mediocre playground teams should have played this one on the outdoor courts at Patrick Henry High that afternoon.

Losing by 10 points with 28 ticks left and still winning? It was one for the ages for UNLV.

6. Duke 98, Maryland 96 (OT)

Jan. 27, 2001

Blue Devils guard Jason Williams ignited a rally when, with his team trailing by 10 with a minute left, he scored eight points, which included two 3-point shots, in a 13-second stretch at College Park, Md.

Nate James sank the two free throws to tie it and force overtime, then Shane Battier took over by scoring Duke's last six points and blocking Maryland's final shot attempt by Juan Dixon.

5. North Carolina State 69, Pepperdine 67 (2OT)

March 18, 1983

Everything wasn't "Fine at the 'Dine," as then-coach Jim Harrick of Pepperdine was always fond of saying, in this NCAA tournament first rounder in Corvallis, Ore.

The Wolfpack trailed by six with 24 seconds left in overtime and the Waves were at the free throw line when Harrick's dreams were crushed. Then State beat UNLV, and four victories later the late Jim Valvano had a national title.

"Pepperdine had 89-percent free-throw shooters missing foul shots, missing one-and-ones," Whicker said.

In ensuing years, Harrick said he reminded Valvano every chance he got that Pepperdine was responsible for turning Valvano into a legend.

4. New Mexico State 117, Bradley 109

Jan. 27, 1977

This almost involved every element required for the No. 1 spot -- no shot clock, no 3-point arc and a whirlwind comeback on the road.

However, the Aggies had too much time to forge their dramatics. They trailed 28-0 out of the gate. State didn't score its first points until the game was 6 1/2 minutes old, but Slap Jones' game was as big as his Afro.

It was tied for the first time at 93-93, and New Mexico State kept hitting to stun Bradley fans inside Memorial Field House in Peoria, Ill. The ball from this gem resides in the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass.

3. New York University 70, Ohio State 65 (OT)

March 24, 1945

A Madison Square Garden crowd of more than 18,000 watched the Violets pull off one of the most thrilling Final Four comebacks.

Ohio State led the national semifinal by 10 with 2 minutes left. Then Buckeyes center Arnold Risen fouled out, and the Bucks hurt themselves at the end of regulation by shooting free throws instead of taking possession after NYU fouls.

OSU players missed the front end of three one-and-one free-throw situations down the stretch to give the Violets life, overtime and then a victory, and NYU lost to Oklahoma State, 49-45, in the championship game.

2. Kentucky 99, Louisiana State 95

Feb. 15, 1994

Kentucky trailed by 31 in the second half at Baton Rouge when the Mardi Gras Miracle unfolded.

Over the final 15:34, the Wildcats and Travis Ford pelted the Tigers and Chris Jackson with a 62-27 barrage that included 11 3-pointers.

"The mother of all comebacks," said Long Beach Press-Telegram writer Frank Burlison, who will attend his 20th consecutive Final Four this season and has been hailed by Sports Illustrated as one of the game's preeminent insiders.

"The beginning and ending of all incredible comebacks, but it wouldn't have taken place without those 3-point shots."

And it didn't take place in the NCAAs. Those two facts relegate Kentucky's fantastic performance to second place.

1. North Carolina State 80, UCLA 77 (2OT)

March 23, 1974

The national semifinal game in Greensboro, N.C., stalled one of sports' most impressive achievements.

Legendary Bruins coach John Wooden's streak of seven national championships in a row was snapped by a Wolfpack squad that went on to defeat Marquette for the title.

UCLA, with Bill Walton and Keith Wilkes, had built an 11-point lead early in the second half. The Pack fought back to force overtime, and in the second extra session Walton and Wilkes combined to score seven consecutive points.

But David Thompson (28 points, 10 rebounds) and Tom Burleson (20 and 14) powered State, which scored the game's final 11 points.

"It was incredible because of who (North Carolina State) was playing, the circumstance of the game and what was on the line," Burlison said. "That stretch of seven national titles will probably be the greatest string in the history of college sports."

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