RUNNIN’ REBELS CONCLUDE REGULAR SEASON AT NEVADA, RENO SATURDAY
Governor’s Series game will be played at 7 p.m. on ESPN3
The UNLV men’s basketball team will travel to Reno, Nev., for its regular-season finale on Saturday, March 8 against Nevada, Reno at 7:05 p.m. The game is part of the Governor’s Series, presented by NV Energy, which is a head-to-head athletic and academic challenge between UNLV and UNR. The winner of the season series in men’s basketball will earn three points toward the final score and if there is a season split, each school will be awarded 1.5 points. UNLV currently leads this year’s Governor’s Series 12-6 and won last year’s inaugural series by a final score of 37.5-10.5.
The Runnin’ Rebels are looking to even the season series with UNR as they dropped a 74-71 decision to the Wolf Pack in Las Vegas on Jan. 8. UNLV is alone in third place in the Mountain West at 10-7, while Nevada, Reno is in a tie for fourth with Boise State at 9-8. The winner of the UNLV-UNR game on Saturday will earn the No. 3 seed in next week’s Mountain West Tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. The loser will play in the 4-5 game.
Saturday’s game will be broadcast by ESPN3, which is available online only and via the WatchESPN app, with Trey Bender and Bill Herenda calling the action. Jon Sandler and Robert Smith will handle the radio call, which may be heard on ESPN Radio 1100/98.9 FM. The radio broadcast listen link, along with Gametracker are available at UNLVRebels.com.
The Runnin’ Rebels, who are coming off a 73-64 home loss to No. 10 San Diego State, are fourth in the country in blocked shots per game at 6.6, 10th in rebounding at 40.1 rpg, 14th in the nation in 3-point field-goal defense, limiting their opponents to just 29.5 percent from behind the arc, and 15th in effective field-goal percentage defense at 44.0. Khem Birch is second in the country in blocked shots (3.8 bpg), while Roscoe Smith is fifth in the nation in rebounding (11.0 rpg). Birch has 16 double-doubles on the year (sixth in the country), while Smith has 15 (eighth in the nation). UNLV’s leading scorer is Bryce Dejean-Jones (13.4 ppg).
Smith missed Wednesday’s game vs. SDSU after being diagnosed with a concussion on Sunday and will also miss Saturday’s game at UNR, while Dejean-Jones has been suspended for Saturday’s game for conduct detrimental to the team.
GAME #31
UNLV (19-11, 10-7 Mountain West)
at
NEVADA RENO (14-16, 9-8 Mountain West)
DATE: Saturday, March 8, 2014
TIME: 7:05 p.m. PST
SITE: Lawlor Events Center (11,536), Reno, Nev.
TV: ESPN3 (Trey Bender, Bill Herenda)
RADIO: ESPN Radio 1100 AM/98.9 FM (Jon Sandler, Robert Smith)
ONLINE: WatchESPN (video), Radio (audio) & Gametracker at UNLVRebels.com
