Diggs, UNLV have score to settle against BYU

Steve Addy

Monday, Jan. 15, 2001 | 10:44 a.m.

Steve Addy

PROVO, Utah -- The last time the Rebels played BYU at the Marriott Center, Trevor Diggs left it all on the court, including a river of tears.

UNLV's senior shooting guard returns to that arena tonight for ESPN's Big Monday, determined to retrieve what he and the Rebels left behind.

"Man, we should've won that one," Diggs says now, memories of a 83-82 loss last Feb. 19 still fresh in his mind.

Though UNLV gained redemption for two regular-season losses to BYU by routing the Cougars by 23 for the Mountain West tournament championship, the last-second defeat at BYU still galls Diggs.

With a share of the MWC lead at stake, the Rebels didn't play well and trailed by eight with 53 seconds left. But they put on a fierce rally to get within one, then had a chance to win on the final play.

Diggs took the inbounds pass, drove to the top of the lane and made a spin move to create space for himself. He squared his shoulders and took a 17-footer, but it clanged off the front of the rim. While a packed house celebrated BYU's win, Diggs fell to the floor, sobbing and shaking.

His teammates helped him to the locker room, but Diggs was still emotional 20 minutes later. In an elevator carrying the Rebels back to the team bus, his eyes and cheeks were still moist, his 21-point game having been wasted.

"I was crying, no doubt," he recalled. "It was a bad scene."

Then and now, Diggs understood that it wasn't the biggest game of his life. It wasn't like UNLV was playing Duke or some other national power. But after some of the rough games he had experienced in his first half-season as a Rebel, it was a crucial shot for Diggs.

He simply got caught up in the moment.

"Personally, I know I had a shot to win the game and I didn't make it," Diggs said. "Anytime you get that chance, you want to make it. I'm a competitor, and that hurt pretty bad.

"Hopefully, this time it will be us ahead by one and them losing."

It won't be easy. Not only are the Rebels coming off a late collapse in Saturday's 79-70 defeat at Utah, but BYU has won 14 straight at home after pounding San Diego State 79-50 in its league opener. The Cougars tied a school record with 13 3-pointers (in 26 attempts), with five each by guards Terrell Lyday and Trent Whiting.

"They're a poised team," Rebels coach Max Good said. "Lyday and (forward Mekeli Wesley) give them as good a 1-2 combination as there is in the conference. To beat them, we will have to play our best basketball and learn from our mistakes (against Utah)."

There were plenty of mistakes, too, mostly unforced traveling violations that needlessly wasted UNLV possessions.

But in the end, it was wayward shooting that really cost the Rebels. After rallying for a 63-63 tie with 3:47 left, they missed their next four shots, all jumpers, and Utah went on a 10-0 run to put the game away.

"We settled for jump shots late in the game," Good said. "We wanted to drive the ball to the basket, because you could see (Utah) did not want to foul us and stop the clock. It's easier to score five 2-pointers there than make three 3-pointers. But by the time we started driving, it was too late."

Forward Chris Richardson, who supplied 19 strong minutes off the bench, said, "If we had played more composed for that little two-minute period, who knows what would've happened. We just need to take care of the ball a little better and make our shots."