Hunt Keeps Rebels on a Steady Course : UNLV: Versatile guard has proved that he is more than merely a proficient three-point shooter.

The Nevada Las Vegas basketball team was flying home from a game when the plane plunged 8,000 feet after losing hydraulic power. Most of the players were terrified until the plane landed safely.

But UNLV guard Anderson Hunt slept through the crisis. How could that be?

“I was dreaming of Las Vegas showgirls,” Hunt said.

The 6-foot-1 sophomore guard has been a calming influence on the Runnin’ Rebels, maintaining his composure under pressure.

Las Vegas’ most accurate three-point shooter, Hunt made five three-point shots and scored 20 points as UNLV rallied to defeat Georgia Tech, 90-81, in an NCAA semifinal game Saturday to advance to the championship game against Duke tonight at McNichols Arena.

“Anderson has been a real key for us because he’s our best outside shooter,” Coach Jerry Tarkanian said. “When Anderson is shooting real well, we generally play real well.”

Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski is concerned about stopping Hunt.

“When he starts hitting, it’s usually two three-pointers in a row and that seems to take their team to a different level,” Krzyzewski said.

“You have to have an awareness of Hunt all the time because he may not be scoring, but he’s their main guy. And he doesn’t seem to get down when he misses a shot, which is a good quality to have when you’re a shooter.”

A streak shooter, Hunt is averaging 15.4 points. Although he has made 47.2% of his shots--37.2% from three-point range--he has been inconsistent.

After making a three-point shot to lift the Rebels to a 68-67 victory over Arizona, then the nation’s top-ranked team, in the 1989 West Regional, Hunt missed 11 of 12 shots in his next game as UNLV was eliminated by Seton Hall.

Hunt started slowly in the 1990 NCAA tournament, scoring only 24 points in UNLV’s first three games before getting 30 points in a 30-point victory over Loyola Marymount in the West Regionalfinal.

Hunt’s teammates maintain that he is a vital part of UNLV’s offense because opponents must defend against his perimeter shooting and can’t concentrate on stopping UNLV’s strong inside game.

“Anderson has been very important to us because he’s shot tremendously well the entire season,” guard Greg Anthony said. “Just the threat of having him out there is a big part of our offense. The great thing about him is that he can penetrate and guys can’t slough off because if he’s open for a moment he can hit the three.”

Hunt wasn’t hitting in the first half against Georgia Tech, missing three of five three-point shots as the Rebels fell behind by seven points at halftime. But he sank three of four three-point shots in the second half. With UNLV leading, 76-74, Hunt made two consecutive three-point shots to help the Rebels take command of the game.

“Hunt’s unpredictable,” said Duke guard Phil Henderson, who will guard him tonight. “Huntcan light it up for 30 one game and do nothing the next game.”

Even when he’s not shooting well, Hunt said Tarkanian doesn’t lose confidence in him.

“In most programs around the country they’ll tell you to stop shooting,” Hunt said. “But it’s not like that at Vegas. Coach tells me to keep shooting and my teammates tell me to keep shooting. I’m going to shoot whether they go in or not.”

Although he’s recognized as for his offense, Hunt is also a strong defensive player. Henderson marveled at Hunt’s shot-blocking ability.

“We’ve watched some UNLV games where he’s gone up and goaltended some shots that a center should goaltend,” Henderson said. “He’s really a great athlete.”

The Detroit high school basketball player of the year in 1987, Hunt averaged 22 points, seven assists, five steals and four rebounds as a senior at Southwestern High, which won its first 27 games before losing in the state final to Cooley High of Detroit.

Southwestern Coach Perry Watson isn’t surprised that that Hunt has become a good college player.

“He was a tremendous competitor in high school,” Watson said. “When he was playing in high school we didn’t have the three-point shot. But I think he’s starting to show the total game that he did in high school. He can penetrate and dish and shoot it and play defense.

“Last year they tried to label him as just a three-point shooter, but I think this year he’s shown the variety of things he can do on the floor.”

The runner-up to Temple guard Mark Macon, who attended Buena Vista High in Saginaw, as Michigan’s Mr. Basketball, Hunt had no interest in attending Michigan or Michigan State.

“The first time I saw Vegas was when they played Georgetown on TV,” Hunt said. “My mother didn’t want me to watch the game because I had school the next day but I stayed up late and watched anyway. I knew that I wanted to go to Vegas after that. I liked their fans and the way they ran and played defense. Coach Tark let the players do what they wanted as long as they played hard and played defense.”

Hunt had to sit out his first season at Las Vegas because he was academically ineligible under Proposition 48.

“It was kind of tough sitting out my first year,” Hunt said. “But I learned that you had to focus on your books as well as basketball.”

The one-year layoff didn’t hurt Hunt, who averaged 12 points, 3.6 assists ans 1.7 rebounds after he became eligible last season.

After he moved into the starting lineup at shooting guard, UNLV won 12 of its final 14 games.

“Most guys who have to sit out just sit around the house feeling sorry for themselves not working out and getting fat,” Hunt said. “But I was working on my shot and lifting weights.”

Hunt has continued to improve this season as UNLV has won 34 of 39 games to reach the final.