Feb. 12, 2002

LAS VEGAS - The Runnin' Rebels, winners of two straight games and five of their last six, will host Florida International in a non-conference game on Wed., Feb. 13, at 7:35 p.m. at the Thomas & Mack Center. The game, which will be UNLV's third straight at home, may be heard live in Las Vegas on KBAD 920 AM (ESPN Radio) and worldwide on the internet at UNLVRebels.com with Ken Korach and Glen Gondrezick calling the action. This game will not be broadcast on television.

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Wed., Feb. 13Florida International at UNLV7:35 p.m. PST

Game at Thomas & Mack Center (18,500), Las Vegas, Nev., Game may be heard live on KBAD 920 AM (ESPN Radio) in Las Vegas and worldwide on the internet at UNLVRebels.com

THE RUNNIN' REBELS

UNLV (13-8, 5-4 MWC) has won its last two games and five of its last six overall. UNLV is coming off a home sweep of the Utah schools, a 73-70 win oer BYU and a 72-64 victory over Utah. On Saturday, vs. BYU, Vince Booker made a 3-pointer as time expired to break a 70-70 tie to win the game. The Runnin' Rebels are 10-2 at home and 3-6 away from the Thomas & Mack Center this season. The team is under new leadership this year as Charlie Spoonhour is in his first year running the Rebel program. Dalron Johnson leads the team in scoring (17.2) and rebounding (7.0). Marcus Banks is second in scoring (14.8) and leads the team in assists (2.9). Lou Kelly is also averaging double figures in scoring (13.6). Last year, the squad finished with an overall record of 16-13 and placed fourth in the Mountain West Conference with a 7-7 mark.

THE FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL GOLDEN PANTHERS

Florida International (10-16, 4-8 Sun Belt Conference) comes to Las Vegas with a four-game losing streak. FIU has most recently loss at home to Louisiana-Lafayette 65-60 on Saturday. FIU is 8-6 at home and 1-8 away this season. The Golden Panthers are led in scoring by 6-9 freshman foward Taurance Johnson (15.2) and 6-6 junior forward Rodrigo Viegas (13.1). Johnson leads the team in rebounding (6.3) and 6-7 junior forward Carlos Morban leads the team in assists (3.6). Head Coach Donnie Marsh is in his second year at the school with a record of 18-37 (.327) and in his seventh year overall as a head coach with a career mark of 94-91 (.508). FIU was 8-21 overall last year and finished fifth in the Sun Belt East last year at 5-11.

SERIES HISTORY

This is the first-ever meeting between FIU and UNLV in men's basketball

UP NEXT

After the FIU game, UNLV will hit the road to face Wyoming in Laramie on Sat., Feb. 16 at 3:05 p.m. PST.

UPCOMING PROMOTIONS

Wednesday, Feb. 13 vs. Florida International is Ladies Night. All ladies will receive free balcony level tickets. Tickets may be picked up day of game only at the Thomas & Mack Center box office.

SCHEDULE CHANGE

The New Mexico game on March 2 was originally scheduled for a 7:35 p.m. start. It has been changed to 7:05 p.m.

JOHNSON SCORES 1,000TH CAREER POINT

Dalron Johnson scored his 1,000th career point at New Mexico on Feb. 5. He has become the 30th player in Runnin' Rebel history to score at least 1,000 career points. Johnson currently has 1,035 career points, which puts him at No. 29 on the all-time UNLV scoring chart. Tyrone Nesby is No. 28 with 1,050 points and Sunshine Smith is No. 27 with 1,093.

MOVIN' UP THE CHART

With 136 blocked shots for his career, Dalron Johnson is No. 5 on the all-time Runnin' Rebel blocked shot list. At BYU, Johnson blocked two shots to pass Stacey Augmon, who was previously fifth with 128. Keon Clark is No. 4 with 138.

DOUBLE-FIGURE SCORING STREAK

Dalron Johnson has scored 10 or more points in 16 straight games. For the season, he has scored in double figures in 20 of 21 games.

SIX PLAYERS SCORE 10 OR MORE

UNLV had six players score in double figures in the same game for the first time this season vs. DePaul on Feb. 3. UNLV has had two other games in which it has had five players score in double figures. Five Runnin' Rebels scored 10 or more points vs. UNR and at San Diego State. UNLV has had four players score 10 or more points in the same game five other times this year.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

UNLV is 10-2 at home this year...is 10-1 when heading into the locker room ahead at halftime....is 8-1 when shooting a higher field goal percentage in a game than its opponent...is 8-1 when taking less shots in a game than its opponent...is 7-0 when shooting 50 percent or better from the field in a game...is 9-2 when taking less 3-point shots in a game than opponent...is 10-3 when going to the free throw line more in a game than its opponent...is 8-0 when outrebounding its opponent in a game...is 9-1 when recording more assists in a game than its opponent...is 10-3 when committing less fouls in a game than its opponent...is 6-1 when scoring 80 or more points in a game and 12-2 when scoring 70 or more...is 7-2 when limiting its opponent to less than 70 points in a game.

BLOCKED SHOT STREAKS

Dalron Johnson has had two separate streaks of 10 and eight games in which he blocked at least one shot in a game this season. He has blocked at least one shot in 20 of his last 24 games. Johnson is No. 5 on UNLV's all-time blocked shot list. Last year he blocked at least one shot in 22 of his 27 games and during his freshman year he blocked at least one shot in 21 of 31 games, so for his career he has blocked a shot in 60 of 79 games. That is 76.0 percent of the games.

20 POINT CLUB

Three Runnin' Rebels have scored 20 or more points in a game this season a combined 17 times. Marcus Banks and Dalron Johnson have each had six 20-plus point nights, while Lou Kelly has done it five times. Marcus Banks is the only Runnin' Rebel to have scored 30 or more points in a game as he scored 31 vs. Old Dominion.

STEALING THE BALL

UNLV holds a decisive advantage this year over its opponents in steals. UNLV has recorded 217 steals to its opponents' 128. That is a 10.3 to 6.1 per game average. UNLV leads the Mountain West Conference in steals this year and is recording almost two full steals more per game than Air Force, which is second with 8.5 per game. Four UNLV players rank in the top 13 in steals in the Mountain West Conference.

SHOOTING 50 PERCENT

When UNLV shoots 50 percent or better from the field, it wins. The Runnin' Rebels are 7-0 in games in which they shoot over 50 percent. UNLV shot 56.4 percent vs. Wisconsin, 60.3 percent vs. Nicholls State, 52.4 percent vs. Nevada, Reno, 58.2 percent vs. Tennessee State, 52.5 percent at Air Force, 54.2 percent vs. Colorado State and 57.4 percent vs. DePaul. As a team after 21 games, UNLV is shooting 45.8 percent from the field.

BANKS WAS ON A ROLL

During a four game stretch from Dec. 20 through Dec. 30, Marcus Banks averaged 27.0 ppg, shot 58.3 (35-of-60) percent from the field and 60 (6-of-10) percent from 3-point range. In each of those four games, he set a new career-high in scoring (22, 26, 29, 31).

100 POINTS

For the fourth consecutive season, UNLV has scored 100 or more points in a game. UNLV scored 101 vs. Tennessee State on Dec. 28. Last year, the Runnin' Rebels scored 100 or more points in a game three times.

RUNNIN' REBELS IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST STATS

Through games of Feb. 12, UNLV leads the MWC in two team statistical categories. UNLV is No. 1 in steals with 10.33 per game and is first in turnover margin at +3.24 (UNLV's opponents turn the ball over an average of 3.24 more times per game than the Rebels). The Runnin' Rebels are third in scoring offense with 74.7 ppg and are third in blocked shots with 4.14 per game. Individually, Dalron Johnson is in the top five in the following categories: blocks (1st with 1.67 per game), scoring (2nd with 17.2 ppg), steals (2nd with 1.95 per game), free throw percentage (4th with .843) and offensive rebounds (T4th with 2.62 per game). Other Rebels in the top five are Marcus Banks (1st in steals with 2.29 per game and Chris Richardson (4th in field goal percentage with .554).

UNLV IS 40-7 IN LAST 47 GAMES AT THE MACK'

The Runnin' Rebels are in their 19th season in the 18,500-seat Thomas & Mack Center. UNLV has posted an all-time record of 252-44 (.851) in the arena since it opened in 1983. This year, the Runnin' Rebels are 10-2 at home. They were 12-3 at home in 2000-01 and were 18-2 during the 1999-00 season, so UNLV has won 40 of its last 47 games at home. UNLV has been edged at home by four points or less 17 times and the 44 losses has been by an average of 7.9 points (349 total points).

LAST TIME OUT - UTAH (FEB. 11)

Dalron Johnson scored a game-high 17 points Monday night to lead UNLV, which rallied from a 12-point first-half deficit, past Utah 72-64 at the Thomas & Mack Center. UNLV (13-8, 5-4) also was aided in its comeback by guard Marcus Banks, who injured his left ankle with 6:10 left in the first half, but returned with 10:12 left in the game, and finished with 12 points, after scoring 10 in the second half. Louis Amundson also added 12 points and seven rebounds for the Rebels. Britton Johnsen led Utah (17-5, 7-2) with 16 points, while teammate Jeff Johnsen added 11 points. Cameron Koford also chipped in 10 points and eight rebounds for the Utes. UNLV converted 20-of-28 from the free throw line, while Utah made 5-of-5. The Utes scored the first 11 points of the game and held a 37-25 lead with 3:01 left in the first half. Turnovers helped UNLV in its comeback, with Utah turning the ball over 22 times, while UNLV lost possession only eight times. UNLV took the lead for good, 53-51, with 7:42 left in the game and made 5-of-6 free throws at the end of the game to seal the win.

SPOONHOUR WINS IN 500TH GAME

UNLV Head Coach Charlie Spoonhour coached his 500th game as a Division I head coach vs. Tennessee State on Dec. 28. The win gave Spoonhour his 325th career win. Spoonhour is in his 17th season as a Division I head coach and has a career record of 332-179 (.650).

16-POINT HALFTIME DEFICIT TURNED INTO 2-POINT WIN

At Loyola Marymount, UNLV trailed by 16 points at halftime (41-25) and came back to win by two. The Runnin' Rebels shot 27.8 percent (10-of-36) from the field and 18.2 percent (2-of-11) from 3-point range in the first half. UNLV turned things around in the second half by making 10 of its first 12 field goal attempts. For the second half, the Runnin' Rebels shot 64.3 percent (18-of-28). For the game, UNLV had a season-high in steals with 16 and a then-season-low in turnovers with 12.

SECOND-HALF COMEBACK - AGAIN - BUT NOT QUITE ENOUGH

Against Texas, UNLV found itself down by 17 points at 50-33 with 14 minutes left in the game and cut the deficit to only one point (73-72) with 4:20 left. Texas, however, held on for the win.

FROM THE STRIPE

When Marcus Banks missed his fifth free throw attempt of the game vs. Wyoming on Jan. 5, his streak of 22 consecutive made free throws came to an end. He was 9-of-10 from the line vs. Tennessee State, 11-of-11 vs. Old Dominion and 5-of-9 vs. Wyoming.

FROM THE STRIPE 2

After missing his first free throw attempt of the season vs. Wisconsin, Dalron Johnson made 14 consecutive free throws. He missed his first attempt of the game at LMU, so his streak ended at 14. He is shooting free throws at 84.3 percent (59-of-70) this year. Johnson leads the team in free throw percentage. Lou Kelly is second at .779 (74-of-95).

EVERYONE SCORES THIS YEAR

Every Runnin' Rebel that has suited up for a game this season has scored at least three points.

FIRST CAREER DOUBLE-DOUBLE

Senior Chris Richardson recorded his first career double-double vs. Nevada, Reno with 13 points and a career-high 12 rebounds.

MORE DOUBLE-DOUBLES

Junior Dalron Johnson has recorded his 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th double-doubles of his career this year. He had 23 points and 10 rebounds at LMU, 19 points and 10 rebounds vs. Tennessee State, 19 points and 14 rebounds vs. Old Dominion and 25 points and 11 rebounds at New Mexico.

NICE FIRST HALF

It would be difficult to imagine Dalron Johnson having a better first half than he did against Nicholls State. Johnson was 8-of-9 from the field, 3-of-3 from 3-point range, had 19 points, 3 rebounds and an assist, a block and a turnover in 13 minutes of action. He ended up scoring a career-high 29 points for the game on 13-of-16 shooting including 3-of-5 from 3-point range. He also tallied 5 rebounds in a total of 19 minutes.

MARGIN OF VICTORY

UNLV's 43-point victory over Nicholls State was its largest margin of victory since defeating Sacred Heart by 47, 103-56, on Nov. 14, 1998.

MARCUS BANKS - MWC PLAYER OF THE WEEK - DEC. 31

Marcus Banks was named the Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week on Dec. 31 after leading the Runnin' Rebels to victories over Tennessee State and Old Dominion. Banks averaged 30 points, four rebounds, five assists and 3.5 steals in two victories at the Thomas & Mack Center. He shot 64 percent from the field (18-of-28), 67 percent from 3-point range (4-of-6) and 95 percent from the free throw line (20-of-21). In the 101-83 win vs. Tennessee State, Banks scored a then career-high 29 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range and 9-of-10 from the charity stripe. He also had a career-high tying six assists, five rebounds and five steals in 30 minutes of action. Against Old Dominion, Banks led the Runnin' Rebels to a second-half comeback win, 84-76, with a career-high 31 points on 9-of-15 shooting, including 2-of-3 from 3-point land and a perfect 11-of-11 from the free throw line. He also had four assists, three rebounds and two steals in 35 minutes of action. It was Banks' first player of the week honor.

DALRON JOHNSON - MWC PLAYER OF THE WEEK - DEC. 17

Dalron Johnson was named the Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week on Dec. 17 after posting a double-double in the Runnin' Rebels 70-68 win at Loyola Marymount. Johnson helped UNLV erase a 16-point halftime deficit and pull out a two-point victory over the Lions. He collected his first double-double of the season and the 10th of his career with 23 points and 10 rebounds. He shot 47.6 percent from the field, blocked two shots and had a career-high six steals. It was Johnson's first player of the week honor of his career.

UNLV WINS VS. MOUNTAIN WEST

The Runnin' Rebels have a .500-or-better record all-time against the other seven members of the conference. Air Force (13-1), BYU (7-6), Colorado State (14-5), New Mexico (11-9), San Diego State (22-5), Utah (11-10), Wyoming (13-9).

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 252-44 (.851) at the Thomas & Mack Center. Utah is second at .823 (410-88).

IN OVERTIME

UNLV is 36-18 (.667) all-time in overtime games. UNLV is 1-1 in overtime this season, winning 80-79 win at San Diego State on Jan. 26 and losing 84-81 at New Mexico on Feb. 5. Last season, UNLV was 1-2 in overtime games. Additionally, UNLV is 29-15 in single overtime games, 5-3 in double overtime and 2-0 in triple overtime. The Runnin' Rebels have a record of 6-3 in overtime games at the Thomas & Mack Center.

HOLDEN LEAVES PROGRAM

Jamal Holden was granted a release from the UNLV men's basketball program on Dec. 18. Holden, a 6-10 center, who transferred to UNLV from Westark (Ark.) College prior to this season, had played in five games, averaging 8.0 minutes per game. He also averaged 2.2 points and 2.2 rebounds per game.

LEWIS WILL NOT PLAY THIS YEAR

Jermaine Lewis will sit out the remainder of the 2001-02 season and complete rehabilitation to return at full strength for the 2002-03 year. Lewis, a 6-4 guard from Houston, Texas, had surgery to repair his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in May. "We want to protect the integrity of the surgery," head coach Charlie Spoonhour said on January 9. "We want to give Jermaine the best chance to compete at 100 percent of his capabilities. He is progressing on a normal schedule for the surgery, which has a six-to-nine month complete healing period. To have him come back now would be premature." This season will count as Lewis' redshirt year and he will return to play for the 2002-03 season for his final year of eligibility.

RUNNIN' THE REBELS - CHARLIE SPOONHOUR

UNLV has a new head coach this year. Charlie Spoonhour became the 12th head coach in Runnin' Rebel history on March 29. He came to UNLV after spending two years out of coaching, but he didn't stray too far away from the game as he served in the media as an analyst on college basketball broadcasts. Prior to that he was the head coach at Saint Louis University for seven years. Before SLU, Spoonhour was head coach at Southwest Missouri State University for nine seasons. He has a 17-year Division I head coaching record of 332-179 (.650) and has led 11 teams to the postseason, including eight to the NCAA Tournament.

THE REST OF THE STAFF

UNLV also has three new assistant coaches. They are Deane Martin, Jay Spoonhour and Derek Thomas. UNLV has retained Dave Rice, who will serve this season as Director of Basketball Operations. Rice is in his ninth year on staff. Martin was most recently the associate head coach at Tennessee-Martin. Spoonhour (Charlie's son) was most recently head coach at Wabash Valley JC in Mt. Carmel, Ill., where he led the team to the junior college national championship with a record of 36-1 and was named the National Junior College Coach of the Year. Thomas was most recently with the NBA's Atlanta Hawks.

EARLY SIGNINGS

J.K. Edwards and James Peters have both signed a national letter of intent to enroll at UNLV and play basketball for the Runnin' Rebels beginning with the 2002-03 season. Both players will enroll at UNLV as juniors. Edwards, a 6-foot-8, 250-pound center from Indian Hills (Iowa) Community College, averaged 12.8 points and 6.4 rebounds last season. He was selected as a first team All-America last year and played in the Tournament of the Americas in Argentina this past August (on the same team as current Runnin' Rebel Marcus Banks). Edwards chose UNLV over Wisconsin, Tennessee and Iowa State. Peters, a 6-8, 215-pound forward from Butler County (Kan.) Community College, averaged 14.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and shot 59 percent from the floor last season. The second-team All-Jayhawk Conference selection chose UNLV over Illinois, Michigan State and DePaul.

44 YEARS OF BASKETBALL

The 2001-02 year marks the 44th season of Runnin' Rebel basketball at UNLV. Since the program's inception in 1958-59, the Runnin' Rebels have posted an all-time record of 925-359 (.720). In 1969-70, UNLV made the move to Division I and has since posted a record of 738-255 (.743) while competing at that level. In addition, UNLV has an all-time mark of 890-336 (.726) against Division I competition.

"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 496 games played. During that span, the Runnin' Rebels have made 3,242-of-8,978 (.361) 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 513. 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 549 of the 560 games in which the rule was used. In the 560 total games, the Runnin' Rebels have shot .362 from this distance while sinking 3,437-of-9,483 attempts. UNLV holds the NCAA record for most consecutive games scoring a 3-point field goal. Prior to the beginning of the 2001-02 season, Vanderbilt was No. 2 on the list, three behind UNLV.

NOTEWORTHY NOEL

For the first time, the UNLV men's basketball team has one of its players writing a weekly diary for UNLV's website UNLVRebels.com. Noel Bloom will write an entry each week and it will be posted at http://unlvrebels.fansonly.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/noel-diary-index.html. Just go to the men's basketball page at UNLVRebels.com and click on the Noteworthy Noel graphic on the right-hand side of the page. This feature on the web gives fans a look inside the team from a different perspective. Previous entries are archived for later viewing.

RUNNIN' REBELS ON THE AIR

All Runnin' Rebel games are carried live on KBAD 920 AM (ESPN Radio) in Las Vegas and on the internet at UNLVRebels.com. Ken Korach and Glen Gondrezick are in their 10th season calling Runnin' Rebel basketball. Broadcasts will start one-half hour prior to the beginning of each game with the pregame show and the postgame show will feature a live interview with head coach Charlie Spoonhour followed by fan call-ins. The broadcasts are also available inside the Thomas & Mack Center by tuning to 99.5 FM. The fan call-in number is (702) 876-8585.

UNLV SPORTS NETWORK

For the first time Runnin' Rebel games are being heard on a regional network of stations. ESPN Regional at UNLV and Lotus Broadcasting have teamed up with PV Radio and KZBZ Radio to help create the first-ever UNLV Sports Network, a seven station grouping that will reach across the state and into parts of Arizona, California and Utah. The stations are in Las Vegas (Network Flagship - 920 AM), Pahrump, Nev. (95.9 FM), Amargosa Valley, Nev. (96.7 FM), Beatty, Nev. (93.5 FM), Scotty's Junction, Nev. (94.3 FM), Death Valley, Calif. (91.1 FM) and Pioche, Nev. (98.9 FM - Lincoln County and most of Southern Utah).

COACH'S SHOWS

"Game Time with UNLV Hoops" television show is shown Sundays at 9:00 p.m. on Las Vegas One (cable channels 1 and 39) and on KLAS TV-8 at 11:30 p.m. The show is hosted by Chris Maathuis and features head coach Charlie Spoonhour.

"The Charlie Spoonhour Radio Show" may be heard live Tuesdays from the ESPN Zone at New York-New York Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. The show airs from 7-8 p.m. on KBAD 920 AM (ESPN Radio) in Las Vegas and may be heard on the internet at UNLVRebels.com on an archived basis. It is hosted by Ken Korach and Glen Gondrezick and features head coach Charlie Spoonhour.

TICKET INFORMATION

Individual game balcony tickets are priced at $15 and $12. Individual game seats on the plaza level for men's basketball will go on sale only 24 hours prior to each game. Those tickets are $25. Also on sale are Family Four Packs, which include 4 balcony level tickets, 4 hot dogs, 4 popcorns, and 4 sodas, all for $56. Family Four Packs are only available for purchase at the Thomas & Mack Center Box Office. Individual game tickets may be purchased at the Thomas & Mack Center Box Office, at all Tickets.com locations, by calling Tickets.com at (888) 464-2468, and by logging onto UNLVRebels.com. For more ticket information, please call (702) 895-UNLV.

LUNCHEONS

UNLV Sports Marketing luncheons featuring Charlie Spoonhour will be held at the Si Redd Room at the Thomas & Mack Center. The remaining luncheons are scheduled for Feb. 14 and March 5. Luncheons begin at noon and are $10 for the public. Media interested in attending should RSVP to Andy Grossman. For more information, please call (702) 895-UNLV.

REBELS ON TV

UNLV is scheduled to appear on television at least 18 times this season. The Runnin' Rebels are scheduled to appear on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN+plus, ABC, SportsWest and ESPN Regional at UNLV.

MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT

The 2001-02 Mountain West Conference Basketball Championship will be played Thursday-Saturday, March 7-9, at the Thomas & Mack Center. All eight teams will compete in the tournament with the champion receiving the MWC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. This is the third year that the MWC Tournament will be played at the Thomas & Mack Center and the sixth straight year a conference tournament will be played at the TMC (The WAC held its championship at the TMC from 1997-99).

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 692#. The Runnin' Rebel release code is 1906, the stats code is 1908 and the previous game box code is 1909.