Thursday, Dec. 18, 2003 | 9:32 a.m.
It has only been about three weeks since UNLV basketball team played a home game at the Thomas & Mack Center. But head coach Charlie Spoonhour and his squad are eager to play again on their home floor tonight when they meet Northern Arizona (3-5) beginning at 7:30.
Even if it means dealing with some of the, er, aroma left behind from the National Finals Rodeo.
"We definitely are looking forward to getting back home," junior forward Odartey Blankson said. "Everybody is really more comfortable playing at home. It seems like it's been awhile."
UNLV (5-2) last played at the Thomas & Mack on Nov. 29 when the Rebels upset California, 59-57. But the The Rebels play their next six games in a row at home now and don't leave town for exactly one month when they hop over to San Diego for a Jan. 17 date at San Diego State.
With all the advantages that come with playing and practicing at home the next four weeks, it's imperative for the Rebels to make the most of the situation by continuing to improve before starting Mountain West Conference play on Jan. 12 against Utah.
"Every game for us is big," Spoonhour said. "This is kind of a hard time of the year. We've got a lot of people banged up. It's Christmas time. But this is the time of year that you have to focus and take care of business.
"I think at some point we're going to have a pretty good basketball team. When, it just remains to be seen."
Blankson says it's important for the Rebels to take advantage of their favorable schedule.
"We want to get back on the winning track," he said. "That's very important, to try to get a winning streak going before conference play starts.
"We're playing decent basketball but we could be playing a lot better. One-through-five we just have to get tougher. We have to have each other's backs on the court, dive for loose balls, and just do whatever it takes to win."
The Rebels face a Northern Arizona squad that has lost its past five games to Division I teams but has shown it can pull off the big upset on the road as evidenced by last year's 67-63 stunner at UCLA.
"We're playing a bunch of guys who can really shoot the basketball," Spoonhour said, noting NAU's glossy .377 shooting percentage from 3-point range. "Anytime you run into a team that can do that you have the potential for problems."
After tonight's game, the Rebels host SEC power Auburn on Saturday night followed by games against Bradley, Montana and Occidental before opening MWC play on Jan. 12 on ESPN's Big Monday against Utah.
"These are very important games coming up with conference play right around the corner," Blankson said. "We have to gear up and try and go into conference play with a full head of steam."
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