Diggs scores 49 as inspired Rebels go out winners 106-102

Steve Addy

Saturday, March 3, 2001 | 10:58 a.m.

For one awesome night at the Thomas & Mack Center, a truly terrific night, Trevor Diggs and the Rebels made all of the bad stuff go away.

NCAA probation, the coaching upheaval, the postseason ban and the Rick Pitino rumors didn't stand a chance in Saturday night's season finale.

The night belonged to this particular group of UNLV basketball players, who did not want to end their season -- and in the case of six seniors, their careers -- without leaving every last bit of sweat and emotion on the court.

The result was an enormously entertaining 106-102 victory over Wyoming behind Diggs' 49 points, the second-most in Rebels history and the most by a collegian at the Thomas & Mack.

The only higher total is 55 points by Elburt Miller vs. Portland on Feb. 12, 1967, but his game couldn't have been more fun or satisfying than Diggs' performance. The previous scoring high at the Mack was 48 by Oklahoma's Stacey King in 1988.

Diggs etched his name in the record book by hitting 14-of-21 shots, including 6-of-8 3-pointers, and 15-of-20 free throws. His last four freebies came in the final six seconds, keeping the Cowboys at bay and preventing them from winning the Mountain West championship outright.

Diggs' step-back 3-pointer with 1:30 to go sent the Rebels ahead 98-95 and they led the rest of the way, though it was suspenseful to the final seconds.

When the final buzzer sounded, celebrants streamed on to the floor, but none faster than former UNLV coach Bill Bayno, who watched the game from his second row behind the bench. He lept over the scorer's table and hugged Diggs and Kaspars Kambala at center court.

In Senior Night festivities before the game, Bayno accompanied Kambala to center court.

"It's the happiest night of my six years here, for these seniors and Max (Good) to go out like that," Bayno said. "I'll probably go home tonight and cry while I'm lying in bed."

Good said, "We dedicated the game to coach Bayno (Friday) and today at the shootaround. We all wanted him here. He's a great basketball coach, and an even better person."

The game will be remembered not only as the best night of Diggs' career, but as a great sendoff for all of the UNLV seniors.

As promised, Good started all six seniors -- Kambala, Diggs, Sylvester Dotson, Danny Brotherson, Donovan Stewart and Chris Popoola -- and took an intentional technical foul to start the game.

Marcus Bailey made the free throw for Wyoming, the first of his 34 points, but no one in the building seemed to care. The throaty crowd of 11,428 roared its approval, happy that the rarely used Popoola got to start and play the first four minutes when Diggs volunteered to come off the bench.

Popoola even had UNLV's first basket, a nice driving layup on a pass from Stewart.

"I've learned the secret -- start six guys and bring Trevor off the bench," Good joked.

It truly was Senior Night, as Kambala scored 21 points and Brotherson played his best game as a Rebel with 20 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and three steals. His points and rebounds were career highs. Stewart supplied five points, four rebounds and solid floor leadership at the point in 29 minutes. He had played only 40 minutes in the first 28 games.

UNLV finished at 16-13, 7-7 in the Mountain West.

Wyoming, which got 21 points from Uche Nsonwu-Amadi and 14 from Josh Davis, ended at 10-4 in the Mountain West for a tri-championship with Utah and BYU.

But the Cowboys were knocked out of the No. 1 seed for this week's conference tournament at the Mack. Utah gained the top seed and first-round bye.