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UNLV shocks top-ranked Tar Heels

Nov 27, 2011 - 6:19 AM Las Vegas, NV (Sports Network) - Chace Stanback and Oscar Bellfield each made four of UNLV's 13 three-pointers, as the Rebels knocked off the top-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels, 90-80, in the Las Vegas Invitational finale.

Stanback finished with a game-high 28 points to go with 10 rebounds, while Bellfield chipped in 16 points and nine assists for the Rebels (7-0), who matched the Tar Heels' athleticism from the opening tip. Mike Moser highlighted UNLV's frontcourt with 16 points and 18 boards.

Harrison Barnes and P.J. Hairston each netted 15 points for North Carolina (5-1), which lost despite shooting nearly twice as many free throws.

The Rebels sprinted out of the locker room with the first 15 points of the second half, igniting the biased Orleans Arena crowd. Bellfield and Moser each hit from behind the arc during the four-minute surge, and three Moser free throws yielded a 53-42 advantage.

The Heels chipped away at the deficit and pulled within 63-60 on three Tyler Zeller free throws near the midway point, but they didn't make a field goal for five-plus minutes.

A Quintrell Thomas three-point play and Justin Hawkins three-pointer extended the lead to 73-62, and it was at least a two-possession game over the final eight minutes.

The closest UNC got was six, first coming when Dexter Strickland went 1-for-2 from the foul line with 1 1/2 minutes to go. Stanback countered with a dunk at the other end, and the Rebels made enough free throws down the stretch to seal the unlikely victory.

UNLV held the biggest lead of the first half less than eight minutes in, as Stanback's three-pointer made it 17-9.

North Carolina scored the next nine points, with Barnes' jumper near the midway point giving the Heels their first lead.

It was essentially back-and-forth the rest of the half, with North Carolina holding a 42-38 edge at the break.

Game Notes

The Tar Heels had won their three previous meetings with UNLV...Anthony Marshall totaled 13 points for UNLV, which made 15-of-18 from the free throw line, compared to UNC's 20-of-33 effort at the stripe...Strickland finished with 12 points...Zeller shot just 1-for-6 from the floor and wound up with five points and seven rebounds...North Carolina faces 11th-ranked Wisconsin next Wednesday.