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UNLV looks to make the most of rare appearance in poll

Jan 30, 2007 - 3:39 PM No. 25 UNLV (18-4) at Colorado St (14-5) 9:05 pm EST

FORT COLLINS, Colorado (Ticker) -- Nevada-Las Vegas is somewhere it has not been in quite awhile.

Returning to the national rankings after a lengthy absence, the 25th-ranked Runnin' Rebels will open a two-game road trip against Colorado State in a Mountain West Conference contest on Tuesday.

UNLV (18-4, 5-2 MWC) won its 10th straight home game and fourth in a row overall on Saturday with a 76-72 overtime win over New Mexico. Because of that, it moved into the national rankings for the first time in 14 years.

The Rebels also have won 14 of their last 16 games overall and are 5-2 in the Mountain West Conference, tied for second with Brigham Young and one-half game behind Air Force. UNLV will travel to BYU on Saturday.

Led by senior guard Wendell White, who leads the team in scoring (16.2) and rebounding (7.1), the Rebels have ratcheted up their offense this season, averaging 76.4 points per game. They are holding opponents to 67.1 points.

However, it won't be easy against the motivated Rams, who are looking to keep their own hot streak going.

Colorado State (14-5, 4-3) lost its last game at Wyoming, 75-70, on Wednesday. But the Rams have won four of their last six overall. In its last home contest, Colorado State defeated BYU, 90-78, on January 20. The Rams are 8-1 at home and are led by 7-0 junior Jason Smith, who averages 16.7 points and 9.4 rebounds.

UNLV leads the all-time series with Colorado State, 23-7. Last season, the Rebels swept the season series with a 68-57 home win on January 18 and an 80-72 win on the road on February 18.