After turning the ball over just seconds before to allow the Spartans to cut the deficit to three, UH guard Michael Kuebler got past SJSU's defense and dribbled to half-court. From there, he fed the ball to point guard Logan Lee, who immediately dished it to Blackett on the left side of the court.

Blackett proceeded to emphatically dunk over SJSU center Eric Walton while getting fouled in the process.

Maybe the 'Bows were never able to pull away from the Spartans, but they sure knew how to punctuate their win.

"It was a big-time play," UH head coach Riley Wallace said. "(Walton) played it right, but Jeff played it right too by going in with two hands and burying it. That's his career night."

Of greater importance to the players and coaches was the fact that the 'Bows (10-3 overall, 2-1 in the Western Athletic Conference) rid themselves of some personal demons in front of 1,354 fans at The Event Center.

JEFF BLACKETT

JASON CARTER

Kuebler added 16 points, and Julian Sensley contributed 13 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

The 'Bows took control of the game early with outside shooting. It was as if they could do no wrong, hitting 6 of 8 from beyond the 3-point arc in the first half.

Kuebler, the WAC's leading scorer, led the attack in the first half with 10 points, including two 3-pointers.

The Spartans (5-8, 0-3), on the other hand, began to show frustration late in the first half with players yelling at one another on the court. Their initial plan to try and slow the game down by waiting until the shot clock was running out before taking a shot backfired.

When Bobby Nash nailed UH's sixth 3-pointer of the half to extend the lead to 40-28 with time running out in the first half, the 'Bows knew they had control of the game's tempo.

"It's kind of hard to get into a rhythm when a team tries to slow it down like that, but if you get the lead they really can't play slow it down because they're behind," said Blackett, who played 23 minutes — more than usual because senior starter Phil Martin had a sore back and stomach ache.

To begin the second half, SJSU head coach Phil Johnson benched four starters (only Walton, who led the team with 19 points, remained on the court). The Spartans responded by tightening up their defense, and began to shoot much quicker. This led to a faster-paced and sloppier second half.

UH, which shot 60 percent from the field in the first half, shot only 43 percent in the second half and found its 12-point lead cut to five on several occasions.

Only through contributions from the entire team (10 players scored a basket and eight played double-figure minutes), did the 'Bows hold off the Spartans.

"I had a cold spell there for a little bit, but we were able to fight through it," said Kuebler, who finished 6 of 14 from the field, but hit a timely jumper with almost five minutes left.

"Different guys were able to come in and give guys breathers," Kuebler said. "This is probably the most we've used our bench all year."

Led by the 33 combined points from Blackett and Carter, the UH bench contributed 41 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

With 1:52 remaining, SJSU's Demetrius Brown, who finished with 15 points, made two free throws to cut the lead to 72-69 — the closest since UH led 20-17 midway through the first half.

The Spartan comeback would come no closer, however, as Blackett performed his high-wire act to put the game out of reach.