UNLV aims to solve road riddle

Steve Addy

Friday, Feb. 2, 2001 | 10:56 a.m.

FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- Playing back-to-back games at Colorado State and Wyoming is like the weather. Everybody complains about it, but no one does anything about it.

Like most teams, UNLV will begin the challenging trip with high hopes Saturday at CSU, but those hopes are often quickly dashed when opponents visit the Front Range.

A sweep would lift the Rebels (12-8, 3-2) into the thick of the Mountain West regular-season race, and a split would keep them in contention. But the recent trend is working against both scenarios, even though UNLV has won at CSU the last two years.

Out of 22 Mountain West games this season, road teams have won only four, and three of the wins belong to conference-leading Wyoming. That doesn't bode well for the other seven MWC teams, because the Cowboys are 8-0 at the Arena-Auditorium this season after going 12-1 last season.

This season's only other Mountain West road win belongs to New Mexico, which beat San Diego State.

On their way to the MWC co-championship last season, the Rebels went 4-3 on the road, but they are already 0-2 away this season, stumbling at Utah and BYU two weeks ago.

Since they also lost both of those games last season, the Rebels are really no worse off at the moment, but with only a regular-season repeat as incentive this season, they can't afford to get blanked at CSU and Wyoming, as many teams do.

"I think this is the toughest trip there is," Rebels coach Max Good said. "Collectively, Utah and BYU might be tougher, but Wyoming is harder than either one of them. People in the Big Ten, ACC and SEC wouldn't want to play at Wyoming. They just don't know how tough it is.

"A lot of it is the altitude. There is definitely a difference. Even walking around at practice, you can tell the difference in your ability to breathe. It isn't just psychological."

But it's not only Wyoming this season. Home teams are dominating all over the league. UNLV, Utah and BYU have each won all three MWC home games.

What gives?

"When you're on the road, everything's a little different," Good said. "You're not sleeping in your own bed. The time (zone) is different. Subconsciously, maybe you start thinking you won't get the same calls (from referees) you get at home. When you're on the road, the home team is going to get those calls.

"The crowds are a factor, too. At Wyoming, BYU, Utah and Colorado State, most of their fans are from campus. It's mostly students. You've got people hanging over the railing and getting after you. It's the kind of atmosphere that can be very intimidating."

Colorado State (11-7, 2-3) is plenty intimidating this season. The Rams are only three points away from being 5-0 in the league. They own home wins over Brigham Young and Utah, but lost by one point each to Wyoming (OT), New Mexico (OT) and Air Force.

The Rams' amazing 3-point shooting is again their strength. They led the NCAA last season at 44.0 percent, and are not far behind that this season (42.4).

Senior guard John Sivesind, CSU's top scorer in the league (15.5 ppg), is shooting better than 50 percent from the arc, hitting 43-of-83 (51.8) over 18 games.

But the Rams are also getting solid inside play from 6-foot-10 senior forward David Fisher. He has cushioned the loss of all-MWC Ceedric Goodwyn by averaging 15 points in the league and scoring in double-figures in 13 straight games.

"Fisher is one of the most improved players in the league," Good said.