RUNNIN’ REBELS TO FACE SANTA CLARA SUNDAY
UNLV men’s basketball heads over to the Orleans Arena for 7:30 p.m. Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic Semifinal
The UNLV men’s basketball team, which has won its last three games and is in the midst of playing four contests in a six-day span, will continue play in the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic by facing Santa Clara on Sunday, Dec. 22, at 7:30 p.m. at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. The tournament consisted of two home games before the semifinal and championship rounds (Sunday-Monday, Dec. 22-23, at Orleans Arena). The Runnin’ Rebels will play either Mississippi State or South Florida on Monday, depending on Sunday’s outcomes.
Sunday’s game vs. the Broncos will have no television or video streaming coverage. Jon Sandler and Robert Smith will handle the radio call, which may be heard live on ESPN Radio 1100 AM/98.9 FM. An internet listen link and live stats will be available at UNLVRebels.com.
After six straight games at home to open the season, UNLV played two road games during its “Rodeo Road Trip,” losing a close one at then-No. 2 Arizona (63-58) on Dec. 7, then beating Southern Utah (73-51) last Saturday in Cedar City. In the loss to the Wildcats, the Runnin’ Rebels held what is now the nation’s top-ranked team to its lowest scoring output of the season and its third-closest game in terms of margin of victory. On Wednesday, UNLV returned home to the Thomas & Mack Center for the first time in 18 days and defeated Radford (81-62), then beat Sacred Heart (82-50) on Friday.
Runnin’ Rebel junior Roscoe Smith, who leads the nation in rebounding average with 13.8 rpg, has seven double-doubles this year and grabbed 10 or more rebounds in the first six games of the season (now nine of 10) with totals of 19, 21 and a career-high 22. Junior forward Khem Birch, who has five double-doubles this season, is sixth in the country in blocked shots with 4.1 per contest. He has had double-figure rebounding totals in six of his 10 games and has blocked at least four shots in a game six times this season. Smith (12.6 ppg, 13.8 rpg) leads the team in scoring and is averaging a double-double, while Birch just misses averaging a double-double (11.6 ppg, 9.6 rpg). Junior guard Bryce Dejean-Jones is second on the team in scoring at 12.1 ppg, while senior guard Kevin Olekaibe is the other Runnin’ Rebel averaging double figures with 10.3 ppg.
GAME #11
SANTA CLARA (6-5, 0-0 West Coast)
vs.
UNLV (6-4, 0-0 Mountain West)
DATE: Sunday, December 22, 2013
TIME: 7:30 p.m. PST
SITE: Orleans Arena (7,471), Las Vegas
TV: None
RADIO: ESPN Radio 1100 AM/98.9 FM (Jon Sandler, Robert Smith)
ONLINE: Listen link and live stats at UNLVRebels.com