COLLEGE BASKETBALL NCAA TOURNAMENT PAIRINGS : Rebels Feeling Playful : Big West: After UNLV pulls away from Fresno State, 98-74, Tarkanian is in a sarcastic mood.

It was that rare occasion when Nevada Las Vegas’ invincibility was being challenged, but Coach Jerry Tarkanian knew what had to be done.

“We insisted that we look for Larry (Johnson) to start the second half,” Tarkanian said after the top-ranked Rebels had broken away from a one-point halftime lead and defeated Fresno State, 98-74, in the title game of the Big West Conference tournament Sunday in the Long Beach Arena.

Led by Johnson, who scored 16 of his 22 points in the second half and was named the tournament’s most valuable player, the Rebels (30-0) rolled on toward Tucson and a first-round NCAA tournament game against Montana on Friday night.

And Tarkanian went on a roll himself during a postgame news conference, which turned into a kind of comedy hour as the coach took some shots at the NCAA.

While answering a question, Johnson was handed an envelope.

“That’s for winnin’ the tournament,” the All-American forward said with a laugh.

“That’s his meal money,” said Tarkanian. “Of course the NCAA probably says we can’t eat after a game.”

But the coach was merely warming up. “I’m to the point where I’m not going to shut up anymore,” Tarkanian said. “I’m just starting. I try to be nice to them, I really do. I try to be nice until somebody makes me mad.”

There was plenty he was unhappy about, such as:

--NCAA allegations about outstanding hotel bills: “We’re talking about room service on a visit. The NCAA has no rule for that.”

--The recruitment of Ed O’Bannon: “When O’Bannon visited, two guys took him to dinner, (Stacey) Augmon and Johnson took him out to dinner. The NCAA said that’s a violation because that meant one of them had to eat for free.

“Then, when O’Bannon came up on an unofficial visit, he worked out with Augmon and Johnson and the NCAA said he can’t do that because ‘He was displaying his talent’ to them. At that point, why’s he got to display his talent? And to them ? And, then, after that, he worked out with them all summer at UCLA. When we were recruiting Chris Mills, his dad told me, ‘You should come down to UCLA, they have some great games down here in the summer.’ But in our case, (the NCAA) determines that to be a violation.”

--The Lloyd Daniels case: “You can’t believe the misery they have caused us on this. We’re going to keep fighting it, too. I hope like hell to get off their back someday, but they won’t let us.”

--UNLV accepting a postponement of NCAA probation until 1992: “The last thing on their minds was trying to do the right thing. The only thing that did it was because they knew our kids were going to go to court and they knew our kids were going to get an injunction.”

Tarkanian is still upset because two of his recruits, O’Bannon and Shon Tarver, decided last summer to go to UCLA instead of UNLV when it appeared the NCAA would prohibit the Rebels from defending their national title.

“I’m still sick about that, but I’m glad I helped UCLA,” he quipped.

“It’s not like they don’t have enough going for them. All they have is Westwood and Sam Gilbert’s legacy. What else do they need?”

Times staff writer Mike Penner contributed to this story.