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UNLV and New Mexico square off in conference title "elimination game"


Next Game



For those questioning the title of this post, follow me on this.  Both teams have six games remaining (BYU has seven) after this one and certainly anything can happen in those remaining games to throw the regular season conference title up in the air.  However, BYU would seem to have the easiest schedule remaining.  If UNLV loses to New Mexico, they drop a game back and still have to go to San Diego State and Utah.  If New Mexico loses, they drop a game back and still have to go to BYU.  Thus, as far as I can tell, the loser of this game is more or less out of the race for the regular season conference title.

Given the stakes of this game, and the talent on the floor, UNLV-New Mexico should be a highly entertaining affair.  This is the first time since 1993 that UNLV will be ranked and hosting another ranked team in the regular season (#15 hosting #18 Georgetown then), and this is the first time since 1991 that two ranked conference opponents squared off in the Thomas & Mack Center.  Throw in the fact that it's on national television with UNLV potentially hosting its second straight sell-out for the first time in two-plus decades, and you've got the makings of a great game.

Star-divide

These two teams squared off a month ago at The Pit, in a game that saw UNLV surprise the Lobos in a rare home-court loss.  While Tre'Von Willis and Chace Stanback had begun emerging as dual threats for the Rebels, the difference-maker was Kendall Wallace, who came off the bench to pour in seven 3-pointers, six of which came in the second half.  With Derrick Jasper on the sideline for a few more weeks, Wallace has moved into the starting lineup.  It's safe to say New Mexico will not leave him quite so open this time around. Furthermore, Wallace is often either on fire, or ice-cold, so the team cannot really count on consistent production from him.  If UNLV is going to complete the rare season sweep of the Lobos, they'll need somebody else to step up alongside Willis.

The Lobos are led by Darington Hobson who is coming off arguably his best game of the season with 29 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists versus San Diego State.  I'd imagine defensively Chace Stanback would draw the assignment, but I'm not certain of that.  Normally Jasper might help out, but with his injury the Rebels are a bit smaller than normal.  Hobson leads this team, but Alford has brought in talent across the board.  Roman Martinez puts up 13.8 ppg and 6.0 rpg, providing a solid #2 to Hobson.  New Mexico leads the Mountain West in rebounding, an area in which UNLV struggles mightily at times.  If the Lobos can take control of the boards, they have a good chance to pull off the upset in Las Vegas.

UNLV Rebels


FG 3PT FT Rebounds Misc
G M M A Pct M A Pct M A Pct Off Def Tot Ast TO Stl Blk PF PPG
Tre`Von Willis 22 28.4 5.6 11.4 49.6 1.2 4.0 29.5 5.5 6.5 85.2 0.9 3.2 4.1 3.2 2.4 1.1 0.3 2.5 18.0
Chace Stanback 23 24.7 3.9 8.9 43.9 0.8 2.7 29.5 1.7 2.1 81.6 1.7 4.1 5.8 1.4 1.6 1.4 0.8 2.5 10.3
Oscar Bellfield 23 27.7 3.4 8.0 42.6 1.2 3.3 36.4 1.4 2.0 71.7 0.8 1.7 2.5 4.7 2.0 1.0 0.3 2.6 9.4
Matt Shaw 23 15.7 2.6 5.3 49.6 1.0 2.0 46.8 1.1 1.4 75.8 0.8 2.1 3.0 0.4 0.6 0.3 0.6 2.3 7.3
Kendall Wallace 23 19.1 2.3 5.6 40.3 1.7 4.4 38.2 0.6 0.7 76.5 0.5 1.4 1.9 1.1 0.5 0.4 0.0 1.8 6.8
Derrick Jasper 21 24.5 2.6 5.6 46.6 0.4 1.6 26.5 1.1 2.2 48.9 0.5 4.3 4.9 2.9 1.3 1.1 0.4 2.2 6.8
Darris Santee 23 12.3 1.9 3.0 63.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.9 1.6 56.8 1.0 2.7 3.7 0.1 0.5 0.2 0.5 1.9 4.7
Anthony Marshall 23 16.2 1.9 5.0 37.4 0.0 1.0 4.5 0.8 1.7 50.0 0.7 1.4 2.1 1.5 1.3 1.2 0.3 1.5 4.6
Brice Massamba 23 12.2 1.6 2.2 74.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 1.5 65.7 1.2 0.9 2.1 0.3 0.5 0.1 0.3 2.2 4.2
Justin Hawkins 23 12.2 1.2 3.0 39.1 0.3 1.1 32.0 1.0 1.4 68.8 0.6 0.7 1.3 0.6 0.4 0.8 0.3 0.9 3.7
Steve Jones 23 11.2 0.6 1.7 36.8 0.0 0.5 9.1 0.4 0.5 81.8 0.6 0.7 1.3 0.4 0.5 0.0 0.0 1.0 1.7
Todd Hanni 4 3.5 0.0 1.3 0.0 0.0 0.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.3 0.8 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.0
Tyler Norman 5 2.6 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.0 0.2 0.6 0.0 0.0 0.0
Mychal Martinez 4 1.5 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.0


New Mexico Lobos


FG 3PT FT Rebounds Misc
G M M A Pct M A Pct M A Pct Off Def Tot Ast TO Stl Blk PF PPG
Darington Hobson 24 32.4 5.3 12.6 42.2 1.2 3.0 38.4 3.8 5.9 63.8 2.0 6.5 8.5 4.3 3.0 1.3 0.5 1.9 15.6
Roman Martinez 24 31.4 4.4 9.9 44.5 2.6 6.1 42.5 2.4 3.1 77.0 2.3 3.7 6.0 1.6 0.9 1.5 0.4 2.6 13.8
Dairese Gary 24 26.5 3.0 6.7 45.0 0.4 1.2 32.1 5.1 6.7 76.2 0.3 2.5 2.9 3.8 1.9 1.2 0.0 2.2 11.5
Phillip McDonald 24 26.1 3.7 8.3 44.5 2.2 5.3 40.6 1.6 2.3 70.9 1.0 2.0 3.0 0.8 1.3 0.5 0.3 1.8 11.2
A.J. Hardeman 24 22.7 3.0 5.5 55.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 3.2 50.6 2.9 2.5 5.4 0.4 0.8 0.8 1.3 2.7 7.7
Nate Garth 23 16.0 1.4 3.7 37.6 0.6 1.5 37.1 1.5 2.1 72.9 0.3 1.1 1.3 1.7 0.9 0.3 0.0 1.3 4.9
Jamal Fenton 24 13.8 1.4 3.4 41.5 0.6 1.9 33.3 1.0 1.6 60.5 0.3 1.1 1.4 1.2 1.3 0.8 0.0 1.6 4.4
Will Brown 24 17.9 1.6 3.4 48.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.8 1.5 50.0 1.5 2.6 4.1 0.3 0.8 0.6 0.9 2.8 4.0
Curtis Dennis 24 9.2 1.2 3.3 35.4 0.3 1.6 20.5 0.5 0.8 63.2 0.6 0.9 1.5 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.0 0.6 3.2
Chad Adams 22 5.5 0.5 1.2 44.4 0.0 0.3 16.7 0.6 0.8 77.8 0.3 0.9 1.2 0.1 0.4 0.1 0.0 1.0 1.8
Matt Staff 6 3.2 0.5 1.2 42.9 0.2 0.7 25.0 0.2 0.3 50.0 0.3 0.5 0.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.5 1.3

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Good Write-up

I think you are right too. Save for some surprise win by one of the lesser MWC teams, this is effectively an emlimination game. Though I think the game is UNLV’s to lose, I hope the Lobos show me something I have not seen all year: a punch in the face with the poise to hold on a la UNLV against BYU.

Stawp g’tin tuchee-feelie, zzzEmoGoestzzz. I dun’t lyke noin ur Emoshuns!

by Role Player on Feb 10, 2010 6:23 AM PST reply actions  

If UNLV continues to fire on all cylinders this game won't be close

My bet is we won’t see the same level of intensity from UNLV as we saw last Saturday but even with an above average performance I still see them winning by double digits.

by vaughnzipper on Feb 10, 2010 7:02 AM PST reply actions  

Should be a classic

This will be one of the few non-Rams MWC games I will be sure not to miss.

I agree on your title to a point. If you lose this one you must win out and get some help from around the league. I don’t know about “elimination” but the teams sure would be putting themselves upstream with out a paddle.

Bring back Fum's Song!

by bhsmarine on Feb 10, 2010 7:21 AM PST reply actions  

bigger game for lobos

Because as long as unlv is not the 4 seed they will be fine since they host the conference tourney

by Jeremy Mauss on Feb 10, 2010 11:34 AM PST via mobile reply actions  

Is there any place i can watch the game online?

I’m on vacation and don’t get the game

Rebel Rock

by rebelfan1 on Feb 10, 2010 4:08 PM PST reply actions  

CBSSports.com maybe?

Obviously there are other streams, but maybe CBSSports.com will be showing it. And if you’re on vacation, you could always find a bar that has CBS College Sports TV.

by David Fucillo (Fooch) on Feb 10, 2010 4:52 PM PST up reply actions  


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