Jan. 14, 2001

LAS VEGAS - After falling to Utah 79-70 in Salt Lake City on Saturday, the UNLV men's basketball team will travel to Provo for a game on Monday, Jan. 15. The Runnin' Rebels will meet up with BYU at the Marriott Center (22,700) at 9:00 p.m. PST. The game will be televised live on ESPN as part of the network's Big Monday. Bob Carpenter and Jimmy Dykes will call the action. The game may be heard live on ESPN 920 AM in Las Vegas and on the internet worldwide at www.unlvrebels.com with Ken Korach and Glen Gondrezick.

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Mon., Jan. 15UNLV at BYU9:00 p.m. PST

Game at Marriott Center (22,700), Provo, Utah, Game may be seen live on ESPN, Game may be heard live on ESPN 920 AM in Las Vegas and on the internet worldwide at www.unlvrebels.com.

THE RUNNIN' REBELS

UNLV (10-6, 1-1 Mountain West Conference) has won seven of its last eight games. The Runnin' Rebels had a seven-game winning streak snapped on Saturday at Utah (79-70). Before falling to Utah, UNLV's last loss was to then-No. 17 Cincinnati 90-72 on Dec. 16. UNLV has played three "true" road games this season and has a record of 1-2 in those contests. The Rebels have won 26 of their last 29 games played at the Thomas & Mack Center and are 8-1 at home this year. The Runnin' Rebels are led by All-America candidate Kaspars Kambala, who is averaging 18.3 ppg and 10.3 rpg. He was named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Week on Nov. 27 after recording 90 points and 37 rebounds in four games from Nov. 20-25. UNLV has three other players averaging in double figures in scoring (Trevor Diggs: 13.9, Dalron Johnson: 11.9 and Jermaine Lewis: 10.6). UNLV captured the inaugural Mountain West Conference regular season and tournament championships last season. The Runnin' Rebels finished 23-8 overall last year, which included their second trip to the NCAA Tournament in the last three years and their fourth straight postseason appearance. The team recorded a 10-4 mark in the Mountain West, which tied for first place. Mark Dickel, the nation's top assist man last year, is UNLV's most notable loss from the 1999-00 team.

THE OPPONENT

BYU (12-4, 1-0 Mountain West Conference) opened its conference season on Saturday with a blowout win over San Diego State (79-50). The Cougars are a perfect 9-0 at home this season and have a 14-game home winning streak dating back to last season. BYU comes into Monday's game winner of five straight games. Mekeli Wesley and Terrell Lyday lead the team in scoring at 15.6 ppg. Trent Whiting is right behind at 15.2 ppg. Wesley also leads the team in rebounding with 5.4 per game. The Cougars are coached by Steve Cleveland who is in his fourth year at BYU and overall with a record of 55-52. BYU was 22-11 in 1999-00 and finished sixth in the MWC at 7-7. The Cougars played in the NIT last year and lost to Notre Dame in the quarterfinals.

SERIES HISTORY

UNLV leads the all-time series with BYU 5-4. UNLV won the last meeting 79-56 on March 11, 2000, at the Thomas & Mack Center to win the MWC Tournament last year. BYU won both regular season games last year (77-75 at UNLV on Jan. 10 and 83-82 at BYU on Feb. 19). UNLV is 3-2 vs. BYU all-time at home and 2-2 on the road. The first-ever meeting between the two schools was in 1981.

SEVEN-GAME WINNING STREAK SNAPPED

UNLV's seven-game winning streak was snapped at Utah on Saturday. The seven-game streak tied last year's longest streak of seven straight wins from Feb. 22 to Mar. 11, which culminated with the MWC Tournament Championship. UNLV also won seven straight during the 1996-97 and 1992-93 seasons. The last time UNLV won more than seven games in a row was in 1991-92 when it won its last 23 games.

UNLV IN THE SECOND HALF

Over UNLV"s recent seven-game winning streak (which came to an end at Utah on Saturday), the Runnin' Rebels outscored its opponents 318-227 in the second half. Over that stretch, UNLV outscored its opponents 261-230 during the first half. UNLV scored an average of 13.0 more points in the second half than its opponents compared to an average of 4.4 over the first half.

100TH CAREER WIN

With the win at Old Dominion, UNLV Head Coach Max Good recorded his 100th career win as a Division I head coach. He currently has 103.

100 POINTS

The 101 points scored vs. Alaska-Anchorage marked only the third time UNLV had broken the 100-point barrier in the last six seasons. UNLV scored 104 points last season vs. Cal Poly and scored 103 points during 1998-99 against Sacred Heart. The last time UNLV scored 100 or more points before that was during the 1994-95 season.

100 POINTS II

The 106 points scored vs. Chicago State was the second time this season that UNLV scored more than 100 points in a game. The last time UNLV had two games of scoring over 100 points in the same season was during 1992-93 when it had five. The 106 points is the most scored by a UNLV team since it scored 110 at UNR during the 1992-93 season.

900TH WIN

With the victory over Alaska-Anchorage, UNLV recorded its 900th win in program history. The program has now won 906 games.

KAMBALA NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK ON NOV. 27

Kaspars Kambala was named the Mountain West Conference's Player of the Week on Nov. 27. Kambala scored 90 points with 37 rebounds in four games from Nov. 20-25. He shot an amazing 92 percent from the free throw line (34-of-37), which included 21-of-22 vs. Louisville. It marked the fifth time in his career that he earned conference Player of the Week honors. Last season, he won the award three times.

UNLV IS ONLY MOUNTAIN WEST TEAM WITH WINNING RECORD

The Runnin' Rebels are the only Mountain West Conference team with a winning record all-time against the other seven members of the conference. Air Force (11-1), BYU (5-4), Colorado State (13-3), New Mexico (10-7), San Diego State (20-4), Utah (10-8), Wyoming (11-8).

UNLV BOASTS BEST HOME RECORD IN MWC

Out of the eight Mountain West schools, UNLV has the best all-time winning percentage on its home court. UNLV is 238-40 (.856) at the Thomas & Mack Center. Utah and New Mexico were at .813 as of Jan. 10.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

After recording 80 points and 25 rebounds in three games at the Maui Invitational, UNLV's Kaspars Kambala was selected to the all-tournament team. No individual scored more points than Kambala during the 2000 Maui Invitational. Also selected to the team were Illinois' Frank Williams and Marcus Griffin along with Arizona's Jason Gardner and Michael Wright (MVP). Kambala was 21-of-22 from the free throw line vs. Louisville, which set the tournament record for most free throws made. The old mark was 14 by Todd Lichti of Stanford in 1987 vs. Baylor. Kambala was 24-of-41 from the field and 32-of-34 from the free throw line for the tournament.

KAMBALA PUTS HIS NAME ON UNLV'S SINGLE-GAME SCORING CHART

Runnin' Rebel senior Kaspars Kambala recorded a career-high 37 points vs. Louisville, which ties him for the 27th best single-game individual point performance in UNLV history. Kambala was 8-of-10 from the field and 21-of-22 from the free throw line. Kambala's previous career-high for points was 32, which he set at New Mexico last season.

KAMBALA FROM CHARITY STRIPE

Kaspars Kambala is currently shooting .752 from the free throw line this season. He made his first 26 free throws to start the year! He stands at 79-of-105, which includes 21-of-22 in one game vs. Louisville. He made his first 18 free throw attempts of the game vs. Louisville before missing to set the UNLV record for consecutive free throws made in a game. The old UNLV mark of 15 was set by Eddie Owens vs. San Diego State on Dec. 11, 1976. If he hadn't missed a free throw vs. Louisville he would have eclipsed the UNLV single-game free throw percentage record set by Larry Johnson (12-of-12) vs. North Carolina State on Feb. 3, 1990. He was one make shy of tying the UNLV record for most free throws made in a game: 22 by Elburt Miller in 1966, and one make shy of starting off the season with 27 straight, which is the UNLV consecutive free throw mark for a season set by Robert Smith (Dec. 1 through Dec. 22) in 1976. His 21 makes and 22 attempts in one game are both MWC records. He did break the Maui Invitational record for made free throws in a game set by Todd Lichti of Stanford in 1987 vs. Baylor (14). Kambala has gone to the free throw line 59 more times than any other Runnin' Rebel this season.

IN OVERTIME

After losing to both Louisville and Oklahoma State in overtime, UNLV is now 34-17 (.667) all time in overtime games. Additionally, UNLV is 27-14 in single overtime games, 5-3 in double overtime and 2-0 in triple overtime. The Runnin' Rebels have a record of 5-3 in overtime games at the Thomas & Mack Center.

KAMBALA RECORDS 34TH CAREER DOUBLE-DOUBLE

Runnin' Rebel senior Kaspars Kambala recorded his 34th career double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds at Utah. It marked his sixth of the season. His others were 24 points and 15 rebounds vs. Chicago State, 22 points and 16 rebounds at Old Dominion, 10 points and 12 rebounds vs. Cal State Northridge, 39 points and 15 rebounds vs. Chaminade and 18 points and 14 rebounds vs. Northern Arizona. Prior to this season beginning, Kambala ranked third among active Division I players in career double-doubles (research provided by Stats, Inc.). As of Nov. 13, Maryland-Baltimore County's Kennedy Okafor had 33, Notre Dame's Troy Murphy had 32, while Kambala and Murray State's Isaac Spencer had 28.

DOUBLE-FIGURE SCORING

With only nine points vs. Oklahoma State, Kaspars Kambala had his streak of 16 consecutive games scoring at least 10 points snapped. The last time he didn't score 10 or more points in a game before the Oklahoma State matchup was on Feb. 10, 2000 at Colorado State when he had only six points. Kambala has since scored in double figures in his last nine games so he has scored in double figures in 25 of his last 26 games. Jermaine Lewis had scored in double figures in eight straight games before having his streak broken vs. Pepperdine.

GET THAT OUTTA HERE

Dalron Johnson is leading the team in blocks with 43 on the season. That is 30 more than any other Runnin' Rebel. He is currently averaging 2.7 blocks per game and was second in the MWC as of Jan. 9 when stats were last compiled.

3-POINT SHOOTER

Jermaine Lewis is leading the team with a 3pt-shooting percentage of .373 (25-of-67). He is second on the team in 3-point makes behind Trevor Diggs (33). He was tied for eighth in the Mountain West Conference in three-pointers made and 10th in three-point percentage as of Jan. 9 when stats were last compiled.

NOT TOO MANY MISSES

Trevor Diggs leads the team in free throw shooting percentage with .783 for the season. Diggs has made 36-of-46 free throw attempts this season. His best performance of the season was 8-of-8 against Monmouth.

GREAT FG PERCENTAGE

Kaspars Kambala leads the team in shooting percentage as he is .590 (98-of-166) from the field this season. He ranked 4th in the MWC as of Jan. 9 when stats were last compiled.

FOR OPENERS

After its season-opening win over Northern Arizona, UNLV is 33-10 all-time in season openers and is 25-4 when opening the season at home. The Rebels have never lost at the T&M in a season opener as they are 10-0. UNLV has won its season opener each of the last six seasons.

FOR CONFERENCE OPENERS

After its conference-opening win over Air Force, UNLV is now 19-6 all-time in conference openers and 10-3 when opening the conference season at home. UNLV is 9-2 in conference openers at the Thomas & Mack Center.

MOVIN' UP THE CAREER SCORING CHART

Kaspars Kambala currently has 1,501 points for his career, which puts him 12th on the all-time career UNLV scoring chart. Larry Johnson is the next one on the list at No. 11 with 1,617 career points. So far this season, Kambala has passed J.R. Rider (previously 12th with 1,372), Glen Gondrezick (previously 13th with 1,311), Greg Anthony (previously 14th with 1,301), Lewis Brown (previously 15th with 1,289) and Jackie Robinson (previously 16th with 1,258). Kambala started off the year at No. 17 with 1,226.

MOVIN' UP THE CAREER FREE THROWS CHART

Kaspars Kambala has made 435 free throws for his career, which puts him at No. 3 on the all-time career UNLV chart. Silas Stepp is No. 2 at 497. Kambala has already jumped over Bob Florence (previously third with 432), Armon Gilliam (previously fourth with 429), Sidney Green (previously fifth with 423), Stacey Augmon (previously sixth with 400), Eddie Owens (previously seventh with 395), Freddie Banks (previously eighth with 366) and Larry Johnson (previously ninth with 363). Kambala started the year at No. 10 with 356.

MOVIN' UP THE CAREER REBOUNDING CHART

Kaspars Kambala has 822 career rebounds, which puts him eighth on the all-time career UNLV chart. Glen Gondrezick is seventh at 831. Kambala has jumped over Jackie Robinson (previously eighth with 669). Kambala started the year at No. 9 with 667.

CAREER BLOCKED SHOTS CHART

Dalron Johnson is 10th on the all-time UNLV career blocked shot list. Johnson has 86 for his career. Armon Gilliam is No. 9 with 91. This season, Johnson has passed up the previous No. 10 on the list, Jarvis Basnight, who had 71 for his career.

CAREER THREE-POINTERS CHART

Trevor Diggs has made 105 career three pointers at UNLV, which puts him at No. 9 on the all-time UNLV career chart. Sunshine Smith is No. 8 with 128. This season, Diggs has passed up Clayton Johnson (previously ninth with 104) and Stacey Augmon (previously 10th with 97).

RUNNIN' REBELS AT THE 'MACK

The Runnin' Rebels are playing their 18th season in the 18,500-seat Thomas & Mack Center. UNLV has posted an all-time record of 238-40 (.856) in the arena since it opened in 1983. The Runnin' Rebels were 18-2 in the building last season and had a 12-game home winning streak snapped by Cincinnati on Dec. 16. UNLV has since won its last six games in the T&M. UNLV has now won 26 of its last 29 games at home. UNLV has been edged at home by four points or less 17 times and the 40 losses has been by an average of 7.9 points (316 total points).

REBELS HAD 12-GAME HOME WINNING STREAK SNAPPED

UNLV had a 12-game home win streak going into its game vs. Cincinnati. The loss to UC snapped the Runnin' Rebels streak. UNLV's last loss at the Thomas & Mack Center before Cincinnati was to BYU (77-75) on Jan. 10, 2000. UNLV has since won its last six games at the T&M.

INJURY UPDATE

The entire team is healthy.

RICHARDSON BACK

On Nov. 9, the Division I Committee on Infractions made a finding of a violation of NCAA ethical conduct against Chris Richardson in association with UNLV's infractions case which made him ineligible to compete. The NCAA notified UNLV athletic officials that after sitting out 30 percent of the team's contests he would have his eligibility restored. After missing last season's NCAA Tournament's first round game vs. Tulsa and the first seven games of this season, Richardson satisfied the suspension and is again eligible. He first played against Cincinnati.

UP NEXT

Following the BYU game, UNLV will host New Mexico on Monday, Jan. 22, with tipoff scheduled for 9:00 p.m. PST at the Thomas & Mack Center.

PRESEASON PUB

Kaspars Kambala had some bigtime acknowledgments during the preseason. He was named a Preseason Top 50 candidate for 2000-01 John R. Wooden Award All-American honors and was among the top 25 votegetters. In addition, he was named to the list of preseason candidates (one of 30) for the 2000-01 Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year award.

RUNNIN' REBELS ON THE AIR

All Runnin' Rebel games will be carried live on ESPN 920 AM. Ken Korach and Glen Gondrezick will call the action all season long. The pregame show will begin an hour before tipoff and the postgame show, which will last for approximately one hour, includes player interviews and fan call-ins. The broadcasts may also be heard inside the Thomas & Mack Center by tuning to 99.5 FM. In addition all broadcasts may be heard on the internet at www.unlvrebels.com.

COACH'S SHOWS

"Game Time with UNLV Hoops" television show will be shown every Sunday on KLAS TV-8 at 11:30 p.m. The show is hosted by Chris Maathuis and features head coach Max Good. "The Runnin' Rebel Radio Show" may be heard live almost every Tuesday from Barley's Casino (4500 E. Sunset) at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN 920 AM with hosts Ken Korach and Glen Gondrezick. The weekly show may also be heard on the internet at www.unlvrebels.com and features interviews and listener call-ins. Listeners are invited to call in to the show at (702) 365-9200. There is no show scheduled for Jan. 23.

REBELS ON TV

UNLV is scheduled to appear on television 20 times this season. The Runnin' Rebels will be on ESPN four times (the Cincinnati game was shown on the network and BYU will be), ESPN2 three times (the Illinois game was on ESPN2), ESPN-plus twice, SportsWest seven times (the Air Force game was on SW), ESPN Regional at UNLV three times (the Oklahoma State and UNR games were on ERT) and ABC (the Utah game was on ABC) once.

NCAA PLACES UNLV ON PROBATION

On Dec. 12, the NCAA announced sanctions against the UNLV men's basketball program. In response to the sanctions, the university relieved Bill Bayno of his head coaching duties. In addition to UNLV's self-imposed penalties, which the university announced on Sept. 22 in Dallas, the NCAA Committee on Infractions imposed the following penalties: 1) Four years of probation from Dec. 12, 2000, 2) No postseason for the 2000-01 season, 3) No exempted events for the 2001-02 season, 4) Further reduction in grants-in-aid by one for the 2001-02 and 2002-03 academic (Including the self-imposed penalty, the university will be limited to 11 total for each of those two years), 5) Further reduction in official paid visits by two during 2001-02 and 2002-03 (Including the self-imposed penalty, the university will be limited to eight official paid visits during each of those two years). UNLV has decided to appeal the postseason ban penalty only (no other penalty will be appealed). For a complete sanctions report visit www.ncaa.org.

HEAD COACH MAX GOOD

Max Good was promoted to head coach of the UNLV basketball program after the university relieved former head coach Bill Bayno of his duties on Dec. 12 because of NCAA sanctions against the program. Good was in his second year as assistant coach when he was elevated. Prior to joining the Runnin' Rebels staff, Good spent 10 seasons (1989-99) as the head coach at Maine Central Institute in Pittsfield, Maine. He compiled an amazing 275-30 (.902) record that included five New England Prep School Athletic Conference Championships. The NEPSAC is considered the top sub-college league in the country. Good also boasts 87 players who went on to play in Division I and seven NBA players. His extensive coaching background includes five seasons as the assistant coach at Eastern Kentucky (1976-81) before being named the head coach in 1981. He compiled an overall record of 96-129 (.427) in his eight years there. He enjoyed his best season in 1986-87 with a 19-11 record as he was named the Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year. He has a 7-2 record at UNLV and a career mark over nine years of 103-131.

FORMER HEAD COACH BILL BAYNO

Former Runnin' Rebel head coach Bill Bayno was in his sixth season as a head coach (all with UNLV) when he was relieved of his duties on Dec. 12. He posted a career record of 94-64 (.595). Last season, Bayno led his team to a 23-8 overall record, a share of the regular season Mountain West Conference championship, the conference tournament championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. For his efforts, he was honored with the Mountain West Conference Co-Coach of the Year award. Under Bayno, UNLV qualified for the postseason each of the last four years and made the NCAA Tournament two of the last three years (1998, 2000). Bayno's Rebels also won the conference tournament two of the last three years (1998, 2000). He led the team to back-to-back 20-win seasons in 1996-97 and 1997-98 and recorded his third 20-winner during the 1999-00 season. Bayno came to UNLV from Massachusetts where he served seven years as the associate coach under then-head coach John Calipari.

COACHING STAFF

UNLV's assistant coaches are Dave Rice, Charles Cunningham and Bill Wuczynski. The Director of Basketball Operations is Mark Wade. Rice, who is in his eighth season, played on UNLV's 1990 National Championship team. Cunningham, who is in his first season with the Rebels, joined the program after three years at Minnesota. Wuczynski has been with the program since the 1994-95 season when he was a student manager. He was made director of basketball operations prior to the 1999-00 season. Wade played at UNLV from 1985-87 and is UNLV's all-time single-season assist leader as he compiled 406 in 1986-87 leading the Runnin' Rebels to the Final Four that year.

BAYNO FINISHES AT UNLV AS THIRD-WINNINGEST HEAD COACH

With his 94 career wins at UNLV, Bill Bayno is the third-winningest head coach by wins in program history. Tark is first with 509 and Roland Todd is second with 96.

"THREE-POINT GOAL ..."

Since the 3-point field goal was adopted by the NCAA in 1986-87, UNLV has converted at least one 3-pointer in all 462 games played. During that span, the Runnin' Rebels have made 3057-of-8436 (.362) shots from behind the arc. The Big West Conference experimented with the 3-point shot in the 1982-83, 1984-85 and 1985-86 seasons. During that period, UNLV connected from 3-point range in 53 of the 64 games (the 3-pointer was used in some non-conference games). The Runnin' Rebels sank 194-of-505 (.384) 3-point attempts during that time. The UNLV streak for games in which it sank at least one 3-point shot stands at 479. The last time the Runnin' Rebels failed to make at least one 3-pointer came against Long Beach State on Jan. 25, 1986. So, UNLV has sunk at least one shot from behind the arch in 515 of the 526 games in which the rule was used. In addition, the Runnin' Rebels have shot .364 from this distance while sinking 3251-of-8941 attempts. UNLV holds the NCAA record for most consecutive games scoring a three-point field goal.

UTAH REVIEW (1/13)

Kevin Bradley had a team-high 13 points and three other Utes scored in double figures as Utah snapped UNLV's seven-game winning streak 79-70 at the Huntsman Center. The Utes extended their conference home winning streak to 39 games with the victory. Utah (10-6, 2-0 MWC) shot 49 percent from the field and 43 percent from three-point range. The Utes also shot 81 percent from the free throw line (17-of-21). UNLV (10-6, 1-1 MWC) was led by Kaspars Kambala's sixth double-double of the season with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Trevor Diggs led the team in scoring with 14 points. The Runnin' Rebels shot 44 percent from the field, 44 percent from three-point range and 73 percent from the free throw line. With the game tied at 63 with 3:47 left, Utah used a 10-0 run to run away with the game. UNLV fouled to try to get back into it, but Utah made 7-of-8 free throws in the last minute. The game was tied at 33 at the half.

AIR FORCE REVIEW (1/8)

Kaspars Kambala scored a game-high 18 points as UNLV defeated Air Force 65-54 at the Thomas & Mack Center in both team's Mountain West Conference Opener. Dalron Johnson and Trevor Diggs each contributed 12 points for UNLV (10-5, 1-0 MWC), which won its seventh straight game. Air Force (5-9, 0-1 MWC) was led by Jarvis Croff's 15 points. Robert Todd added 14 for the Falcons, who shot 40 percent from the field. UNLV shot 46 percent from the field, but a dismal 8.3 (1-of-12) percent from three-point range. The Runnin' Rebels held Air Force to only 25 (5-of-20) percent from three-point land. UNLV led 37-30 at the half and extended its lead to 13 points with 14:08 left. Air Force cut the lead to 47-40 with over 12 minutes remaining, but UNLV scored seven consecutive points to lead 54-40. Air Force cut the lead back down to eight points with 1:38 left, but UNLV hung on for the win.

CHICAGO STATE REVIEW (1/6)

Kaspars Kambala recorded his 33rd career double-double with game-highs of 24 points and 15 rebounds as UNLV routed Chicago State 106-71 at the Thomas & Mack Center. Lou Kelly added 13 points and Chris Richardson scored a career-high 12 for UNLV (9-5), which won its sixth straight game. Tony Jones led Chicago State (3-10) with 14 points. The Rebels had season-highs in points, margin of victory and field-goal percentage (.554). Kambala scored 18 points in the first half on 9-of-13 shooting. UNLV outrebounded Chicago State 43-29. The Runnin' Rebels used a 24-5 run to take a 50-32 advantage at halftime.

LOYOLA MARYMOUNT REVIEW (1/3)

Dalron Johnson recorded his ninth career double-double with game-highs of 21 points and 16 rebounds as UNLV defeated Loyola Marymount 75-60 at the Thomas & Mack Center. Johnson's 16 rebounds marked a new career-high, while he also contributed eight blocks and five assists (both career-highs as well). Trevor Diggs added 19 points for UNLV (8-5) LMU (4-8) was led by Elton Mashack's double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds. Both teams shot poorly with UNLV making 37 percent of its field-goal attempts, while LMU made 35 percent. The Lions shot only 27 percent in the second half. LMU outrebounded UNLV 54-50, but UNLV blocked 11 shots to LMU's one. LMU made only 2-of-19 from 3-point range.

OLD DOMINION REVIEW (12/31)

Kaspars Kambala recorded his 32nd career double-double with game-highs of 22 points and 16 rebounds as UNLV defeated Old Dominion 82-67 at Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va. Trevor Diggs scored 21, Dalron Johnson had 14 and Lou Kelly contributed 13 as UNLV (7-5) won its fourth straight game. Andre McCullum led the Monarchs (4-9) with 17 points. Rasheed Wright had 16 points, Ricardo Marsh scored 11, while Clifton Jones led ODU in rebounds with 10. UNLV shot .435 for the game, while limiting Old Dominion to .318. The Runnin' Rebels outrebounded the Monarchs 52-45. ODU led 36-35 at the half, but UNLV allowed ODU to shoot only 25 percent from the field in the second half.

MONMOUTH REVIEW (12/28)

Trevor Diggs scored a career-high 34 points as UNLV defeated Monmouth 81-70 at the Thomas & Mack Center for its third striaght win. Kaspars Kambala added 16 points, while Dalron Johnson had 12. Diggs scored the Runnin' Rebels' first 12 points of the game and scored 22 in the second half to finish with 34. He was 11-of-17 from the field, including 4-of-8 from three-point range. UNLV (6-5) shot 51.5 percent during the second half. The Rebels forced 18 first-half turnovers, but shot 30.6 percent in the first half and trailed the Hawks (6-3) 27-26 at halftime. Monmouth was led by Gerry Crosby's 21 points. Kevin Owens scored 18, while Steve Bridgemohan added 10. UNLV used a 14-4 run in the second half to take a 64-54 lead and control of the game.

PEPPERDINE REVIEW (12/22)

Led by Lou Kelly's 14 points, four Runnin' Rebels scored in double figures as UNLV defeated Pepperdine 69-64 at the Thomas & Mack Center. Kaspars Kambala, Danny Brotherson and Vince Booker each added 11 points for UNLV (5-5). Kelvin Gibbs and Brandon Armstrong led Pepperdine (6-5) with 16 points each. Booker made four free throws in the final 34 seconds and the Runnin' Rebels converted their final 10 free throws to hold on for the win. Pepperdine led for much of the game and had a chance to tie in the final seconds, but Armstrong missed a three-pointer with three seconds remaining. Kambala rebounded the missed shot and was fouled. He made both free throws to seal the victory. UNLV trailed by as many as 14 in the first half and didn't take the lead until 7:18 left in the game when Booker hit a three-pointer to put UNLV ahead 49-48.

ALASKA-ANCHORAGE REVIEW (12/18)

Kaspars Kambala scored 28 points and grabbed nine rebounds in only 19 minutes on the floor as UNLV routed Alaska-Anchorage 101-71 at the Thomas & Mack Center. Danny Brotherson added a season-high 15 points for UNLV (4-5), while Trevor Diggs and Jermaine Lewis scored 12 and 11 points, respectively. Ed Kirk led the Seawolves (4-3) with 32 points. UNLV shot 53.3 percent for the game, which included 62.9 in the second half on 22-of-35 shooting. UNLV also won the battle of the boards 50-33. After leading 47-41 at halftime, UNLV opened the second half of play with a 28-11 run. UNLV had another run of 12-0 which spanned 3:39. Alaska-Anchorage led for a majority of the first half thanks, in part, to Ed Kirk's 20 first-half points. The victory was the first for head coach Max Good, who was coaching he second game as UNLV's leader.

NO. 17 CINCINNATI REVIEW (12/16)

Dalron Johnson scored a team-high 17 points and blocked a career-high six shots, but No. 17 Cincinnati came away with the victory in the second game of the Las Vegas Showdown, 90-72, at the Thomas & Mack Center. (Auburn defeated Oregon 101-97 in overtime in the first game) It was Max Good's head coaching debut at UNLV (3-5). Both teams shot well (UC: 48 percent, UNLV: 49 percent), but Cincinnati (5-2) scored 22 points on second chances to UNLV's six in the same category. Leonard Stokes led all scorers with 23 points for Cincinnati. The Runnin' Rebels had a total of four players score in double figures (Johnson 17, Jermaine Lewis 15, Trevor Diggs 13, Kaspars Kambala 12), while Cincinnati had three (Stokes 23, Steve Logan 22, Kenny Satterfield 18). UNLV exploded out of the game taking a 12-1 lead but the Bearcats went on a 28-6 run to take a 12-point advantage. UC led at halftime 43-37. Cincinnati used a 15-8 run to begin the second half to take a 58-45 lead. UNLV closed the gap to 10 points with under 10 minutes left in the game when Cincinnati used a 9-1 run to put the game out of reach for the Runnin' Rebels.

NEVADA, RENO REVIEW (12/9)

Dalron Johnson scored a team-high 18 points and three other Runnin' Rebels scored in double-figures, but it wasn't enough to overcome 21 turnovers as UNLV (3-4) was defeated 80-71 by Nevada, Reno (5-1) at the Lawlor Events Center in Reno, Nev. Kaspars Kambala scored 15 points with nine rebounds, Jermaine Lewis turned in his first career double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds and Danny Brotherson scored 11 points. UNR's James Bayless led all scorers with 24 points and Terrance Green scored all 16 of his points in the second half. UNLV shot 47 percent compared to UNR's 39, but committed 21 turnovers, while the Wolf Pack only committed 9. Nevada, Reno trailed by as many as eight points in the first half, but committed just two turnovers the second half. Tied 54-54 with nine minutes left, UNR went on an 8-0 run that put it ahead 62-54 with 6:53 remaining. Johnson made a pair of free throws to pull UNLV to within five points at 65-60 with 5:13 left, but Bayless was fouled as he scored a basket and made the free throw to make it 70-60 with 3:43 left. Lewis hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 73-67 with 1:12 remaining, but the Runnin' Rebels didn't get any closer. UNLV opened a 28-20 lead with 2:30 left in the first half and led at halftime 34-28.

OKLAHOMA STATE REVIEW (12/2)

Dalron Johnson scored 19 points and Jermaine Lewis added 17, but the Runnin' Rebels couldn't overcome a poor first-half performance as they lost to Oklahoma State in overtime 77-69 at the Myriad Arena in Oklahoma City, Okla. Danny Brotherson added a season-high 12 points for UNLV. The Cowboys were led by Maurice Baker's game-high 23 points. Kaspars Kambala had his consecutive double-figure scoring streak snapped at 16 games when he only scored nine points for the Runnin' Rebels. He did add a game-high 12 rebounds. UNLV shot only 29.6 percent from the field in the first half and fell behind by as many as 13 points. Oklahoma State shot 43.8 percent in the first half to take a 35-24 halftime lead. UNLV (3-3) used an 8-2 run in the last four minutes of regulation to take its first lead of the game at 62-60. Brotherson hit two free throws with 7.9 seconds remaining to take the lead. When Oklahoma State got the ball, Brotherson fouled Victor Williams who sank both free throws with five seconds left to force overtime. Baker and Fredrik Jonzen combined to score 11 points in OT as the Cowboys ran away with the game. The Cowboys scored the first eight points in overtime. Kambala scored five straight points to cut the lead to 71-69 with 58.2 seconds left, but it wasn't enough as OSU scored the game's final six points off a dunk and four free throws.

CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE REVIEW (11/25)

Dalron Johnson and Kaspars Kambala each recorded double-doubles as UNLV defeated Cal State Northridge 70-69 at the Thomas & Mack Center. Johnson scored 18 points with 10 rebounds and Kambala had 10 points with 12 rebounds. UNLV shot .417 (25-of-60) from the field, while holding the Matadors to .356 (26-of-73). UNLV held CS Northridge to .118 from three-point range (2-of-17). Cal State Northridge only committed nine turnovers, to UNLV's 15, but the Runnin' Rebels blocked 7 shots to the Matadors' one. Trevor Diggs added 16 points, while Jermaine Lewis contributed 14 in the win. Brian Heinle scored 32 points with 11 rebounds to lead CSUN in both categories. Jermaine Lewis made a free throw with 3.1 seconds remaining to UNLV the 70-69 advantage. Heinle tossed up a three-pointer that would have won the game, but it fell short. UNLV led 60-51 with over six minutes left when Cal State Northridge began chipping away. Marco McClain made a three-pointer with eight seconds left to tie the game at 69-69. UNLV led 37-30 at halftime after trailing by as many as six points early on. The Rebels never trailed in the second half.

CHAMINADE REVIEW (11/22)

Kaspars Kambala led all players with 29 points and 15 rebounds as UNLV defeated Chaminade during the Maui Invitational's third round 90-78. The win gave UNLV seventh place in the tournament. Jermaine Lewis and Trevor Diggs each added 16 points for the Runnin' Rebels (2-2), who shot .508 from the floor (31-of-61) and .455 from three point range (10-of-22). Lafonte Johnson added 14 points, while Omari Pearson in his first college game scored 11. UNLV held Chaminade (0-3) to .437 shooting (31-of-71) and .333 from three point range (5-of-15). UNLV recorded five blocks as a team to Chaminade's 1. The Runnin' Rebels scored 50 points in the second half, which was a season-high for most points in half. Chaminade was paced by C.J. Cowgill's 19 points. Both teams had players in double figure scoring. UNLV took control of the contest in the second half, using a 20-7 run to give itself a 68-54 lead with 8:33 left. Chaminade cut the deficit to six points at 84-78 with 1:09 remaining, but the Runnin' Rebels went 6-of-6 from the free throw line over the final 51 seconds to take the win.

LOUISVILLE REVIEW (11/21)

Kaspars Kambala recorded a career-high of 37 points on 8-of-10 FG and 21-of-22 FT but it wasn't enough as Louisville defeated UNLV 86-85 in overtime in the second round of the Maui Invitational on Tuesday at Lahaina Civic Center. UNLV (1-2) shot .426 (26-of-61) from the field compared to Louisville's .485 (32-of-66). Louisville (2-1) outrebounded the Runnin' Rebels 44-33. UNLV shot only .263 from three point range (5-of-19), while Louisville made .400 (6-of-15). Louisville had five players score in double figures and UNLV had three. Marques Maybin scored 10 of Louisville's 12 overtime points to finish with 21 (Louisville's individual high). Louisville led 70-61 with 5:06 to play in regulation when UNLV went on a 13-4 run to force overtime. UNLV scored the final seven points in regulation. Kambala scored the first four points of overtime, but Maybin's four-point play tied the game with 3:56 left. Louisville took the lead for good at 86-85 with two free throws by Maybin with 54 seconds left. Dalron Johnson's 3-point attempt with four seconds left didn't fall. Kambala, who made his first 18 free throw attempts, set the tournament record for free throws, breaking Stanford's Todd Lichti's mark of 14 against Baylor in 1987. Johnson had 13 points and 12 rebounds for his seventh career double-double.

NO. 8 ILLINOIS REVIEW (11/20)

Frank Williams led all players with 22 points and 6 assists to lead No. 8 Illinois past UNLV 4-69 in the first round of the Maui Invitational on Monday at Lahaina Civic Center. As a team, Illinois (2-0) shot 50.9 percent (28-of-55) compared to UNLV's 43.9 percent (25-of-57). UNLV (1-1) lit it up from three point range (12-of-23), shooting 52.2 percent. Illinois was only 2-of-9 (22.2 percent). The Runnin' Rebels were led by Jermaine Lewis' 19 points (4-of-6 3pt). Kaspars Kambala added 14 points, but fouled out. Trevor Diggs scored 18 points (5-of-9 3pt). Illinois trailed by as many as 14 points in the first half but used runs of 9-0 and 11-0 to go into halftime tied at 36-36. Lewis's basket with 9:52 remaining tied the second half for the sixth time at 52-52 but Williams scored to give the Illini the lead for good. UNLV closed within two points on a layup by Lafonte Johnson but Illinois went on a 14-6 run to push its lead to 72-62 with 48 seconds left. Illinois outrebounded UNLV 42-31. The Illini had a total of three players in double figure scoring with Brian Cook recording a double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds. Marcus Griffin added 15 points.

NORTHERN ARIZONA REVIEW (11/17)

Kaspars Kambala recorded his 29th career double-double as UNLV routed Northern Arizona 81-60 in both teams season opener at the Thomas & Mack Center. Kambala scored 18 points (7-of-11 FG), pulled down 14 rebounds and had 4 assists. Trevor Diggs also contributed 18 points (7-of-14 FG, 3-of-7 3pt), while adding 3 assists and 2 steals. Dalron Johnson added 15 points (7-of-14 FG) for UNLV (1-0). As a team, the Runnin' Rebels shot 49.2% (32-of-65) to NAU's 45.8% (22-of-48) from the field, recorded only 8 turnovers to the Lumberjacks' 18 and had 8 steals to NAU's 2. Northern Arizona (0-1) had four players in double figure scoring and was led by Casey Grundman's 14 points. UNLV held a 41-30 halftime advantage and outrebounded NAU for the game 35-31.

UPCOMING TICKET PROMOTIONS

Jan. 27 vs. San Diego State is Rebel Red Night. Fans wearing red receive balcony admission for only $1. In addition, all kids are free for balcony seats.

TICKET INFORMATION

Season tickets may now be purchased for 50 percent off the regular price for every available seat in the Thomas & Mack Center starting as low as $62.50. Individual game tickets are priced at $15, $12, and $10 for balcony level. Plaza tickets, which are priced at $25, go on sale 24 hours prior to each game. Runnin' Rebel tickets may be purchased at the Thomas & Mack Center box office, all tickets.com locations and on the internet at www.unlvrebels.com. Group rates are available for groups of 20 or more. For all ticket information, call 895-UNLV.

UNLV ON THE WEB

The three-year-old UNLV athletics web site www.unlvrebels.com was re-launched this past May with an updated look and additional features to best serve fans and media interested in the Rebels. Originally launched in Nov. 1997, unlvrebels.com has steadily expanded in both content and usership but now boasts a new graphic design that elevates it to among the leaders in the industry. Designed for use by alumni, students, fans and media, the Rebels' home on the internet features in-depth, updated information 24 hours a day. The site features rosters, records, historical information and biographical sketches of players and coaches in addition to any and all results since the website first premiered.

RUNNIN' REBEL LUNCHEONS

UNLV Sports Marketing luncheons featuring Max Good will be held at the Si Redd Room in the Thomas & Mack Center. Media interested in attending should RSVP to UNLV SID Andy Grossman at (702) 895-3995. The remaining luncheons are scheduled for Jan. 31, Feb. 14 and Mar. 5. All luncheons begin at noon. For more information, call 895-UNLV.

INTERVIEWS

Interviews with UNLV men's basketball players and coaches may be arranged through SID Andy Grossman. Requests for interviews must be made at least 24 hours in advance by calling the UNLV sports information department at (702) 895-3995.

MEDIA TEAMLINK AND INFO CONNECTION

UNLV's release, statistics and latest box score are all available on the internet through www.mediateamlink.com. Media members may view documents on the internet or have the information e-mailed to them the moment it is updated. The service is free to all accredited members of the media. The same information is available on Info Connection and may be obtained by calling (770) 558-6000 from a fax machine. Media members without a PIN should call (770) 399-0096 to obtain one. The MWC's passcode is 922#. The Runnin' Rebel release code is 1906, the stats code is 1908 and the previous game box code is 1909.

MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT

The 2000-01 Mountain West Conference Basketball Championship will be played Thursday-Saturday, March 8-10, at the Thomas & Mack Center. UNLV is not eligible to compete because of the NCAA sanctions (UNLV is appealing). The champion will receive the MWC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. This is the second year that the MWC Tournament will be played in the building and the fifth straight conference tournament to be played at the T&M (The WAC held its championship at the T&M from 1997-99).

LAST SEASON - INAUGURAL MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS

UNLV compiled an overall record of 23-8 last season during the Mountain West Conference's inaugural season. The Runnin' Rebels were 10-4 in conference play and were the MWC co-champion with Utah. UNLV won the inaugural conference tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center with wins over San Diego State, Wyoming and BYU. UNLV was awarded with an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament where it fell to Tulsa in the first round, 89-62. It marked the second time in the past three years that UNLV made the NCAA Tournament and won the conference tournament. (The Rebels won the WAC Tournament and made the big dance in 1998) UNLV won 20 games for the third time in the last four years and qualified for postseason for the fourth straight year. UNLV also won the conference championship in some form for the third straight year. UNLV won the 1998 WAC Tournament, was the 1999 WAC Mountain Division Regular Season Co-Champs and was the 2000 Mountain West regular season co-champs and the MWC Tournament champions.

WITH HONORS

When the 1999-00 season was over, UNLV had plenty of hardware to go around. Head Coach Bill Bayno won the Coach of the Year award along with Air Force's Reggie Minton. Kaspars Kambala was named first-team All-Mountain West, Mark Dickel was second-team, Trevor Diggs and Dalron Johnson were named to the all-newcomer team and Johnson was named Freshman of the Year along with Air Force's Tom Bellairs. Along with becoming the Mountain West Conference's first tournament champion, UNLV had three players named to the all-tournament team: Mark Dickel (MVP), Kaspars Kambala and Dalron Johnson.

LAST YEAR - PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Last year Kaspars Kambala captured the Mountain West Conference Player of the Week award three times, the most by any player in the league. Mark Dickel won the award twice.

20 WINS

UNLV notched its third 20-win season under head coach Bill Bayno over the last four seasons in 1999-00 (23-8). It also marked the 27th 20-win season in the 42 years of UNLV basketball. The 23 victories was the most in Bayno's tenure as head coach and the most since the 1991-92 team was 26-2.