March 9, 2004
DENVER, Colo. -
BYU Game Notes in PDF Format
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UNLV Complete MWC Tournament Notes in PDF Format
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For the fourth straight season, UNLV and BYU will face off in the Mountain West Tournament, as the Lady Rebels take on BYU in the final game of the quarterfinals on Wednesday at 7:30 pm. UNLV will look to reverse its tournament history, as they have been knocked out by the Cougars the past three years, including the 2002 championship game in Las Vegas. UNLV knows that to win the MWC, you need to go through the Cougars, as BYU has played in all four MWC finals, winning in 2002 over UNLV.
UNLV did post its first-ever sweep over BYU this year however, and enter the conference with a 21-6 overall record and a school record 10 MWC wins. A win would not only push them closer to the MWC championship game, but would also keep alive their chances for an at-large bid to the NCAAs. In the five-year history of the Mountain West, only one of the 11 teams that have posted 20 wins in a season not earned a bid to the NCAA (the 1999-00 Colorado State team was 20-9 after the MWC Tournament, and played in the WNIT). UNLV is one of three teams with 20 or more wins this year, along with conference regular season co-champions Utah (22-6) and New Mexico (20-7). UNLV also received five votes in this week's AP Top 25 poll.
The Lady Rebels have been winning off their offense, averaging a league-high 72.3 ppg, while shooting 44.7% from the floor. UNLV is 15-0 when they score 70 or more points. They are also dominating the boards with an 8.7 rebound margin, sixth-best in the nation.
Tournament Notes
- Change In Radio Broadcast Team Lady Rebel longtime radio play-by-play announcer Bob Blum was forced to miss the MWC Tournament trip, as he is recovering after a bout with pneousmai during the last UNLV road trip to Utah. San Diego State announcer Bill Earley will fill in as play-by-play announcer for UNLV during its games in the tournament, while UNLV SID Mark Wasik will continue as color on the broadcasts.
- All MWC Tournament Games to be televised All seven games of the MWC Tournament will be televised, and will be available in the Las Vegas area on Cox Channel 48. UNLV's quarterfinal game against BYU is set for Wednesday at 7:30 pm. If UNLV advances to the semifinals, their game will be shown on Friday at 2:30 pm, and will be shown on both Cox 48, and shown on CSTV (College Sports TV) for those with Direct TV. Saturday's game is being broadcast by ESPN2 on a tape-delay basis.
