UNLV’s Loudest Crowd of Season Watches Runnin’ Rebs Lose, 60-59, to San Diego State
By ALAN SNEL
LVSportsBiz.com
It was the loudest it’s been for a UNLV basketball game at Thomas & Mack Center Saturday night. So, that’s a step forward for the men’s hoops team, led by seniors Noah Robotham and Kris Clyburn.
The crowd of an announced 10,427 actually had some juice to it, especially during a second half comeback against a San Diego State squad fresh off a major upset of national power Nevada.
But in the end, the team inexperience — and lack of half court execution — undermined a gallant effort and the Runnin’ Rebels lost a heartbreaker, 60-59, to their Mountain West rivals from San Diego.
When UNLV came back to actually lead at one point in the second half, it must have been heartening for UNLV Athletic Director Desiree Reed-Francois to see a crowd come to life, with or without the urgings of arena emcee Chet Buchanan.
“It was good to hear,” UNLV coach Marvin Menzies told LVSportsBiz.com after the game.
Hovering over the game has been social media gossip about disgraced basketball coach Rick Pitino coming in to take over for Menzies, though there’s nothing to indicate there’s any credibility to that coaching change.
UNLV was down 31-23 at the half. Overall, the Rebs were 18 of 55 from the field, including 7 of 22 from three-point land. Robotham wa red-hot with the three-ball, shooting five of six in threes.
*
Follow LVSportsBiz.com on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
