March 13, 2005
LAS VEGAS - The UNLV men's basketball team has been extended a bid to the National Invitation Tournament for the fourth consecutive season and will host Arizona State in the first round on Thursday, March 17 at 9 p.m. PST at the Thomas & Mack Center. The game will be televised live on ESPN2.
Ticket prices are $15 for plaza level seats, $10 for balcony level and $5 for UNLV students with valid ID. General public tickets will go on sale on Monday, March 14 at 10 a.m. and may be purchased at the Thomas & Mack Center Box Office, by calling (702) 739-FANS or online at UNLVtickets.com.
Current season-ticket holders have until Tuesday at 5 p.m. to purchase their seats before those locations are released to the public.
UNLV (16-13), under first-year head coach Lon Kruger, lost in the semifinals of the Mountain West Conference Tournament to Utah, 73-67, on Friday night in Denver. The Runnin' Rebels finished in a tie for fourth place in the MWC this season with a 7-7 mark. UNLV had won seven of eight games before falling in the conference tournament.
Arizona State (18-13) lost in the first round of the Pac-10 Tournament to Washington, 95-90, in overtime on Thursday. The Sun Devils tied for sixth place in the Pac-10 Conference this season with a 7-11 mark. ASU has lost four straight games.
This is the Runnin' Rebels fourth straight NIT appearance. UNLV lost at Boise State, 84-69, in the NIT's opening round last season to finish with an overall record of 18-13.
With this invitation, UNLV has made the postseason eight of the past nine years (two NCAA Tournament appearances in 1998 and 2000 and NIT appearances in 1997, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005).
The 2005 NIT will mark UNLV's ninth in program history. The Runnin' Rebels have an all-time NIT record of 7-9 and turned in their best finish in 1980 when it advanced to the semifinals in New York.
Kruger in his 19th season overall, has now led 12 of his teams to the postseason, nine to the NCAA Tournament and three in the NIT.
UNLV is 1-2 all time record against Arizona State. The last meeting was in the first round of the 2002 NIT, a 96-91 UNLV win at the Thomas & Mack Center (Mar. 12, 2002). Prior to that, UNLV lost 79-70 on Dec. 5, 1998 at America West Arena in Phoenix and the first meeting was an 84-81 loss on March 6, 1975 at the NCAA Tournament's West Regional in Portland, Ore.
The last time UNLV hosted an NIT game was in 2003 when the Runnin' Rebels lost 85-68 to Hawaii.
The winner of the Arizona State at UNLV game on Thursday will face the winner of the Miami (Fla.) at South Carolina game in the NIT's second round on March 19, 21 or 22 at a location and time to be determined.
