SB Nation User Blog: noam16

#21 UNLV Rebels survive Double OT thriller against Arizona Wildcats

noam16 — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 07:08:13 -0000

In a thrilling double overtime game, the UNLV Runnin' Rebels defeated the Arizona Wildcats 74-72 in Tuscon. The Rebels, now 6-0, played their first game away from the comfort of home court advantage and managed to pull through in order to prove their worth after being ranked in the top 25 by both ESPN (21) and AP (24) polls.

The game was close the entire game as both teams led by as many as 5 at one point in the first half and the game remained close throughout the entire game. With 1:15 left in regulation Kendall Wallace made a jumper off a Derrick Jasper assist to take a 54-52 lead. A pair of Nic Wise free throws tied up the game and then both Osar Bellfield and Wise missed three's for the win, sending the game into overtime.

The first overtime was exciting as the teams traded leads but a Tre'von Willis layup with 52 seconds left gave the Rebels a 63-61 lead, but a Jamelle Horne jumper on the other end tied it up. The Rebels got the ball with 22 seconds left and Willis missed a layup forcing the game into a second overtime.

Neither team was able to take contorl by more than a few points until UNLV took a four point lead with 28 seconds left off a pair of Willis free throws. After that only free throws scored points in the game as the Rebels held off the Wildcats to secure the victory.

Final - 12.2.2009	1	2	Total
UNLV Runnin Rebels	29	25	74
Arizona Wildcats	34	20	72

Complete Coverage >

The Rebels were led in scoring by Willis, who had 25, and Derrick Jasper pitched in 12 points along with a team high 7 rebounds and 5 assists. He also had three steals.

The Wildcats Derrick Williams went off for 28 points on 10-15 shooting, and Wise added 19.

Both teams had 39 rebounds and were just about even in both assists and turnovers in this close matchup.

The Rebels next game is against the Santa Clara Broncos. The Broncos are 4-3, but are in the midst of a two game winning streak. UNLV will hope to continue their six game winning streak on December 5th and improve to 2-0 on the road.

Next Game

UNLV Runnin Rebels
@ Santa Clara Broncos

Saturday, Dec 5, 2009, 7:00 PM PST
Toso Pavilion/Leavey Center

Complete Coverage >

UNLV Runnin' Rebels move to 5-0 as they upset #16 Louisville

noam16 — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 07:13:59 -0000

More photos » by Isaac Brekken - AP

Browse more photos »

It felt like March Madness had arrived in November as the UNLV Runnin' Rebels (5-0) upset the 16^th ranked Louisville Cardinals (4-1) 76-71, handing them their first loss of the season in front of an extremely energized crowd at the Thomas and Mack center.

The Rebels led the entire game, starting the game strong and building a double digit lead by half time at 40-30.

UNLV then came out strong to start the second half going on a 8-0 run to take an 18 point lead before Louisville was down 53-34 with 14:05 left in the game and went on a 30-11 to tie the game up at 62 with 5 minutes left to play.

The Rebels did not fold then and rebuilt their lead to eight with under a minute to play and managed to hold off the Cardinal's last minute push.

"They threw a big run at us. We took the hit, but we got up and fought back," Tre'von Willis said. "We ground it out at the end of the game. It shows our character, it shows how much fight we have in us."

UNLV was led in scoring by Oscar Bellfield who had 17, while Willis added 16 along with 9 assists and 6 rebounds. Also scoring in double figures for the Rebels was Derrick Jasper with 12 and Darris Santee who had 13.

Final - 11.28.2009	1	2	Total
Louisville Cardinals	30	41	71
UNLV Runnin Rebels	40	36	76

Complete Coverage >

The Rebels had 21 assists on 27 made baskets, more than doubling Louisville's passing as they only had ten.

"This group's been very unselfish, really comfortable moving the ball, comfortable with different guys, different nights, stepping in, getting more minutes, and getting better results" head coach Lon Kruger said. "The ability to keep people fresher because of the depth we have is huge."

That depth was shown today as 11 players got more than 7 minutes and 9 of those 11 scored.

The Rebels defense was also on point, holding Louisville's star sophomore Samardo Samuels well below his averages of 17.5 points and 8 rebounds, by only allowing him 13 points and 3 rebounds. They also forced the Cardinals to commit 16 turnovers while only giving up the ball 13 times.

The fans were extremely loud and played a crucial role in keeping the Rebels focused on the victory. The crowd of 14,390 made their presence known especially late in the game as they were loud and vocal.

"The atmosphere was crazy tonight, fans were crazy; it was loud," Santee said. "They had our adrenaline pumping and we just fed off of them."

The thrill of such a big win cannot be relished on for long as the Rebels travel to Tucson, Arizona to face Arizona on Wednesday 12/2 at six.

"It's kind of a big boost but we still have some other big games coming up," Bellfield said. We gotta enjoy this for today, and tomorrow be ready for Arizona and get ready."

The Rebels started off 5-0 last year and will hope to extend their hot start to 6 straight wins as they take on an Arizona team that has struggled a bit in the beginning of the season, going 3-2, but coming off a loss to 24 Vanderbilt. They are undefeated at home, however, and will look to stay that way against the Runnin' Rebels.

Next Game

UNLV Runnin Rebels
@ Arizona Wildcats

Wednesday, Dec 2, 2009, 6:00 PM PST
McKale Center

Complete Coverage >

UNLV moves to 4-0 against Holy Cross

noam16 — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 05:36:39 -0000

Final - 11.25.2009	1	2	Total
Holy Cross Crusaders	28	31	59
UNLV Runnin Rebels	40	40	80

Complete Coverage >

The Rebels stayed perfect after defeating the Holy Cross Crusaders 80-59. The came out strong early and managed to get a 15 point lead at one point during the first half. The Rebels, now 4-0, did not let the winless Crusaders think they had a chance throughout.

UNLV was led in scoring by freshman Anthony Marshall and Tre'von Willis who had 14 points and also led the team in rebounds and assists with 6 and 3 respectively. Three other players scored in double figures for the Rebels as freshman Justin Hawkins had 12 and Oscar Bellfield pitched in another 13.

The Rebels came out in the second half and pushed the lead to 20 in the first 7 minutes of the half and their biggest lead was at 21, the final margin of the game.

UNLV shot 49 percent from the field while holding Holy Cross to a mere 37 percent. The Crusaders, however, outrebounded the Rebels 40-36 but the Rebels won the turnover battle, only committing 10 while forcing 24.

The next game for the Rebels is on Saturday at 1 o'clock against the 16th ranked Louisville Cardinals at UNLV. Both teams come into the game undefeated and the Rebels look to stay perfect on their 5 game homestand.

Next Game

Louisville Cardinals
@ UNLV Runnin Rebels

Saturday, Nov 28, 2009, 1:00 PM PST
Thomas & Mack Center

Complete Coverage >

UNLV Defeats Rival Nevada-Reno by 13

noam16 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:47:21 -0000

Final - 11.18.2009	1	2	Total
Nevada Wolf Pack	38	37	75
UNLV Runnin Rebels	33	55	88

Complete Coverage >

The UNLV Rebels started off slow for the second straight game but managed to put together some large runs in the second half to pull ahead for a big victory over in-state rival, University of Nevada Reno, 88-75.

The Rebels moved to 2-0 on the season, while the Wolf Pack fell to 1-1. UNR began the game with some hot shooting going 5-9 for threes in the first half while the Rebels shot a measly 1-7. Reno was up 38-33 at the half but the Rebel’s were prepared to wake up in the second half.

The Rebel’s surge didn’t occur until 7 minutes into the first half after going down 54-44 but then off some nice shots by Oscar Bellfield, Justin Hawkins, Anthony Marshall, the Rebels went on a 9-0 run to make it a game again.

The Wolf Pack managed to keep their lead a little long but the Rebels went on another big run, going on a 10-0, giving them a seven point lead at 65-58. From there UNLV never looked back extending their lead by as many as 16 in the final two minutes before the buzzer rang, ending the game.

"I’m really proud of our guys" coach Long Kruger said. "I thought the depth really played a factor. We played a lot of people and the second group in the second half was the reason we got back in the ball game

The Rebels had 11 players score and were led in scoring by Bellfield who had 22 points and 4 assists, also a team high, and the only other Rebel in double figures was Hawkins who pitched in 16. UNR had four players score in double figures and the Preseason WAC player of the year, Luke Babbitt had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Regarding their second half runs, Oscar Bellfield gave the crowd some props. "When the fans got involved, that just helped us more, and then getting the mismatches on the pick and roll, that’s just green light right there and we had to take advantage of that."

There was a crowd of 13113 and the student section was packed cheering loudly and helping lead their team to victory. The next game for the Rebels is against Southern Illinois on Saturday at 7 pm as both teams look to stay undefeated.

Next Game

Southern Illinois Salukis
@ UNLV Runnin Rebels

Saturday, Nov 21, 2009, 7:05 PM PST
Mountain West-Missouri Valley Challenge - Thomas & Mack Center

Complete Coverage >

Runnin' Rebels Start of Season with a Blowout

noam16 — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:31:47 -0000

Final - 11.14.2009	1	2	Total
Pittsburg St. Gorillas	26	26	52
UNLV Runnin Rebels	43	48	91

Complete Coverage >

Next Game

Nevada Wolf Pack
@ UNLV Runnin Rebels

Wednesday, Nov 18, 2009, 7:30 PM PST
Thomas & Mack Center

Complete Coverage >

Coming out slow to start their 2009-2010 season, the Runnin’ Rebels got their game going on their way to a dominating 91-52 victory over Pittsburg State to start their regular season with a win.

The game looked like it was going to be a nail-biter through the first 12 minutes as the Gorillas sustained a small lead until Darris Santee tied the game at 19 with just under eight minutes left in the half. From their the Rebel’s hit their stride scoring them 24-7 to take a 43-26 lead heading to the break.

"They were pressuring us and we weren’t knocking down our outside shots," Kendall Wallace said. "Once we started driving they got in foul trouble and we were able to get in the line and that helped get a rhythm started for our offense."

The Rebels shot 52 free throws in the game, making 36 of them, 7 of those were attempted and made by the games leading scorer, Tre’von Willis, who had 17. The bench provided a lot of support as no other starters scored in double figures while Wallace chipped in 16 points on 5 of 6 shooting while true freshman Justin Hawkins added 11 points.

This game was a vast improvement over the Rebel’s exhibition game in which they played sloppily and were not able to get things going.

"We had much improved energy tonight, I thought the activity was extremely good that the communication was better. Defensively we were a lot more active and offensively making a lot of extra passes and good plays for each other," Head Coach Lon Kruger said. "The way the guys really moved the ball and looked for each other dictated on both ends of the floor."

The Rebels had 19 assists on their 24 shots while shooting 41 percent from the field. There was a lot of hustle and gave the crowd of 14,304 a reason to be excited for the season. Many members of the crowd, along with the Rebel Girls and cheerleaders were wearing shirts in memory of a former Rebel Girl, Lindsay Bennett.

She has had the Lindsay Bennett Memorial founded for her after she was killed in an automobile accident by an alleged drunk driver in April of 2009. The foundation raises money through funds that are pledged and received for every three-point shot made by the Runnin’ Rebels.

The Rebels helped out today making seven three pointers and shooting 30 percent from downtown. They also played 14 players, 11 in the first half, and had 11 of those players score. This shows the depth of the team as they are able to field so many players.

"We’re all a team, we’re all together, we’re not worried about when our numbers are going to get called," Steve Jones said regarding the issue of playing time. "You just have to always be prepared, on every night, to give it your best. And that’s what we believe in as a team we believe in each other; top guy to the bottom guy, that’s how we practice and that’s how we play."

This victory for the Rebels comes just four days after the Gorrillas lost to the nation’s top ranked team, Kansas, 103-45.

UNLV’s next game is against in-state rival, University of Nevada Reno on Wednesday the 18^th of Novemmber at 7:30. The game will be a big one as Reno recently defeated Montana State by double digits in their first game of the season.

"They’re good, they are going to be tough, it’s going to be a great crowd," Kruger said regarding the game against UNR. "I’ve been really impressed in our five years how hard those games have been fought, how with great sportsmanship they’ve been fought and we certainly respect their team and they act like they respect our guys, and both teams play extremely hard and that’s what you look for in a good rivalry and that’s what we have."

The team is looking forward to the game as well. "You always get pumped up for a rival" Jones said. "I anticipate a big crowd and a lot of energy from both sides. It gives you an extra jolt facing a team the students don’t like and alumni don’t like. It’s going to be fun."

With the team excited and working hard it’s up to fans to come out and support the team and continue the high levels of attendance that have been carried over from last year as both UNR and UNLV look to stay undefeated.

Sports Illustrated

noam16 — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 23:24:09 -0000

Every Thursday I go out to my mailbox and grab the new issue of SI. Today I pick it up and i was initially filled with rage as K*be graced the cover. But upon further reading I noticed that in fact he got no extra love, however, Two players did. Greg Oden and Rudy. Oden got a multipage article with some great pictures and Rudy has a nice little insert. While reading the article I noticed something wonderful.

"A few weeks before the season, Oden elected to lower his profile, even rejecting a request to pose for the cover of this issue"

That allowed me to breathe a sigh of relief knowing that it should have been greg on that cover.

Unfortanetly it just made me more antsy for the season and I wish i could speed up time until tueday

oden rehab

noam16 — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 18:46:50 -0000

the philadelphia inquirer had an article on odens rehab and how ahead of schedule its been going.

my favorite quote (which also pretty much sums up the article), "He's so far ahead of what we expected it's not even funny," Pritchard said by phone Thursday. "Having said that, he will not. Come. Back. This. Year." -KP

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/sports/20071223_THE_BUZZ_Blazers_wont_rush_rehabbing_Oden_back.html

a little more love on nba.com

noam16 — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 20:31:13 -0000

http://my.nba.com/thread.jspa?threadID=300019184

its part of the sunday click giving a few articles from other team's reporters on the blazers and blazermania. Its nice getting some recognition finally.

a look at the championship team

noam16 — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 21:54:18 -0000

NBA tv did a segment on the Blazers championship run. Nice interviews and highlights.

http://broadband.nba.com/cc/playa.php?content=video&url=http://boss.streamos.com/wmedia/nba/nbac om/nbatv/vault_107_block_a.asx&video=&nbasite=nba .

mr. average

noam16 — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 02:34:40 -0000

James Jones got the Mr. Average award this year so while hes not playing he's still winning something.

http://www.nba.com/news/survey_2007.html

*I dont know if anyones posted this already, since i was away for the weekend, but if they have sorry. ,