Cats advance in NIT with 70-60 win over UNLV

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- The Kentucky Wildcats (21-13) live to play another day in the N.I.T. by defeating the UNLV Rebels (21-11) 70-60 in Memorial Coliseum Tuesday night. The Cats built a 12-point halftime lead, saw the lead balloon to 20 midway through the 2nd half before a late rally cut the lead to 3 before the Wildcats put the game away.

Jodie Meeks had 19 points to lead Kentucky, with Patrick Patterson adding 16 points, 11 rebounds. Perry Stevenson chipped in with 10 points, and Darius Miller had nine points, five rebounds, two assists and a steal off the bench for UK.

The game was played in Memorial Coliseum, Kentucky's home until 1976 when Rupp Arena was built. Due to the Kentucky state high school basketball tournament already scheduled in Rupp Arena, the contest was played in front of a sellout crowd of 8,327 raucous fans instead of the more cavernous Rupp Arena, which holds almost three times that capacity.

Kentucky will advance in the NIT to play the winner of # 1 seed Creighton vs # 8 seed Bowling Green. If Creighton wins, the Wildcats will travel, and if Bowling Green wins, the Wildcats will have a second consecutive home contest as the higher seeded team.

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