Rebels earn a nasty reward

Steve Guiremand

Friday, March 11, 2005 | 9:57 a.m.

DENVER --- UNLV advanced to the Mountain West Conference tournament semfinals for the fifth consecutive year with it's 70-63 victory against Wyoming on Thursday afternoon at the Pepsi Center.

Now comes the hard part.

The Rebels (16-12) now must get past 15th-ranked Utah (26-4) and star 7-foot center Andrew Bogut, the potential No. 1 pick in this summer's NBA draft, in the semifinals tonight at 6.

The Utes have owned UNLV in recent years, taking 11 of the past 14 meetings, including five in a row. And it was Utah which handed the Rebels a devastating last-second 73-70 loss in last year's championship game here to deny them an NCAA tournament berth.

"Our reward (for beating Wyoming) is playing Utah," Rebels coach Lon Kruger joked. "I think they're a terrific basketball team and playing well, and each guy is playing with great confidence and great conviction with regard to their schemes. That's why they're the best team in the league."

UNLV was hammered by the Utes, 70-52, in their Mountain West Conference opener back on Jan. 10 in Salt Lake City, getting outrebounded 43-18. But the Rebels played the Utes on pretty even terms in the Feb. 7 rematch in Las Vegas, losing by just four points, 57-53. UNLV had a chance to tie the game twice late but missed open shots.

That was the first game that Kruger changed his starting lineup and inserted junior Ricky Morgan at point guard instead of senior Jerel Blassingame as well as senior swingman Andy Hannan in place of injured Romel Beck. The Rebels have won seven of eight games since that loss.

Bogut (20.6 ppg, 12.0 rpg), who had 10 points and 15 rebounds in the first game, was held to just 14 points and four rebounds in the second meeting and didn't grab his first rebound until midway through the second half.

"They're a team we feel that we can beat," Anthony said. "Last time we played them it was a real close game."

"There's no celebrating for us tonight," Morgan said. "We've just got to get prepared and get right after it because Utah has a great team. And they have a great player in Bogut."