Battle-tested Wolf Pack should give Rebels test

Monday, Nov. 24, 2003 | 10:40 a.m.

Be it Vermont at home, at top-ranked Connecticut or against UNLV at the Thomas & Mack Center, Nevada-Reno coach Trent Johnson said Sunday that a game is a game is a game.

"We try to treat every one the same," he said. "It doesn't matter who we play, where we play or when we play ... if we're not ready, we'll be in trouble."

Rebels coach Charlie Spoonhour knows better. His team was pushed by a gritty Delaware State team in Friday night's season opener, and the Wolf Pack has been primed to do some pushing of its own tonight at 7:30 at the Mack.

Reno received a grand test last Wednesday against No. 1 Connecticut, in the second round of the Preseason NIT at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Conn.

The Pack trailed 65-61 with nearly 11 minutes remaining, but it got no closer than nine points during the stretch run of a 93-79 defeat to the Huskies.

Spoonhour said there is no question that playing the country's top-rated team on its own court toughens team.

"You have to make yourself do some things, from a physical standpoint, against a team like UConn, who's very physical," Spoonhour said. "So I think, yeah, I'm sure it's helped them become more physical. And I'm sure it's helped their confidence.

"They've played a team that's ranked No. 1 in the country and were right in the game."

Last Monday, Reno opened the NIT with a 69-49 victory over Vermont at home in the Lawlor Events Center. Then Johnson tried to get his players to believe that "game is a game" theme.

Kirk Snyder, a 6-foot-6 junior guard who was tabbed as the preseason Western Athletic Conference players of the year, listened, scoring 22 points at UConn.

He's averaging 19.5 points this season. Sunday, the Rebels practiced a vareity of schemes designed to harass Snyder tonight.

"For the most part, we didn't get caught up in that No. 1 talk," Johnson said. "No matter who we play, we try to come out and compete. I thought we did that. We want to respect the game, no matter who we play or where we play."

The Hornets earned UNLV's respect Friday. Trailing 45-28 at one point, the Hornets fought back inside and outside.

If games were 45 minutes instead of 40, UNLV might have been in trouble.

"I'm glad that was a hard game, that their team was hard like they were," Spoonhour said. "I think it makes you have a tendency to come out here in the next game and be a little more physical."

* THE POST: UNLV gets senior forward James Peters, who is serving a three-game suspension for taking part in a telephone calling-card scam, back for Saturday night's home game against California.

Senior center J.K. Edwards returns three games later, at Stanford on Dec. 13.

Meanwhile, the Rebels did an adequate job in the paint Friday night. Odartey Blankson and Louis Amundson combined to shoot 12-for-17, for 25 points, and grab 15 boards against the Hornets.

However, the Rebels got no second-chance points against Delaware State. Six of their 26 rebounds came under their own glass, to no avail. The Hornets scored 10 second-chance points.

"When you shoot 56 percent, there aren't as many rebounds coming off," Spoonhour said. "But, yeah, you're always thinking ... and we need to score off our free throws. We really didn't in the second half."

UNLV hit all four of its free throws in the first half Friday, then went 2-for-7 in the last 20 minutes. Blankson missed all three free throws he attempted against Delaware State.