Rebels to face ‘Pack in Reno

Steve Guiremand

Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2002 | 9:47 a.m.

NEXT UP

What: UNLV at Nevada-Reno

When: 7:05 tonight

Where: Lawlor Events Center, Reno.

TV: KFBT Ch. 33/Cox 6

Radio: KBAD 920-AM

Line: UNR by 1 1/2

RENO -- Unlike when the two schools get together in football, the winning team in tonight's UNLV-Nevada-Reno basketball game here at Lawlor Events Center won't get to take possession of the famed Fremont Cannon and paint it in the school colors.

In fact, the only thing the winner of the at-times bitter north-south rivalry will take home is a victory. And that is more than enough incentive for Rebel coach Charlie Spoonhour.

"No, just the game is plenty enough for me," Spoonhour said with a smile.

The Rebels (3-0) begin a tough three-game road trip tonight against their arch-rival. They'll also visit defending Big Ten champ Wisconsin on Saturday and then travel to Peoria, Ill., a week later to take on Bradley.

It's a three-game stretch that Spoonhour says will tell a lot about his team, which is expected to battle Wyoming, Utah and BYU for the Mountain West Conference title later in the season. UNLV went 4-7 on the road last season en route to a 21-11 record.

"Whenever you get your first road win it makes you feel a little bit better about things," Spoonhour said. "It kind of shows you that you are kind of coming together as a team.

"We've picked hard places to go to. There won't be anything easy in these next three ballgames."

Nevada-Reno (1-2), which is expected to challenge Tulsa and Hawaii for the WAC championship, will be making its home debut tonight. And don't let the Wolf Pack's losing record fool you. One of the losses was by two points, 77-75, to a University of San Diego squad that upset UCLA at Pauley Pavilion last week. Another was by three points (73-70) at underrated Weber State. Nevada-Reno's only win was at the University of San Francisco, 64-61.

"It's going to be a good test for us," UNLV junior guard Demetrius Hunter said. "We won three at home. Now we go on the road and see how we perform. I think everything is going to be fine."

"How we respond on the road is going to be a big question for this team and how everybody stays together," senior point guard Marcus Banks said. "Are we going to have the same team unity on the road as we do at home? Those are some of the things we'll find out. I think we're going to do it."

UNLV has won four of its last five meetings against the Wolf Pack, including a 87-75 victory last year at the Thomas & Mack Center.