Another Big Win for UNLV

It was billed as the final real roadblock on Nevada Las Vegas’ path to an unbeaten regular season. New Mexico State, No. 11 in the nation, playing at home--a repeat of last season’s upset?

No surprise. No upset. No repeat. Little real problem.

No. 1 Las Vegas’ season remains as perfect as Larry Johnson’s average from jamming range after an 86-74 victory over the Aggies in a Big West Conference game Monday night.

The Rebels are 26-0 overall, 17-0 in the Big West and finish their regular season at Cal State Fullerton Saturday. New Mexico State is 21-4, 13-3.

Las Vegas has won 37 games in a row and ended New Mexico State’s 29-game home winning streak.

The outcome was the product of Johnson’s 18 first-half points and the Rebels’ poise in a second half in which the New Mexico State defense cut him off, only to suffer the offense of Stacy Augmon and Greg Anthony. Augmon scored 15 of his 24 points in the second half and Anthony had 10 to keep things in perspective. Johnson finished with 22 points, and Anderson Hunt added 19.

UNLV took its usual quick lead, then unaccustomedly fell behind, 5-4, when the Aggies’ William Benjamin hit a three-point shot. It was only the third time all season the Rebels had been behind at any point in a game, and it was a fleeting experience.

Hunt hit two three-pointers in a row to give UNLV a 10-5 lead and begin a run that led to a 27-13 advantage. The Rebels made 10 of their first 14 shots, and the evening loomed like so many others in a season in which UNLV has outscored its opposition by an average of 30.5 points.

But New Mexico State embarked on a run of its own, outscoring the Rebels, 10-2, over a 2-minute 14-second span to cut the margin to 31-25 with 7:49 to play. Terry Bennett and Randy Brown each hit three-pointers in the flurry.

From there, the Rebels coasted into a 46-37 halftime lead that in large part was the product of taking advantage of nine New Mexico State turnovers.