Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

UNLV BASKETBALL:

Kantowski: Rebels need to win MWC tourney to head to Big Dance

UNLV disappoints in many ways in season finale

UNLV vs. San Diego State

Justin M. Bowen

Kyle Spain hits a shot with one second left on the shot clock as the Rebels take on the San Diego State Aztecs Saturday night, March 7, 2009, at Cox Arena in San Diego. UNLV lost 57-46 to finish the regular season 9-7 in conference play.

Bubble Burst

The UNLV Rebels NCAA Tournament bid took a major hit on Saturday night when the Rebels lost 57 to 46 to San Diego State. UNLV is now the No. 5 seed in the upcoming Mountain West Conference Tournament.

UNLV faces San Diego State

Tre'Von Willis goes to the basket by two defenders during  first-half action as the Rebels take on the San Diego State Aztecs Saturday night, March 7, 2009, at Cox Arena in San Diego.  UNLV lost 57-46 to finish the regular season 9-7 in conference play.

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The Rebel Room

SDSU POSTGAME: See you again on Thursday

Ryan Greene and Rob Miech hit the way-back button, discussing UNLV's 57-46 loss to Miech's alma mater -- San Diego State. The guy talk about a trip down Rob's memory lane, then just what went wrong with the Rebels on Saturday night in Cox Arena. Plus, is it too late for the Rebels to right the ship? We'll find out on Thursday, when the two see each other again to start the MWC Tournament.

Beyond the Sun

SAN DIEGO — Standing among the Cox Crazies, or whatever San Diego State calls its student cheering section, I spotted a Geico lizard, a giant banana sporting a death mask, a viking, the Joker and a guy wearing a funky red hat.

I think they were the only ones who didn't get an offensive rebound against the Rebels Saturday night.

Combined, they didn't score a basket, either, but that was just five fewer than the Rebels made in the second half at raucous Cox Arena.

How did the Rebels disappoint in their regular-season finale? Let us count the ways:

— UNLV gave up 16 offensive rebounds and was pulverized on the boards, 39-20.

— UNLV made just 5 of its 20 field goal attempts in the second half.

— UNLV made just 3 of its 17 three-point field goal attempts.

— UNLV scored just 46 points for the second consecutive game.

— UNLV lost to San Diego State, 57-46.

If the Rebels were looking for something, anything, to hang their hats on heading into the Mountain West Conference tournament that begins Tuesday at the Thomas & Mack Center, this wasn't it.

This was far from it.

This was being up San Diego Bay without a paddle.

This was just more of the same.

The Rebels closed the regular season by losing three of their last five games and looked dreadful in one of the two wins, a 46-43 nails-on-a-chalkboard victory at home against an Air Force team that went 0-16 in the Mountain West.

So a UNLV team picked to win the conference championship instead finished in fifth place. Once thought a lock for the NCAA tournament, the Rebels (21-9, 9-7 MWC) most likely will have to win the conference tournament on their home floor to sneak into the big dance. There is no margin for error.

Could it happen?

Yes. At least I think so.

Will it happen?

Not if the Rebels play the way they did against San Diego State on Saturday night. Or against Air Force on Wednesday night. Or against Utah last week. Or against Wyoming on Feb. 18. Or against ... well, is it really necessary to bring up those games at TCU and Colorado State again?

It's hard to believe this is the same UNLV team that beat mighty Louisville of the equally mighty Big East on New Year's Eve. If the Rebels can play like that, they might have a chance to beat San Diego State for the first time in three tries on Thursday afternoon.

Actually, they probably don't have to play that well to beat the Aztecs, who are nearly as schizo as they are. But if they don't keep guys like Kyle Spain and Lorrenzo Wade and Tim Shelton, of all people (12 rebounds in just 18 minutes) from leaving their palm prints all over the glass, they'll be waiting up late next Sunday night to learn who they'll be playing in the NIT.

The Rebels also will have to throw the ball in the basket every now and then, but first things first.

"Obviously, the rebounds offensively for them hurt us big time," said Rebels coach Lon Kruger, whose team simply doesn't match up as well with San Diego State as it does most of the other MWC teams, even if Kruger doesn't totally buy into that.

"There are a lot of tough matchups in our league and this is one of them 'cause they're a good team and very athletic," he said. "They're long, they're rangy and we've got to work harder to block out, sustain the blocks and try to limit their second shots.

"That was a big part of the game tonight."

During one stretch of the second half, the Rebels went nearly nine minutes without a basket. That was a big part of the game, too.

Oscar Bellfield made a 3-pointer to put UNLV up 32-30 with 14:20 to play. The Rebels' next bucket, a layup by Rene Rougeau, came at the 5:31 mark. By then, the Aztecs were up 10, mostly because Spain rained on the plain with two long 3-pointers that enabled the hosts to take control of a grueling game.

How grueling? San Diego State's winning score was its lowest in the 45-game series history.

The only good thing about Saturday's game -- and the conference season in general -- is that the Rebels get to Etch A Sketch it. They get to turn it upside down and shake the sand and start all over again against San Diego State on Thursday afternoon in the MWC quarterfinals.

They'll be a five seed. The Aztecs will be a four. BYU, Utah and New Mexico, which finished in a three-way tie for first, will be seeded first, second, and third.

Air Force, which lost to UNLV by three and led BYU on its home court deep into Saturday's game before losing by five, will be seeded ninth.

It's anybody's tournament. Maybe even the Rebels'.

They've got four days to figure it out.

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