The Rebels put themselves in position for an upset road win when they took a six-point lead with 5:56 to go on a layup by Tre'Von Willis. BYU rallied to go in front for good at 71-69 on a 3-pointer by Tavernari with 2:47 remaining.
UNLV's Kendall Wallace had a chance to bring the Rebels within two with 6 seconds left but he could make only 1-of-2 foul shots, leaving BYU with a 76-73 lead. Tavernari was fouled and he missed the first attempt, but he made his second one to give the Cougars a four-point cushion.
Both Tavernari and Noah Hartstock scored 17 points in the Mountain West Conference opener for both schools.
The Cougars (15-1) made just 36 percent of their shots from the field but grabbed 19 offensive rebounds.
UNLV was led by Willis with 24 points. The Rebels fell to 12-3.
Copyright 2010 by United Press International.
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