Rebels in position to clinch top seed

Steve Addy

Friday, March 3, 2000 | 10:41 a.m.

SAN DIEGO -- Their lifelines are long gone, but the Rebels have no need for Phone-a-Friend or 50-50 now. All they need is an emphatic final answer.

It's this simple: If the Rebels beat New Mexico at home Saturday, they'll own at least half of the Mountain West regular-season championship and the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament.

That much-anticipated one-game scenario became reality Thursday night after the Rebels spanked last-place San Diego State 85-64 to climb into a three-way tie for the Mountain West lead with New Mexico and idle Utah.

New Mexico did its part by beating Colorado State 76-68, forging the deadlock at 9-4, but UNLV (19-7) has chosen the perfect time to occupy first place for the first time all season.

Even if Utah closes with a home win over Air Force on Saturday, the Rebels hold the best cards now. If they defeat New Mexico at noon at the Thomas & Mack Center, they can put their name on the top of Mountain West bracket and become instant favorites to win the MWC tournament at home. They would get the top seed over Utah on a tiebreaker, going 2-0 against New Mexico to Utah's 1-1.

Also, looming in the distance, there is still a possible NCAA Tournament berth for the Rebels, though the Mountain West does not have an automatic berth this season. But first things first.

"It is important to win the (regular-season) championship, and to get the No. 1 seed, even if it's on the tiebreaker, would be a great accomplishment," Rebels coach Bill Bayno said. "If we're recognized as the No. 1 seed, I think that would give us credibility."

In other words, maybe the Rebels could alter the national perception that Utah is the Mountain West's most worthy NCAA Tournament prospect. UNLV is partially to blame, having been routed at Utah by 44 two Mondays ago. But winning the MWC tournament impressively could undo that damage and make the NCAA selection committee take notice. The Rebels could finish 23-7, after all.

"We know what we have to do," Danny Brotherson said. "If we beat New Mexico, we are the top seed, and that would give the NCAA (committee) a little extra something to look at."

"Everything is riding on this game. Saturday is our season," Mark Dickel said. "Our goal at the start of the season was to win the conference and win the conference tournament. We can do half of that Saturday.

"Everyone has to bring their best game, because (New Mexico) is playing some great basketball right now. If we don't come ready with our P's and Q's, we could lose a great opportunity."

Bayno is determined to keep that from happening, and he puts little stock in the fact that the Rebels won at New Mexico 85-73 on Jan. 17. The Lobos are 8-2 since then, and they own the best road record in the conference (4-2, winning their last three).

"The pressure is on us to prepare (today) and compete," Bayno said. "If our best isn't good enough, we can live with that. But let's make sure that it's our best."

The Rebels were hardly required to give their best on Thursday. They hurried to a 33-5 lead in the first 10 minutes, then neither squad seemed especially interested in finishing the game. Alas, the rules mandate 40 minutes, so the Rebels made sure no one got hurt and stuck the poor Aztecs with their 15th straight loss. They are 5-21 overall, 0-13 in the conference.

If anyone's more unhappy than SDSU, it could be ESPN. The network has committed to showing the Rebels' MWC tournament opener at 9 p.m. Thursday, and if they are seeded first, they will play the eighth-seeded Aztecs with 100 percent of the country watching. Easy game for UNLV, lousy TV for ESPN.

Kaspars Kambala led the Rebels with 19 points, but he scored 17 after the Rebels already had a 22-point lead. Dickel scored 18, including 13 in the first half when UNLV built leads of 22-4, 33-5 and finally 42-18. Dalron Johnson compiled 16 points and 13 boards, and Brotherson scored all 11 of his points in the first half. He started in place of the flu-weakened Trevor Diggs.

The Aztecs hit only two of their first 18 shots and went 7:46 without a field goal.