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GAME NOTES:
The Rebels of UNLV try to pick up where they left off last season as they begin the 2002-03 campaign with a battle against the Portland State Vikings from the Thomas & Mack Center tonight. Last year UNLV caught fire towards the end of the Mountain West Conference schedule, stringing together nine wins in 10 games, before being stunned by the San Diego State Aztecs in the conference title game, 78-75, on their home floor. The Rebels managed to move on to the NIT where they dropped Arizona State by five points before being sent home by the South Carolina Gamecocks with an overall record of 21-11 following a 75-65 setback. As for the Vikings, they finished last year with a record of 12-16, with a mark of just 6-8 in Big Sky Conference play. The team tipped off its season with a tussle against Cal State-Northridge on Friday night at home, a game that ended 69-65 in favor of the Vikings. Portland State is under the guidance of first-year head coach Heath Schroyer, while the Rebels bring back the experience of Charlie Spoonhour. The Rebels lead the overall series with Portland State by a count of 6-1. UNLV won the first six meetings before being defeated by the Vikings, 89-84, in the last meeting in 1978. Overall, the Rebels hold a 5-1 edge in games played in Las Vegas.
Jeb Ivey led four players in double figures scoring 18 points and leading the Vikings to a four-point victory over the Matadors of Cal State-Northridge from the Stott Center on Friday night. Seth Scott added 16 points for the Vikings, but was also guilty of six turnovers before fouling out of the contest. CSN led for almost the entire game, racing out to a 9-0 lead four minutes into the first half. The Matadors extended their advantage to 41-23 at the break. In the second half the Vikings came alive by shooting 61.5 percent from the field, including 8-of-13 from behind the three-point line. The result was a surge in the closing minutes that afforded Portland State the four-point victory. Kevin Briggs added 11 points and six assists, while Troy DeVries came off the bench to tally 11 points.
Marcus Banks, selected as a member of the All-MWC First Team this preseason, not only shoots the ball well, 47 percent from the floor, and is one of the most reliable scores that the unit has (15.8 ppg last season), he's also a tenacious defender that never seems to tire. Joining Banks with preseason accolades is senior forward Dalron Johnson, also selected to the All-MWC First Team. Johnson was one of the top scorers in the league a year ago, posting 17.4 ppg, while also leading the Rebels in rebounding with seven boards per contest. Filling in some of the blanks for UNLV this season will be senior guard Jermaine Lewis, who was forced out of action a year ago due to a knee injury. The unit also gets the services of Georgetown transfer Demetrius Hunter finally, although it might take him a little time to find his niche. The Rebels finished third in the MWC last season (9-5, 21-11 overall) despite not having a legitimate center who could hold down the fort in the low post. This year Spoonhour is still planning on running with a three-guard offense to blow teams out of the building, and take their chances in the middle with undersized players such as Louis Amundson.
The Rebels have a lot to prove in 2002-03, and they are not about to let a team like the Vikings stand in their way of starting the year on a positive note. The experience and athleticism of UNLV will come to the forefront as the home team {TRIES} to pick up a victory.
