Tulsa runs past UNLV, 64-47

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tulsa is becoming an old hand at winning first-round games in the NCAA tournament.<br><br>With David Shelton scoring 21 points, Tulsa routed UNLV 89-62 Friday in the NCAA South Region.

Friday, March 17th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tulsa is becoming an old hand at winning first-round games in the NCAA tournament.

With David Shelton scoring 21 points, Tulsa routed UNLV 89-62 Friday in the NCAA South Region. This was the fifth time in six years the Golden Hurricane have won in the opening round.

Now the work gets considerably harder. Seventh-seeded Tulsa (30-4) goes into the second round Sunday against No. 2 seed Cincinnati, a 64-47 winner over UNC-Wilmington.

Tenth-seeded UNLV (23-8) came in confident, having beaten Tulsa twice last season when both were members of the WAC.

Tulsa gave the Western Athletic Conference bragging rights over the breakaway Mountain West Conference.

The Runnin' Rebels won the first tournament of the Mountain West, made up mostly of former WAC members, while Tulsa was the WAC's regular-season champ.

The game featured two of the nation's top scoring teams, but only Tulsa showed what it could do.

The Golden Hurricane hit their first six shots; UNLV had only six field goals in the entire first half. The Runnin' Rebels couldn't get going with Tulsa harassing them with 11 steals.

Tony Heard and Greg Harrington led Tulsa with 16 points each, and Marcus Hill added 14.

UNLV managed to get within 10 twice, the last on a drive by Danny Brotherson with 8:51 left in the first half, making it 24-14. But the Runnin' Rebels hit only one more shot the rest of the half.

Tulsa broke the game open by finishing the half with a 15-2 run, highlighted by three straight 3s - including two by Dante Swanson - for a 44-22 lead.

The Golden Hurricane ran up the score in the second half, getting it up to 73-40.

Kaspars Kambala, the Runnin' Rebels' leading scorer, hit just one shot in the first half with the rest of his 21 points coming in the second half. Danny Brotherson added 15, and Trevor Diggs 14.

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