Rebels Pull a Tortoise Out of Hat : Big West: Cal State Long Beach slows things down, but No. 1 Nevada Las Vegas slips away in the second half, 49-29.

Nevada Las Vegas’ undefeated season didn’t exactly roll on Friday night, but the Rebels managed to survive Cal State Long Beach’s slowdown tactics and defeat the 49ers, 49-29, in the Big West Conference tournament.

Long Beach Coach Seth Greenberg, who had lost to the Rebels by 51 and 47 points during the regular season, made sure that such a rout didn’t occur again against the nation’s No. 1-ranked team, which improved to 28-0 and extended its winning streak to 39 games over two years.

Greenberg had the 49ers run down the 45-second clock on each possession, but the plan did not come close to affecting a stunning upset. It succeeded only in holding the Rebels to their lowest point total of the season. Their previous low was 69 against Princeton.

“Boring!” chanted the UNLV fans in the Long Beach Arena, but Greenberg would not switch to his usual up-tempo game.

“Let’s face it, what else are you going to do?” Greenberg said afterward. “They had everything to lose and we had nothing to lose. My goal was to keep the game in the 40s. You sure have a better shot that way than running up and down the floor with them.”

Had the 49ers, who finished a disappointing season at 11-17, shot decently, they might have played evenly with UNLV in the first half.

Las Vegas had scored only 12 points with eight minutes left in the half. Long Beach, though, had only six.

The 49ers’ strategy was to have four players pass the ball around the perimeter until someone cut to the basket.

With 12 minutes left in the first half, and with both teams cold from the field, the Rebels, who were averaging 103 points, led by the unlikely score of 6-2. And neither Larry Johnson, who made two turnovers, nor Stacey Augmon had scored.

Two minutes later, a jump shot by Bobby Sears made the score 7-4, and the surprised crowd of mostly Las Vegas rooters really started to buzz.

The Rebels scored nine of the next 11 points--five by center George Ackles--to lead, 16-6, with 3:51 to play. But it was hardly the kind of run they are noted for.

Greenberg stayed with his plan and UNLV continued to struggle. But Ackles made a three-point shot as the half ended to push the lead to 23-8.

In the previous two games between the teams, UNLV had 53-25 and 60-35 halftime leads.

“Is he (Greenberg) trying to win the game or keep the score down?” New Mexico State Coach Neil McCarthy said at halftime. Noting that the 49ers were shooting only 23%, McCarthy said, “That’s what happens when you don’t play your normal style.”

Lucious Harris, who averages 20 points, was scoreless in the first half and finished with only three points. Frankie Edwards led the 49ers with 12 points.

The Rebels began to pull away in the second half. They led, 31-10, with about 16 minutes left when Augmon made two dunks. Their biggest lead was 47-22 with three minutes to play.

“This game might be good for us, but I don’t think too many teams will play this way against us,” Rebel Coach Jerry Tarkanian said. “I don’t think you can add something new for one game and do it well.”

In tonight’s semifinals at 9:30, UNLV will play UC Santa Barbara, which improved to 14-14 by defeating Utah State, 80-76.

After Utah State had fought back from an 11-point deficit to take a 73-72 lead on a layup by Kendall Youngblood, the Gauchos outscored the Aggies, 8-3, in the last 2:40.

Ray Kelly, who had a career-high 16 points, drove for a three-point play to get the lead back for the Gauchos, who then pulled away by making free throws.

Gary Gray led the Gauchos with 20 points and Jay Goodman scored 20 for Utah State (11-17).

Santa Barbara, which lost to UNLV, 88-71 and 98-71, during the regular season, plans to have dinner tonight on the Queen Mary.

“Then,” Coach Jerry Pimm said, “I’ll give them the opportunity of jumping off and being eaten by the sharks or coming here to get eaten by the sharks.”

* BIG WEST UPSET: Fresno State surprises 11th-ranked New Mexico State, 88-82. C10.