Rebel Coach in Hospital, Misses Win : Big West: UNLV’s Grgurich being treated for exhaustion. Team takes care of business, defeating Irvine, 84-40.

Nevada Las Vegas Coach Tim Grgurich admitted himself to a Southland hospital Friday night, suffering from inability to sleep, lack of appetite and other symptoms related to exhaustion. He might be feeling a little better this morning, but it’s probably a good thing he was in a hospital bed and not in the Thomas & Mack Center on Saturday night.

The Runnin’ Rebels trailed by five points with 3:16 to play before Reggie Manuel made his eighth three-point shot of the game and UNLV rallied for an 84-80 Big West Conference victory over UC Irvine in front of 9,937.

The Rebels, who opened conference play with two losses for the first time in school history, improved to 3-5 overall and 1-2 in the Big West. But it wasn’t because Irvine (4-5, 0-2) played with much intensity.

Point guard Zuri Williams was called for traveling and missed three lay-ups in the final 2:45 as the Rebels came back from a nine-point halftime deficit and took a 78-76 lead on Patrick Savoy’s follow shot with 36.7 seconds left. The Rebels made four of six free throws down the stretch to hang on for the victory.

“We played bad defense in the first half, but we came back and played harder,” said UNLV assistant Howie Landa. “Thank goodness Reggie broke it open.

“This win was for (Grgurich). This program will go nowhere without him.”

Grgurich, who took over a program in upheaval on Oct. 22--a week after practice began--had apparently worked himself into ill health.

“He was tired, sluggish, couldn’t sleep good, had cold and flu-like symptoms, all the signs of physical exhaustion,” Las Vegas trainer Jerry Koloskie said. “He’s been feeling really bad since (mid-December) and just hasn’t been able to get over the hump. He’s been running himself into the ground.”

Grgurich, who flew to California to enter a hospital to avoid the media attention in Las Vegas, will rest and undergo a battery of tests. Las Vegas officials say he hopes to return to the team in a week or so.

Irvine Coach Rod Baker probably isn’t feeling too great today, either. He suspended Chris Brown, the team’s leading scorer, for two games because Brown has been pouting about his personal shooting woes.

With Brown out, Irvine’s Mark Odsather scored 22 points and freshman Kevin Simmons had 21.