COLLEGE BASKETBALL / BIG WEST CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT : UNLV Experiences No Trouble on Court

J.R. Rider scored 35 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, Dexter Boney added 28 points and Evric Gray scored 20 Friday night as No. 19 Nevada Las Vegas reached the second round of the Big West Tournament with a 104-86 blowout over Utah State at the Long Beach Arena.

The Runnin’ Rebels (21-6) play the winner of Friday’s late game between Cal State Fullerton and Cal State Long Beach at 9 p.m. tonight.

In other tournament games, UC Santa Barbara upset Pacific, 57-54, and regular season champion New Mexico State defeated UC Irvine, 87-76. The Gauchos and the Aggies play at 7 p.m. tonight.

Earlier this week, a community college teacher claimed she was pressured by UNLV athletic department representatives into giving Rider a passing grade in a class in which he had not completed all of his course work. As late as Thursday night, a rumor circulated around the Long Beach Arena that school officials would hold Rider out of the game with Utah State to avoid the possibility of forfeiting if the allegations proved true.

Rider, using an assortment of acrobatic moves around the basket, passed the test on the basketball court. He scored 19 first-half points as the Rebels grabbed a 49-36 lead.

Utah State (10-17) built an early 16-10 advantage behind the play of guard Jay Goodman, who tied a conference record with 16 assists. But Boney capped an 11-4 Rebel run with a three-point shot and Rider followed with a mid-air, alley-oop scoop of a layup and UNLV was off to the races, 23-20. The Runnin’ Rebels closed the half by outscoring the Aggies, 26-16.

Las Vegas led by as many as 23 points in the second half.

After the game, both Rebel Coach Rollie Massimino and Rider refused comment on the controversy about the projected NBA lottery pick’s classwork. But Rider did say that he was glad to get back on the court.

“I love playing this game. I live for this game,” he said. “God gave me the talent to play ball. Being out there was positive adrenaline and that’s what I live for.”

Utah State has lost all 24 meetings with UNLV and Aggie Coach Kohn Smith, embroiled in controversy himself, etched his name in the Big West record book one last time. Fired in mid-season but allowed to stay on until the Aggies’ final game, Smith picked up a technical foul for arguing a call with 11:23 left. He leaves the Aggies with a 63-78 record.

Later, in alluding to off-court distractions, Smith paid tribute to Massimino and the Rebels, for the way they handled theirs.

“You hate distractions,” he said. “You just want to get out there and play and practice and distractions cause all kinds of problems.”

UC Santa Barbara 57, Pacific 54--Duane Carter scored from inside with 4.8 seconds to play to put Santa Barbara ahead, 55-54, and Paul Johnson’s two free throws with three seconds to play provided the final margin for the sixth-seeded Gauchos (18-9). Until Carter’s basket, Santa Barbara, which defeated third-seeded Pacific (16-11) for the third time this season, had led only once during the second half.