Las Vegas Sun

March 18, 2024

Vote for UNLV’s most memorable Mountain West tourney game; win free tickets

Mountain West court

Sun file photo

The Mountain West basketball tournament each March at the Thomas & Mack Center typically attracts a capacity crowd.

It was a good night to be a fan of UNLV basketball.

The Rebels trailed rival BYU by double digits in the second half of the 2007 Mountain West championship game at the Thomas & Mack Center before storming back for a 78-70 victory. Fans stormed the court, sung “Viva Las Vegas,” and rejoiced as coach Lon Kruger and his players cut down the nets.

The Rebels, led by the likes of Kruger’s son, Kevin, Joel Anthony and Wendell White, used the momentum gained from their tournament run to reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. It was the Mountain West tournament’s first year back in Las Vegas after a three-year stint in Denver through 2006.

Many believe the victory against BYU was the Rebels’ finest moment in league tournament history. Well, maybe until last season.

The Rebels, with a roster so decimated by injury they added a student working as a valet on the Strip to the team for the tournament, scrapped and clawed their way to a 108-102 victory against Air Force in triple overtime.

UNLV had two starters foul out and finished the game with two walk-on players on the floor. Barry Cheaney, one of those bench players, played 19 minutes, or two more minutes than he combined to play the entire season.

Ike Nwamu finished with a career-best 38 points and Pat McCaw had 27 points, 14 rebounds and four assists. More important, each played every minute of the game. Jerome Seagears played all but one minute.

So, which UNLV win in the Mountain West tournament was more memorable? And, who knows? Maybe they’ll produce another memorable run come March.

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21

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