A wrap at the Mack

Steve Carp

Friday, March 14, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

Win or lose, Monday's second-round NIT game with Hawaii will be the final opportunity this season for UNLV fans to catch their team in action at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Thanks to the wonders of animation, the 21-9 Rebels have been displaced from the Mack for a potential quarterfinal game against either Arkansas or Pittsburgh. The T&M booked Walt Disney's World on Ice -- The Spirit of Pocahontas beginning Wednesday and running through Sunday.

The NIT quarters are scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, depending on the matchup, television and venue availability.

In an attempt to keep the game in Las Vegas, UNLV officials contacted the MGM Grand about renting the Grand Garden. But a convention is booked into the arena next week, so the Rebels have no choice but to hit the road.

That's assuming they get past a 21-7 Hawaii team which has beaten them twice, albeit by a total margin of three points.

Wednesday's crowd of 6,575 was the second-lowest to watch UNLV play in the Thomas & Mack this year. Only the 6,101 who showed up on March 4 to see the Rebels defeat Rice in the opening round of the WAC tournament was smaller.

But in looking at the attendance figures for the first round of the NIT, UNLV actually is in the upper percentile of teams which hosted games Wednesday. Only two games drew five figures -- North Carolina State had 10,200 at Reynolds Coliseum to see the Wolfpack beat Southwest Missouri State and Hawaii had 10,124 at the Special Events Arena where the Rainbows rallied in the second half to beat Oregon, 71-61.

The 6,575 at the Mack was the seventh-biggest crowd of the 14 games played Wednesday. The smallest crowd was at the Joyce Convocation Center in South Bend, Ind., where just 3,808 showed up to see Notre Dame eliminate Oral Roberts. Despite the paltry turnout, the Irish were given another home game by the NIT committee, as Notre Dame will host Texas Christian Tuesday. TCU drew 5,558 at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum for its easy win over Alabama-Birmingham Wednesday.

Given the small turnout Wednesday, some were surprised UNLV would get a second home game. But from a cost perspective, it made sense to ship Hawaii to the mainland. If the Rainbows can win in Las Vegas Monday, they'll simply head east to either Arkansas or Pittsburgh.

Had UNLV been forced to go to Honolulu and won, it would have meant flying about 6,000 miles to Pittsburgh or 5,000 to Fayetteville for the quarterfinals -- with less than two days in which to do it.

UNLV officials are confident the turnout Monday will justify the NIT's faith in Las Vegas. More than 3,000 tickets had been sold for Monday prior to Wednesday's win over Memphis. The 7:30 starting time plus the added draw of a WAC rival in Hawaii is expected to double the Memphis crowd.

"We should do well with Hawaii," said Steve Stallworth, UNLV's director of sports marketing. "It's an opponent our fans are familiar with and we'll also have more than a couple of days to get the word out.

"Plus, you couldn't beat the excitement of Wednesday's game. Our phones have been busy all morning."

Tickets for Monday's game are on sale at the Thomas & Mack box office and all Ticketmaster outlets. Prices are $16 for plaza, $11 for balcony and $5 for students with a current ID.

Hoop du jour

* ROAD WARRIORS: Hawaii has proven to be travel-tested as the Rainbows are 5-3 on the mainland, including a 66-65 win over UNLV Jan. 11. However, Hawaii has lost its last two games away from the Special Events Arena, both to New Mexico, the second coming at the Thomas & Mack during last week's WAC tournament. ... Junior G Anthony Carter remains the team's top scorer, averaging 19 points. Backcourt mate Alika Smith is right behind at 18.

* BAYNO ROADIE: While Hawaii was making plans to fly to Las Vegas this weekend, UNLV coach Bill Bayno got out of town late Wednesday to watch Latvian prep star Kaspars Kubala play in Wisconsin. The Rebels are very much alive in the chase for the 6-foot-8 forward. ... The team had Thursday off and will go through a weight-room session and a light workout today at the North Gym before preparing in earnest for Hawaii starting Saturday.

* STATS ETC.: UNLV committed a season-low eight turnovers in Wednesday's 66-62 win over Memphis. The previous low was 11 against Wyoming and Miami. ... Sunshine Smith needs 24 points to pass Anthony Jones on the UNLV career scoring list. Smith has 1,074 points and is 25th on the all-time list. Jones is No. 24 with 1,098 points.