Las Vegas vs. Las Vegas: UNLV has one thing in common with opponent

By Taylor Bern

Monday, Nov. 16, 2015 | 2 a.m.

This college basketball game will feature two universities from Las Vegas.

When UNLV hosts Division II New Mexico Highlands today at 7 p.m. at the Thomas & Mack Center, they’ll take on school also from Las Vegas — Las Vegas, N.M.

For the Rebels, who beat Cal-Poly Friday to open the season, it will be a chance to gain confidence before they hit a more difficult part of their schedule next week at the Maui Invitational.

Here’s a look at how New Mexico Highlands and Las Vegas, N.M., stack up to our Las Vegas.

UNIVERSITIES

New Mexico Highlands

Founded In: 1893

Original Name: New Mexico Normal School

Enrollment: 3,750

Athletics Program: 11 sports compete in the Division II Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference

Basketball Highlight: The 2008-09 team set an NCAA record for most improved victory total in back-to-back seasons, going from 1-28 in 2007-08 to 20-8 the following year

Notable Non-Basketball Alumnus: Late WWE heavyweight champion Eddie Guerrero wrestled on scholarship for the Cowboys

UNLV

Founded In: 1957

Original Name: University of Nevada, Southern Division

Enrollment: 28,500

Athletics Program: 16 sports compete mostly in the Mountain West Conference

Basketball Highlight: The 1990 National Championship, one of the program’s four trips to the Final Four in Division I

Notable Non-Basketball Alumnus: Before losing 91 pounds last year on the NBC show on The Biggest Loser: Glory Days, former UNLV softball pitcher Lori Harrigan won three Olympic gold medals with Team USA

CITIES

Las Vegas, New Mexico

Established In: 1835

Population: 14,408

Brief History: First as a stop on the Santa Fe Trail and then the railroad, Las Vegas, N.M., became one of the most prominent cities in the Southwest. It was a hotbed for folk hero outlaws like Billy the Kid and Jesse James before development and population slowed with the decline of the railroad.

Connection to Las Vegas: George Maloof Sr. was born in Las Vegas, New Mexico, in 1923. Maloof took over the family beer distribution business and expanded into hotels and, eventually, sports franchise ownership, something that his family would continue, including UNLV alumnus and basketball season-ticket holder George Maloof Jr.

Las Vegas, Nevada

Established In: 1905

Population: 603,488

Brief History: Incorporated as a city in 1911, the Entertainment Capital of the World started to rise to prominence in 1931 when three things happened: Nevada legalized casino gambling, the state quickened the divorce process to six weeks and construction started on the Hoover Dam. Since then, Sin City has survived and thrived in various forms from the mob-controlled Wild West days to the world-class culinary and entertainment destination of the current day.

Connection to Las Vegas, N.M.: Part of the 2001 documentary “Freedom Downtime” included a cross-country road trip bound for Las Vegas, Nevada, that mistakenly ended in Las Vegas, N.M.

Taylor Bern can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Taylor on Twitter at twitter.com/taylorbern.