MWC Tournament Quarterfinals Recap - UNLV vs Air Force

(3) UNLV 69, (6) Air Force 53

For the ninth time in ten seasons, the Nevada-Las Vegas Rebels are headed to the semifinals of the Mountain West Conference Tournament. In a very businesslike way, UNLV dispatched a scrappy Air Force squad on Thursday night in Sin City and set up a semifinal contest with second-seeded San Diego State, a team which beat UNLV in both meetings during the regular season. With both teams already locks to participate in the NCAA Tournament, Friday’s contest will be about seeding, and for the Rebels, about a little revenge as well.

Facing an always pesky Air Force Academy, UNLV guard Tre’Von Willis began to find his rhythm as the former first-team All-MWC talent nearly completed a triple-double. Willis had 20 points to go along with 7 rebounds and 8 assists. It was a welcome sight for the hometown Rebel contingent, which has been perplexed by Willis’s uneven play during this year’s campaign. After Thursday’s performance just a few blocks from the Las Vegas Strip, Willis could star in his own show.

The Rebels jumped on the Falcons from the opening tip and never trailed. Air Force was undone by its inability to make shots. It seemed that the rim was simply unkind to the Falcons on the offensive side of the ball as countless shot attempts hit every part of the rim before finally falling off. Credit head coach Jeff Reynolds’s club for never giving in. Time after time, with the Rebels holding double digit leads for most of the game, the Falcons would respond with a run to get back in contention. Just when it seemed Air Force was ready to make a serious chink in the UNLV lead, either the rim negated a shot or the Rebels responded with great shooting of their own.

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Chase Stanbeck scored 20 points for head coach Lon Kruger’s team, which has now won 10 of its last 12 ballgames. The Rebels hit 11 shots beyond the arc and dominated the defensive glass, limiting the Falcons to one shot on most occasions. This rebounding prowess was an important factor in the win because Air Force missed two-thirds of its shot attempts. The ability to secure the defensive rebound allowed UNLV to maintain its lead throughout the game. Michael Lyons had 10 points for the Falcons, but struggled from the field, shooting just 3-of-14.

The Rebels can now look forward to a rematch with the Aztecs on Friday night. San Diego State defeated UNLV in the Mountain West Conference Tournament championship game last season, and also won on the Rebels’ home floor earlier this season.  The Rebels shot just 2-of-32 beyond the arc in the two regular season losses to the Aztecs. One can’t imagine UNLV shooting that way again on Friday. Another encouraging fact is that despite shooting such a paltry percentage, the Rebels lost both of those games by just six points. The Thomas and Mack will certainly be rocking on Friday as the Rebels try to exorcise the Aztec demon which has been plaguing the program for years.

Next Game: Mountain West Semifinal No. 2

(3) UNLV vs. (2) San Diego State – 30 minutes after New Mexico-BYU

By: Zach Bloxham
DFN Sports Staff Writer