By Jon Cooper

The fourth annual 76 Classic lived up to the exciting standards of the three previous Classics. The dozen games played featured awesome displays of explosive offense, devastating displays of smothering defense, unexpected late rallies, and even an overtime game. In the end, the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels outlasted the Hokies of Virginia Tech to win the 76 Classic. Viva, Las Vegas! Here is a team-by-team rundown of this year’s 76 Classic.

CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE (1-2)
Nickname: Matadors
Conference: Big West
Location: Northridge, Calif.
2009-10 Record: 11-21, 6-10

Cal State Northridge never recovered from a slow start in its opener, a 72-56 loss to Virginia Tech. The Matadors shot only 23.8 percent (5-for-21), 14.3 from three (1-for-7), and committed 9 turnovers (turned into 20 points), falling behind 38-18 at the half. Rashaun McLemore scored 17 and Vinnie McGhee added 14, while Lenny Daniel pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds. Northridge would get no closer than 10 in the second half, however. CSNU turned the tables in its next game, an 88-66 rout of DePaul. The Matadors led by as much as 29 in the first half, and never led by less than 21. Daniel had a career-high 31 points on 11-of 15 shooting, and 10 rebounds, both game-highs. McLemore added 21, as the Matadors shot a tournament-record 76 percent in the first half and 60.7 percent for the game. In their finale, Daniel led the way with game highs of 24 points and eight rebounds, but the Matadors fell, 80-63, to Tulsa. McGhee added 15 for Northridge, which trailed 41-30 at the half and was out-rebounded, 37-26. Daniel was named to the All-Tournament Team after averaging 20.6 points, 55 over the final two games, on 63.9 shooting, with 10.3 rebounds.

DEPAUL (0-3)
Nickname: Blue Demons
Conference: BIG EAST
Location: Chicago
2009-10 Record: 8-23, 1-17

Cold shooting doomed DePaul in its opener, a 60-56 loss to Oklahoma State. The Blue Demons shot a season-low 33.3, and were only 3-for-22 from three, and 0-for-12 in the second half. Mike Stovall had a team-high 13 to lead DePaul, which had four double-digit scorers. The game was tied at 27 at the half and saw nine lead changes, but was decided by a late 10-4 Cowboys run. The Blue Demons forced 25 turnovers, while committing 10, and had a 24-6 edge in points off turnovers. DePaul was never in its next game, trailing 45-21 by halftime and losing 88-66 to Cal State Northridge. Brandon Young had 14 and Krys Faber matched his career-high, with 11 points, while grabbing seven rebounds. But the Blue Demons allowed Northridge to shoot 60.7 percent for the game, while they made only 2 of 13 three pointers (15.4 percent). Inside, they were outscored 48-36 in the paint and out-rebounded 35-25. In its finale, DePaul erased an 11-point first-half deficit only to squander a late four-point lead in dropping an 81-74 overtime decision to Stanford. Jimmy Drew came off the bench to score a team-high 17 points, and Young added 15. The Blue Demons shot 50 percent in the first half and from three during regulation, which ended tied at 67. But they made only two of seven shots in the extra session.

MURRAY STATE (1-2)
Nickname: Racers
Conference: Ohio Valley
Location: Murray, Ky.
2009-10 Record (postseason result): 31-5, 17-1 (NCAA 2nd Round)

The Racers led wire-to-wire in their opener, beating Stanford, 55-52. It was the school’s first win over a Pac-10 team in 54 years. MSU led by as much as 14 in the first half and took a 29-18 lead into the locker room. MSU shot 50 percent from the floor and from three, and limited the Cardinal to 35 percent shooting, holding them to 1-of-7 from three. Guard B.J. Jenkins was the lone double-figure scorer with 15, but Murray State got at least four points from eight different players, and all nine players grabbed a rebound. In their next game, the Racers fell behind by double digits early and never caught up, losing 69-55 to UNLV. Isacc Miles and Isaiah Canaan each chipped in a team-high 11 for MSU, which shot better from three (35.3) than from the field (34.8). Jenkins had a team- and career-high six rebounds, as the Racers closed to within seven early in the second half. In the third-place game, Murray State ran out of gas in the second half, losing 66-49 to Oklahoma State. Ivan Aska had a team-high 10, and Jeffery McClain added eight and a team-high six rebounds, as MSU led 23-21 at the half, despite shooting 34.8 (8–for-23) and 16.7 from three (1-for-6). But the Racers fell prey to an 11-0 run to open the second half and never got closer than seven.

OKLAHOMA STATE (2-1)
Nickname: Cowboys
Conference: Big 12
Location: Stillwater, Okla.
2009-10 Record (postseason result): 22-11, 9-7 (NCAA 1st Round)

Marshall Moses scored a career-high 27 points and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds in Oklahoma State’s 60-56 win over DePaul. Moses (11-for-14, 5-for-5 from the line) scored six of the Cowboys’ 10 points in the final 2:34 as the Cowboys overcame cold three-point shooting (1-for-10) and turnovers (25) to fend off the Blue Demons. Cold shooting again plagued the Cowboys against Virginia Tech, and this time proved costly in their 56-51 loss. Jean-Paul Olukemi scored a game-high 17, and Moses added 14 points and 12 boards, but the Cowboys shot only 28.8 for the game (23.1 from three). Their shooting negated a defensive effort that limited Tech to 34.7 shooting, 14.2 from three (2-for-14). A 9-2 run midway through the second half proved decisive. In the third-place game, OSU broke out of its shooting doldrums, hitting eight of 16 three-pointers in a 66-49 drubbing of Murray State. Keiton Page, who shot 2-for-16 (1-for-8 from three) in the first two games, went for a career-high 29 on 10-for-13 shooting. The Cowboys jumped out to a 10-0 lead, but trailed at half time. In the second half, OSU started on an 11-0 run, then kept the Racers at bay, going on an 11-4 run when the lead shrunk to five, with Page and Moses combining for nine of the 11 points. OSU shot 53.6 percent in the final 20 minutes. Moses averaged 16 points and 7.7 rebounds to earn All-Tournament Team honors.

STANFORD (1-2)
Nickname: Cardinal
Conference: Pac-10
Location: Stanford, Calif.
2009-10 Record: 14-18, 7-11

Stanford saw its rally from an 11-point halftime deficit fall three points short, losing 55-52 to Murray State in its opener. Dwight Powell had a career-high 16 points, including 12 of the team’s 18 first-half points, and Josh Owens added 10 and five boards. Leading scorer Jeremy Green went scoreless the first 39 minutes before hitting three 3-pointers in the final minute. In the next game, Green scored a team-high 20 points with six boards, and Owens added 10, but the Cardinal shot a season-low 37.0 percent, while committing 18 turnovers in a 65-53 loss to Tulsa. Stanford trailed 25-16 after a first half of 25.9 percent shooting (0-for-4 from three), and trailed by 17 with 16 minutes to go. They would get no closer than 7. Green shot 3-for-7 from three, but the rest of the team was 0-for-7. In the finale, Stanford rallied to beat DePaul, 81-74, in overtime. Green scored a game-high 19 and led four Cardinals in double figures. Powell added 13 points and a game-high 10 boards as Stanford held a 40-22 edge on the glass and a 10-2 edge in second-chance points. A pair of Green jumpers in the final 3:30, the last with 51 seconds left, tied the game at 67 and forced overtime. In OT, Powell hit four straight free throws at 71-70, as part of a decisive 6-0 run.

TULSA (2-1)
Nickname: Golden Hurricane
Conference: Conference USA
Location: Tulsa, Okla.
2009-10 Record (postseason result): 23-12, 10-6 (NIT 1st Round)

Tulsa forged a furious second-half rally but came up short in their opener, an 80-71 loss to UNLV. Justin Hurtt and Scottie Haralson each scored 15, and Steven Idlet added 12 as the Golden Hurricane went on a 13-2 run that cut a 17-point lead to five with 2:43 remaining. But they’d get no closer. Tulsa hurt itself with 20 turnovers, which UNLV turned into 28 points. The Golden Hurricane bounced back with a 65-53 win over Stanford. Jordan Clarkson scored a career-high 20 and Hurtt added 19, including 7-for-7 from the free-throw line. Idlet had 10 points and 10 rebounds, five on the offensive end, both game highs. Tulsa limited Stanford to 26.0 percent shooting in the first half (0-for-4 from three), including a six-minute scoreless stretch, in which they took the lead for good. The Hurricane then opened the second-half on a 10-2 run to build a 35-18 lead, which would never fall below 7. In the consolation game, Tulsa closed strong, routing Cal State Northridge, 80-63. Hurtt had 20 and Clarkson added 19 as the Golden Hurricane led wire to wire, taking a 41-30 bulge into halftime. A 21-9 second-half run extended the lead to 20, and Tulsa cruised home. Hurtt, who averaged 18.0 points on 48.5 percent shooting, 40.0 from three and 84.2 from the line, was named to the All-Tournament Team.

UNLV (3-0 | Champions)
Nickname: Runnin' Rebels
Conference: Mountain West
Location: Las Vegas
2009-10 Record (postseason result): 25-9, 11-5 (NCAA 1st Round)

The Runnin’ Rebels shot 57.1 percent from three (8-of-14) to bury Tulsa, 80-71, in their opener. Chace Stanback scored a team-high 15, while Oscar Bellfield and Derrick Jasper had 13 apiece, with Jasper adding a game-high 10 rebounds and Bellfield a game-best seven assists. UNLV led by as much as 17 before holding off a Tulsa rally that cut the lead to five with 2:43 left. The Rebels, who shot only 66.7 from the foul line, made five of six down the stretch. In the next game, UNLV’s season-low point total was more than enough to top Murray State, 69-55. Stanback scored a game-high 19, and Quintrell Thomas added 12, six rebounds and two blocks. The Rebels, who trailed for a total of 12 seconds early in the first half, shot a season-best 58.7—66.7 in the final 20 minutes—while holding the Racers to 30.8 percent shooting (30.0 from three). In the championship, Stanback scored 17 points and grabbed a game-high eight rebounds as the Rebels overcame an early eight-point deficit and took care of Virginia Tech, 71-59. Thomas and Tre’Von Willis each had 14 for the Rebels, who shot 58.3 percent in the second half to break open a close game. UNLV went on a decisive 14-6 run when the Hokies got to within two in the second half. The Rebels outscored Tech 34-14 in the paint and 24-10 off turnovers. Stanback earned MVP honors, averaging 17.0 ppg on 70 percent shooting (21-for-30), 50 percent from three (5-for-10) and 4.3 rebounds per game.

VIRGINIA TECH (2-1)
Nickname: Hokies
Conference: ACC
Location: Blacksburg, Va.
2009-10 Record (postseason result): 25-9, 10-6 (NIT Quarterfinals)

Virginia Tech shot a sizzling 50 percent in the first half of its opener and blew away Cal State Northridge, 72-56. Dorenzo Hudson scored a game-high 20, and Malcolm Delaney added 17 points with seven assists, as the Hokies used a 19-3 first-half run to take a 38-18 lead into halftime. They led by double figures throughout the second half. Tech forced 25 turnovers and converted them into 32 points. In its next game, Tech used an 18-6 run over the final 6:02 to lasso Oklahoma State, 56-51. Delaney scored 16 points, shooting 10-for-11 from the foul line. The Hokies overcame a 45-38 deficit despite shooting only 34.7, and making only 2-of-14 threes. Tech held OSU to 28.8 shooting, 23.1 percent from three (3-of-13). Jeff Allen had 11 points and a team-high-tying seven rebounds (Terrell Bell also had seven boards). In the championship game, Delaney had a season-best 30 points and the Hokies led by eight early, but faded, losing to UNLV, 71-59. Bell added 12 points, with seven rebounds and three assists. Tech hit five of its first seven shots, but went five minutes without a field goal and trailed, 37-30, at intermission. A pair of Delaney free throws with 16:19 remaining made it 43-41, but the Hokies managed only two field goals over the next 10 minutes, and UNLV pulled away. Delaney shot 9-for-14, including 7-of-9 from three, but the rest of the team managed only 3-for-7 from three. The entire team struggled from the line, making only 9 of 21 free-throw attempts. Delaney, who averaged 21.0 ppg, and shot 54.5 (18-for-33), 58.8 from three (10-for-17), with 4.0 assists, earned All-Tournament Team honors.

University of Maryland alum Jon Cooper is an Atlanta-based freelance writer.