Season sweep of UNR, momentum on line tonight for UNLV

Kevin Kruger remembers the state of the UNLV basketball program back in 2006.

The Scarlet and Gray hadn’t qualified for the NCAA Tournament in six years, a drought that extended through Lon Kruger’s first two years as head coach. So although they opened the 2006-07 campaign by winning seven of the first nine games, the fan base remained somewhat skeptical.

Then on Dec. 9, UNLV traveled to Reno for a rivalry game against UNR, which was then a member of the Western Athletic Conference. Kevin Kruger played a team-high 34 minutes and posted nine points and seven assists as UNLV came out on top, 58-49.

The victory was the signal for everyone to jump aboard the bandwagon. That UNLV squad eventually finished 34-7 and won the Mountain West tournament before embarking on a magical run to the Sweet 16.

Kruger recalls how it all seemed to begin with that reaffirming win in Reno.

“My memories with that group are all pretty special, but of course going up there and getting a road win is always a good feeling,” Kruger said. “Looking back on it, I think that’s probably the game that started getting the city’s attention a little bit, like, ‘Maybe these guys have a chance.’”

In other words, UNLV went north and made a statement.

The 2021-22 Scarlet and Gray will have a similar opportunity on Tuesday when they travel to take on UNR (8 p.m., CBS Sports Network).

The stakes: With a win, UNLV can tilt the rivalry in its favor for the first time in a long time. From 2016 through 2021, UNR won 10 of 11 games against UNLV, including a streak of eight in a row coming into this season. During that time, while the UNLV program reached several new low points, all the magical moments – conference titles, sellout crowds, Sweet 16 runs — belonged to the Wolf Pack.

The balance of power in the state may be changing in Kevin Kruger’s first year as head coach. UNLV won the first rivalry matchup this season, knocking off UNR, 69-58, on Feb. 1, and there may not be a Mountain West team playing better basketball than the Scarlet and Gray right now. UNLV has won three of its last four contests, including back-to-back victories over Colorado State and Fresno State, to run its record to 16-11 (8-6 MWC).

Meanwhile, UNR is sputtering. The Wolf Pack are currently 12-13 overall and 6-8 in conference, with results getting progressively worse each of the last three years under coach Steve Alford.

UNLV leading scorer and MWC Player of the Year candidate Bryce Hamilton didn’t get to experience a win over UNR in any of his first three years with the Rebels, but he senses what Tuesday’s game could represent.

Sweep UNR and Nevada is suddenly a UNLV state again.

“Definitely it’s a statement,” Hamilton said. “Of course we want to say that we run the state. We’re just going to go out there how we’ve been going every other game and try to get the win.”

UNLV is going to have to earn it. The Lawlor Events Center can be one of the least hospitable road venues in the league and UNR has shown some life over the past week, including a sweep of bottom-feeding San Jose State. The Wolf Pack also have leading scorer Grant Sherfield back in the lineup; the senior guard missed the first game against UNLV due to injury.

As much as Kruger might want to downplay it as just another game on the schedule, the reality is that for UNLV, Tuesday’s showdown is even than a normal entry in this intense in-state rivalry.

“Honestly, every win is important,” Kruger said. “We’re not going to deny it; any time you can beat a rival it’s important. It carries weight for a long time. So while we’ll take any win and every win we can possibly get, of course the UNLV and Reno game is a big one.”

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.