Rebels Shut Off Gauchos For Easy 113-69 Triumph

Saturday, Jan. 22, 1977 | midnight

The UNLV basketball team broke its eighth NCAA record in two seasons Friday night when it rolled over the University of California, Santa Barbara, 113-69, before some 6,000 fans at Las Vegas Convention Center.

Big Lewis Brown’s short turnaround jumper with 5:36 left in the game pushed the sixth-ranked Rebels into their biggest lead of the night, 100-59, but, more importantly, arked the 12th consecutive game UNLV had scored 100 or more points. Houston’s 1968 team with Elvin Hayes and Don Chaney held the previous mark at 11.

Glen Gondrezick led the Rebel scoring parade for the fourth game in a row with 26 points, hitting 12 of 16 from the field. UNLV ended up hitting 53 percent from the floor to just 42 percent for the Gauchos, whose record feel to 5-9.

Larry Moffett led UNLV to a big edge on the boards (55-44) with a game-high nine, followed by Brown’s eight. Big Lew also contributed 19 points, hitting eight of 15. The Rebels, upping their record to 15-1, also won their 12th in a row and 53rd straight at home.

UNLV ends its long 12-game home stand Saturday night against arch rival Pepperdine, the only team to defeat the Rebels in the regular season last year.

The Waves are 10-5 after knocking off Loyola Thursday in a West Coast Athletic Conference game but the defending WCAC champs are still struggling They were 5-0 at one point after knocking off a strong Washington State team, 71-67, in Pullman but are only playing .500 ball since then. The Waves’ first loss came to Pacific Eight leader Oregon in Eugene, 67-55, a team that UNLV defeated in Las Vegas earlier this season, 78-67.

Pepperdine has also lost twice to Nevada-Reno, once in Reno (78-68) and then in Malibu in four overtimes, 77-73. The Rebels opened the season by defeating Reno, 102-87. In another game against a common opponent, Pepperdine had a tough time defeating Idaho, 95-88, while UNLV romped at home, 135-78. Against St. Mary’s, a team UNLV defeated easily, 108-67, Pepperdine needed all it had to win by two (76-74).

UNLV leads the series with the Waves, 10-4, splitting last season. The Rebels won the first in Las Vegas, (118-101, before dropping the game in Malibu, 93-91, on a last minute shot by Pepperdine’s Ollie Matson. Matson returns this season and is the Waves’ leading scorer (15.4) and rebounder. Two other starters, guards Flintie Ray Williams and Art Allen, are back after red-shirting with an injury last season.