Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

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UNLV-SDSU Notebook: Can the Aztecs do it thrice?

SDSU will try to top UNLV for third time in same season as MWC bracket is set

UNLV vs. San Diego State

Justin M. Bowen

Wink Adams soars passed the defense and goes in for the layup 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 — Call it the 'three times in one year' theory.

With practically every conference in college hoops having its own money-making postseason tournament these days, it's become common knowledge that one of the toughest achievements for any teams is beating a conference foe thrice in the same season.

Now UNLV has to prove its validity, as it will get a re-rematch on Thursday in the Mountain West Conference tournament quarterfinals with San Diego State, which slammed the Rebels late on Saturday night in the Cox Arena, 57-46.

"It's definitely tough to beat a good team three times in one year," UNLV senior forward Joe Darger said. "It's the same thing with other teams in the conference — To beat anyone three times in this conference is a tough thing to do."

UNLV has a little bit of history on its side in that the Rebels have never lost a quarterfinal contest in the MWC tourney.

Rebels coach Lon Kruger talked earlier in the week about the advantage of facing the same team to start the postseason tournament as his team saw in its regular season finale, as there's less film to watch and more time for physical preparation.

UNLV will need all the time on the floor it can get after going 30-of-95 from the floor in its final two league games.

"Everybody's 0-and-0 right now," Darger said. "We've got to put this behind us and not dwell on the past."

Bench absent again

Adding to UNLV's offensive woes from the week that was is a bench that wasn't able to provide the spark it's depended upon to.

After four reserves combined for five bench points on Wednesday against Air Force, three reserves scored a total of three on Saturday.

Brice Massamba went scoreless with two fouls and two turnovers in three minutes. Kendall Wallace scored a two points on 1-of-2 shooting, while Mo Rutledge scored just one point on a free throw.

The three points came from 37 minutes played by Massamba, Wallace and Rutledge combined.

Brackets set

UNLV and San Diego State will face in the second quarterfinal on Thursday at the Mack, tipping off at 2:30 p.m.

Preceding the Rebels and Aztecs will be top seed BYU and the winner of Tuesday's Colorado State-Air Force play-in game. That game tips at noon.

The evening session will see No. 2 Utah and No. 7 TCU do battle at 6 p.m., followed by No. 3 New Mexico and No. 6 Wyoming at 8:30.

Should Air Force beat Colorado State on Tuesday, all four quarterfinal contests would be rematches of Saturday's regular season finales.

The UNLV/SDSU winner will face the BYU/CSU-AFA winner at 6 p.m. on Friday, with the championship game set for 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.

Back on track

Friday, Billy White shook the fever and sore throat that kept him down most of the week, but he was tentative Saturday on the left knee he hyperextended in the first minute at New Mexico.

The sophomore forward and Green Valley High graduate sat out the past three games.

Saturday, White made the only shot he attempted in 16 minutes, continuing a torrid personal streak in which he has sunk his past 20 attempts.

“I was kind of scared to land on my left foot,” White said. “But it’s not about me. It’s about the team. I’m trying to help my team as much as I can.”

A healthier White, who had 12 points and 7 rebounds against UNLV last month in Las Vegas, will no doubt bother the Rebels.

Leery

Lorrenzo Wade, who led Cheyenne High to its first state title in 2003 and spent a season at Hargrave Military Academy, had 15 points and 6 rebounds in 36 minutes against the Rebels on Saturday night.

Asked about UNLV, the Aztecs’ senior forward said it will be difficult to defeat the Rebels at the Thomas & Mack Center for the second time in five weeks.

“UNLV had a couple losses early, to Colorado State and TCU, but they bounced back well,” Wade said. “I don’t take anything away from them. It was something that happened to them.

“We had our (blip) at Wyoming. I don’t think that dictates what kind of team they are.”

Rebels guard Wink Adams struggled Saturday, hitting only one of the nine shots he attempted, and has had a rough senior season.

“I don’t think anything’s wrong with the way Wink played this year,” Wade said. “He’s the type of guy who make you nervous going into the (conference) tournament.”

Around the MWC

BYU earned the top seed in the league tournament, busting a three-way tie atop the standings thanks to its regular season sweep of San Diego State.

But just to get into that tie with New Mexico and Utah was a struggle.

The Cougars needed every last free throw to ultimately pull away from Air Force, 54-49, at the Marriott Center. The BYU win made Air Force the second different team in two seasons to go 0-16 in MWC play, matching Colorado State's feat of a year ago.

Lee Cummard led all scorers with 17 points, including a 10-of-10 showing at the line, in his final home game.

New Mexico finished its regular season by winning eight of its final nine games, outlasting Wyoming in Laramie, 74-73.

Senior Tony Danridge added to his resumé to be the potential MWC Player of the Year, matching a career high set just a few days earlier with 29 points on 14-of-20 shooting.

The only no-doubter on Saturday's slate was Utah's 68-49 trouncing of TCU in Salt Lake City. Shaun Green hit 6 3-pointers and scored 20 for the Utes.

Free throws ...

UNLV's 5 second half field goals marked a season low, beating out the previous mark of 6, accomplished twice. Oddly enough, one of those two occasions came in the Rebels' biggest win of the season on Dec. 31 at Louisville ... Wink Adams' 3 points were the second-fewest he's ever scored in his UNLV career in a game that he started. He went scoreless on Dec. 23 against Southern Utah, but left the game with an abdominal injury in the first half ... Darris Santee did not play for the first time in his first season as a Rebel ...

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