March 16, 2003
LAS VEGAS - The UNLV men's basketball team will be playing in the postseason for the second consecutive year as it will host Hawaii in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament on Wednesday, March 19 at 9:00 p.m. at the Thomas & Mack Center. The game will be televised live on ESPN2.
Ticket prices are $25 for plaza level seats, $15 for balcony level and five dollars for UNLV students with valid ID. General public tickets will go on sale on Monday, March 17, at 11:00 a.m. and may be purchased at the Thomas & Mack Center Box Office, by calling (702) 739-FANS, online at UNLVtickets.com and at the UNLVtickets outlets at all Station Casinos and Fiesta properties, or the Galleria at Sunset, Boulevard Mall or Meadows Mall.
A special block of plaza-level seats for UNLV Athletics Scholarship Donors will be held and be available for purchase until 4:00 p.m. on Monday, March 17. Scholarship donors should call the VIP Donor Services Department at (702) 895-1533, (702) 895-4826 or (702) 895-4753 to purchase tickets.
The Si Redd room at the Thomas & Mack Center will open at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday for Scarlet and Gray Club and Rebel Hospitality Club members.
UNLV (21-10) fell short in its Mountain West Conference Tournament run losing to Colorado State in the championship game Saturday night at the TMC. The Runnin' Rebels finished tied for third in the Mountain West Conference this season with an 8-6 mark and have won three of their last four games and are 8-3 in their last 11 overall.
Hawaii (18-11) is coming off a semifinal loss to Tulsa (66-56) in the WAC Tournament on Friday. Hawaii finished tied for sixth in the WAC this season with a 9-9 record. The Rainbow Warriors have won three of their last four games.
This is the Runnin' Rebels second straight NIT appearance as they defeated Arizona State 96-91 last year at the Thomas & Mack Center on March 12, 2002 in the first round and lost at South Carolina 75-65 on March 19, 2002 in the second round to conclude their season with a 21-11 overall record.
With this invitation, UNLV has made the postseason six of the past seven seasons (two NCAA Tournament appearances in 1998 and 2000 and NIT appearances is 1997, 1999, 2002 and 2003).
This 2003 NIT will mark UNLV's seventh in program history. The program has an all-time NIT record of 7-7 and turned in its best finish in 1980 when it advanced to the semifinals in New York.
Head Coach Charlie Spoonhour, in his second season at UNLV and 18th overall, has now led 13 teams to the postseason. Five of his teams have played in the NIT, advancing furthest in 1986 with Southwest Missouri State making the quarterfinals.
UNLV is 17-7 all-time against Hawaii. The last time the two teams played was on March 3, 1998 in the WAC Tournament's first round at the Thomas & Mack Center. UNLV won that game 64-59. Before that, UNLV hosted Hawaii in the 1997 NIT's second round on Mar. 17 and defeated the Rainbow Warriors 89-80 in overtime at the Thomas & Mack Center.
The Runnin' Rebels have won the last two games against Hawaii. UNLV's last loss to Hawaii was on Feb. 6, 1997 in a WAC game in Honolulu 66-64. UNLV has won the last two games against Hawaii played at the Thomas & Mack Center.
