Rebels wary of Utah 3’s

Steve Addy

Monday, Feb. 11, 2002 | 1:21 a.m.

Utah ranks third in the NCAA in 3-point percentage (42.4) and is averaging 9.6 3-point baskets per Mountain West game. The Utes have hit 10 or more 3-pointers seven times, all wins. Here are those games:

Jubilantly and just in time, the Rebels prevailed over BYU on a 3-point basket by Vince Booker on Saturday night.

Now they have to make sure Utah won't bury them in an avalanche of 3-pointers tonight.

The schedule doesn't permit UNLV much time to revel in Saturday's 73-70 victory at the Thomas & Mack Center, courtesy of the last-second basket by Booker, a former team manager who was reinserted for defense in the final minute.

As quickly as the game ended with a whoosh of exuberance not seen since UNLV won the 2000 Mountain West tournament, the Rebels had to set it aside to focus on tonight's Big Monday clash with conference co-leader Utah.

As the Rebels (12-8, 4-4 MWC) learned last month at Salt Lake City, the Utes (17-4, 7-1) are the best 3-point club in the conference. After making 12 of 25 in Saturday's 70-53 victory at San Diego State, Utah is hitting 42.4 percent behind the arc and 8.1 3-pointers per game. In MWC play, the Utes are even better at 46.1 percent and 9.6 per game.

In an 86-63 rout of UNLV on Jan. 12, the Rebels' worst loss all season, Utah broke school and MWC records with 17 3-pointers (in 26 attempts). The Utes made nine of their first 11, including eight straight, and the Rebels were powerless to stop them.

WHAT: Utah (17-4, 7-1) at UNLV (12-8, 4-4)

WHEN: Today, 9 p.m.

WHERE: Thomas & Mack Center

TV: ESPN

RADIO: KBAD 920-AM

"And they're still shooting well," coach Charlie Spoonhour said.

Especially after senior center Chris Burgess suffered a season-ending foot injury Dec. 29, Utah has generated most of its offense on the perimeter. Five Utes have at least 20 3-point baskets, compared to one for UNLV (Lou Kelly, 35), and Utah is 12-0 when it shoots at least 40 percent on triples.

The Utes have proven fallible, hitting only 4 of 23 3-pointers in last Monday's 54-46 loss to Wyoming, but the Rebels' memories of them aren't so fond.

"They punished us a little bit in that first game," point guard Marcus Banks said. "But now they've got to come here. We'll try to give it to them the same way they gave it to us."

"When a team makes 17 3s -- it seemed like they made them all in a row -- it puts a bad spin on the game," Booker said. "But now we're at home and we're defending better than we were then. Our mind-set is to take them out of what they like to do."

Saturday's victory provided a rousing start to UNLV's home-heavy closing schedule, with six of its final eight games at the Mack. But Spoonhour isn't getting carried away. After all, the Rebels blew a 16-point second-half lead before Booker's basket rescued them from a second straight overtime game.

"We spend too much time worrying about momentum or if this was a game we can build on," he said. "Let's just play and see where it takes us. We're better than we were a month ago, but we can get better."

But Spoonhour had to admit the final play was a thing of beauty. Banks had been driving around the Cougars all night and with the score tied at 70, defender Mark Bigelow cheated toward him instead of sticking to Booker on the right wing.

With the clock under five seconds, Banks muscled into the lane, then rifled the ball to Booker. His 3-pointer over a recovering Bigelow barely beat the horn, as the referees confirmed by replay after the court filled with celebrants.

Tonight is Hawaiian Night. Fans wearing Hawaiian-style clothing will get $5 off plaza tickets and $2 off balcony admission at the box office. ...

Dating back to the WAC in 1996, Utah is 14-5 in Big Monday games, but only 5-3 on the road. ...

The all-time series between UNLV and Utah is 10-10, with Utah winning the last four.