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UNLV-San Diego St. Preview

Feb 12, 2010 - 7:55 PM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

UNLV (19-5) at San Diego State (17-7), 4:00 p.m. EDT

UNLV entered the week with designs on gaining the outright lead in the Mountain West Conference. Now San Diego State is looking to push the Rebels closer to fifth place than to the top.

The No. 23 Rebels look to bounce back after having their five-game win streak snapped when they visit an Aztecs team that enters after matching its biggest-ever victory in MWC play.

UNLV (19-5, 7-3) rejoined the rankings this week, giving the conference three teams in the Top 25 for the first time. The Rebels were riding high after an 88-74 win over then-No. 12 BYU last Saturday forged a three-way tie atop the standings.

All of that momentum came to an end with Wednesday's 76-66 home loss to No. 15 New Mexico. The Lobos moved one-half game ahead of the Cougars and one game ahead of the Rebels, who cut a 16-point second-half deficit to two but never went ahead.

"They played well throughout both halves," UNLV coach Lon Kruger said. "We got it down to two, but we couldn't quite get over the hump. We have to play that way for longer periods of time."

San Diego State (17-7, 6-4) and Colorado State are both one game behind UNLV, and the Aztecs are anxious to take advantage of a golden opportunity to tie the Rebels.

"We're now one game behind so if we win this game, it will put us in a dead-heat draw for that next spot, with two teams still ahead of us and (UNLV) is saying we're one game out of first place so we have to win at San Diego State," Aztecs coach Steve Fisher said. "So it's a have-to-win for both teams and I think both teams will play with that type of controlled desperation and will play extremely hard."

The Rebels will try to do a better job on the glass than Wednesday's effort in which the Lobos outrebounded them, 45-23.

"That's huge, 45-23, I guess, 17 offensive boards," Kruger said. "You're not winning the 50-50 balls, you're not doing the things that you have to to keep them from getting second shots."

Rebounding was a problem for UNLV in its 76-66 home win over San Diego State on Jan. 13. The Aztecs held a 44-35 advantage on the boards, blew a 39-33 halftime lead and made 16 of 28 free throws.

UNLV had its worst shooting effort in conference play in that contest at 40.3 percent. Tre'Von Willis led the Rebels with 23 points.

"We led by six at halftime," Fisher said. "Ten points was the final spread, but it was not indicative of how close the game was."

It's likely that Aztecs junior forward Billy White, limited by an ankle injury in the first meeting as he fouled out with five points, has circled the rematch. The Las Vegas native is considered San Diego State's emotional leader and proved it this week when he vowed revenge on Wyoming for an 85-83 road loss Jan. 9.

The Aztecs easily avenged that defeat with an 88-57 rout Wednesday as freshman Kawhi Leonard scored a season-high 26 points. San Diego State matched the largest margin of victory in a MWC game set in a 65-34 win over Air Force on Feb. 7, 2009.