Fullerton No Match for Las Vegas, 94-66 : College basketball: Titan Coach John Sneed is convinced UNLV is the best team in the nation after one-sided loss.

As ever, the possibility nags at the mind.

Imagine if Nevada Las Vegas could hit its free throws.

Cal State Fullerton, for one, would prefer not to.

Twenty minutes into UNLV’s game against Fullerton Wednesday, the Runnin’ Rebels had bounced 13 free throws off the rim and backboard.

To show for it, they had a 17-point lead.

What’s a poor opponent to do? Fullerton accepted its fate, losing, 94-66, in front of 19,010 in the Thomas & Mack Center. Fullerton Coach John Sneed, who watched his team helplessly, was blunt afterward.

“I think that’s the team that’s going to win the national championship,” he said.

UNLV’s Jerry Tarkanian was more reserved.

“I was pleased,” he said.

It seemed that UNLV (8-2, 3-0 in the Big West Conference) could have beaten Fullerton about any way it wanted. As it was, the Rebels did it behind the shooting of Anderson Hunt, who scored 28 points on the heels of a 28-point performance in a victory over Arkansas on Saturday.

Sneed didn’t hold much hope for other Big West teams that must play in Las Vegas this season. “I don’t know if anyone in our league is good enough to play with them in the Thomas & Mack,” he said. “Maybe somebody will get them at their place.”

The place was all UNLV’s Wednesday.

On one end, Las Vegas’ man-to-man defense kept pushing the Titans farther and farther from the basket. Mark Hill, Fullerton’s three-point shooter, was hard pressed to break free under the close guard of Hunt and Greg Anthony and made only three of 12 shots in the first half.

Hill found some room and a touch in the second half, scoring 15 points to finish with 25.

Fullerton’s matchup zone was effective against UNLV last season. This time, the Rebels took care of it with quick passes, forcing the Titans to stretch the zone until UNLV found an open shot.

Hunt was the open man in the first half, when he hit three of six three-pointers. By halftime, he had 17 points.

Fullerton’s Cedric Ceballos scored 19 points and had a career-high 21 rebounds. The Titans fell to 6-4, 0-1.