UNLV guard Kendall Wallace looks for someone past South Carolina Upstate’s Carter Cook during Saturday’s game at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009 | 12:03 a.m.
USC Upstate vs UNLV
Kendall Wallace and Oscar Bellfield led the Rebels with 16 points each as UNLV cruised to an 88-58 victory over South Carolina Upstate on Saturday night.
The Rebel Room
SC UPSTATE POSTGAME: Maturity prevails for UNLV
Ryan Greene and Ray Brewer discuss UNLV's 88-58 victory over South Carolina Upstate on Saturday night, as the Rebels showed solid maturity in what could have been a sloppy look-ahead effort 12 hours before taking off for Hawaii.
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Fans at the Thomas & Mack Center on Saturday night should have ditched their traditional "threee" chant each time Rebels guard Kendall Wallace attempted a 3-pointer and replaced it with "fooour."
Wallace converted two four-point plays midway through the first half of UNLV's 88-58 victory against South Carolina Upstate. The rare four-point play is when a shooter is fouled while making a 3-pointer and then converting the ensuing free throw.
Wallace's four-point plays happened within two minutes of each other eight minutes into the game, helping the Rebels (10-1) open a 29-12 advantage.
"I definitely haven't done it before," Wallace said with a smile when asked about having two four-point plays in the same game. "I don't know if I have seen that before or will ever again, to be honest with you."
Wallace, a junior, had 14 points in the first half — he picked up a quick eight on the four-point plays — on 4-of-6 shooting on 3-pointers. He finished with 16 points to match his career high.
Wallace is 18-of-46 on 3-pointers this year, including four of five against Pittsburg State in the season opener. He has made a 3-pointer in all but one of the Rebels' 11 games and is averaging 6.2 points per game.
"It's great to see Kendall shooting with confidence," UNLV coach Lon Kruger said.
Kruger shuffled his lineup after the loss to Kansas State last Saturday, and one of those adjustments was inserting Wallace into the starting five. When his shots are falling, like Saturday in the first half, Wallace gives UNLV a valuable weapon from the outside.
"I was definitely confident in my shot tonight," he said. "If I miss, I feel the next one I shoot will go in."
This was UNLV's final non-conference home game. The Rebels play three games next week in a Hawaii tournament in a homecoming of sorts for Wallace.
His uncle, Riley Wallace, coached Hawaii for 20 years and is retired in Summerlin. Kendall Wallace said he's attended a handful of Hawaii games over the years on the island and knows the Rebels will have their hands full if they meet Hawaii in the tournament.
"You can't beat Christmas in Hawaii," Kendall Wallace said. "I'm excited to go over there. People will know who I am."
Ray Brewer can be reached at [email protected] or 990-2662.
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