Rebels face big decision

Steve Carp

Friday, Jan. 17, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Halfway through its journey, the UNLV basketball team has reached a fork in the road. And the Rebels need to make a decision.

Do they stay on the same path that has been fortuitous and at times lucky in giving them an 11-3 record? Or do they try to step on the gas in the hopes they don't swerve off the road and wind up in a ditch?

Conventional wisdom says don't change what's working. However, progress is important. And if UNLV is going to reach its destination in March -- postseason play -- it has to get better.

Rebel fans will find out Saturday what direction the team has chosen. The final nonconference game of the season will be played at Gallagher-Iba Arena against an Oklahoma State team bordering on desperation at 8-6.

"The way I break down a season, this is the second half of our second season," said UNLV coach Bill Bayno Thursday as the team went through a late-night workout at Gallagher-Iba. "We need to continue to do the things that got us to this point and keep improving.

"We need to continue to give the effort, play together and with great intensity. Those are the reasons why we're 11-3. But we have to keep working defensively. Our half-court offense has to get better and we need to come focused and ready to play every night."

The Rebels learned a hard lesson last Saturday when they lacked fire at times against Hawaii and it cost them a WAC victory -- one that could come back to haunt them down the line. The players have had a week to think about that loss and the attitude is to put the game behind them as quickly as possible.

"Right now, it's very important to keep getting better and keep winning," said senior guard Sunshine Smith. "The job's not even close to being done. We've got to get some more."

Senior Tony Lane, who remembers how miserable life was last year during a 10-16 season, said Saturday is the perfect opportunity to rebound from the Hawaii loss and get the momentum back in time for what figures to be a very emotional game Monday at Fresno State, against former UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian.

"We've had a real good week," Lane said. "We just need to compete for 40 minutes and give ourselves a chance to win it at the end. That's all you can do."

Bayno said winning on the Cowboys' home floor won't be easy. Especially with OSU coming off a heart-wrenching overtime loss to Colorado Wednesday.

"It's a tough game in many respects," he said. "It's a tough place to get to. It's a nonconference game. They play great here. But we have to play through all that. We're in a tough spot and it's up to us to respond."

Bayno hoped the Hawaii loss served as a wake-up call for any of his players who were beginning to think they could win by merely showing up.

"I think we got knocked down a peg," he said. "We weren't together. We were lacking some intensity."

Forward Tyrone Nesby said now is not the time for anyone to let up.

"We can't be satisfied," he said. "I know I'm not. We've still got a lot of games left and we've got to keep getting better. Nobody's going to lay down for us. We saw that with Hawaii."