UNLV to meet BYU in big game

Steve Addy

Friday, Feb. 18, 2000 | 10:57 a.m.

When a surging team like UNLV is casting come-hither stares at the NCAA Tournament committee, each successive game immediately ascends to the status of Biggest Game of the Season.

Every victory seems to take on exponential value, while any unexpected slip can seemingly sink the ship.

But in the Rebels' case Saturday night at Brigham Young, there's no need for phony hype. It is truly their most crucial game of the season. A victory could pay big dividends, enlivening the Rebels' quest to return to the NCAA Tournament, while keeping them on course to battle Utah to the wire for the Mountain West title.

"If you can't get ready to play this game, something's wrong," point guard Mark Dickel said. "It can't get any bigger than this game. If we don't win this, we don't go to the tournament."

That's not necessarily the case, but a Rebels victory at Provo, Utah, would give them a boost in the RPI ratings, which figure prominently in determining at-large berths. UNLV has climbed to 41st in the RPI and BYU has fallen to 48th.

Defeating BYU (15-7 overall) would also help the Rebels (16-5) in other ways. For instance:

* A win would keep UNLV fast on the scent of first-place Utah and give it a chance to tie the Utes for the MWC lead by winning the teams' clash Monday at Salt Lake City. Utah is 8-1 in the MWC and UNLV 7-2, including a 72-66 win over the Utes on Feb. 5 at the Thomas & Mack Center.

* A win would give the Rebels a needed cushion over third-place New Mexico. The Lobos boosted their MWC mark to 6-4 Thursday by winning at BYU 78-74, handing the Cougars (4-5) their fourth loss in their last five games. If the Rebels also beat BYU, it would give them a two-game edge over New Mexico with four games to play, essentially making it a UNLV-Utah battle to the finish.

Though the Rebels are 3-1 on the road in conference play and already own the home victory over Utah, they would be well-advised to set their sights on BYU and not worry about Monday just yet. Utah has won 50 straight games at the Huntsman Center, the nation's longest home winning streak, and has gone 2-0 without top scorer Hanno Mottola, who is sidelined with thumb and elbow injuries.

"I am not saying we can't (break Utah's streak), but if we beat BYU first, at least we can go into the Utah game feeling very confident," Dickel said. "And then, who knows what can happen?"

UNLV is catching BYU at the right time. After a 3-1 start in the MWC, including a win over the Rebels in the opener, the Cougars' lack of depth is catching up with them. They've lost to New Mexico twice, Air Force and Utah since Jan. 27, only beating lowly San Diego State in that span.

In addition, BYU's top scorer, volatile forward Mikeli Wesley, is playing on a sprained ankle. Though he started and scored 16 points Thursday against New Mexico, the sprain is regarded as serious and his status for will be monitored.

"It's going to be a war," UNLV coach Bill Bayno said. "They're good. They execute. We run a lot of good sets and they push the ball. We're going to have to play a great game defensively. They've got good 3-point shooters, and they shoot them under pressure."

The Rebels' defensive focus will center on 6-foot-3 shooting guard Terrell Lyday, who scorched them for 30 points on Jan. 10 in BYU's 77-75 win. The transfer from Fresno City College nailed 5-of-10 3-pointers, shot 10-of-17 overall and had 11 rebounds.

BYU coach Steve Cleveland is expecting a better effort by UNLV than in the first game.

"I suspect they might have been looking past us," Cleveland said. "Right now, they might be playing better than any team in the league. Dickel makes everyone better and (Kaspars) Kambala has been playing great. But they're not a two-man team. I really like Dalron Johnson. He makes shots and he goes hard to the glass."

* REBEL NOTES: Kambala missed most of practice Thursday with flu-like symptoms, which could be a problem if his illness worsens by Saturday. "He tried to practice, but he just couldn't go," Bayno said. "He wouldn't have gotten anything accomplished by practicing."