UNLV Picks Up the Pace and Runs Past Northridge

This was not the Nevada Las Vegas of Larry Johnson and Stacey Augmon, as was evident by their sloppy first half against Cal State Northridge on Saturday night at the Thomas & Mack Center.

But it was still good enough to handle the overmatched Matadors, 80-56, before a crowd of 7,781 that was quiet at first but raucous during a second-half run when the ebels buried Northridge with uncontested dunks on four consecutive trips.

It was the opening game for both teams and marked the debut of UNLV Coach Bill Bayno.

The Matadors gave UNLV a tough game in the first half, leading most of the way, but in the second half, Northridge’s shooting went cold and the Rebels pulled away.

The Matadors shot 25% from the field in the second half, 32% in the game.

Perhaps the brightest spot for Northridge, which has no players taller than 6 feet 7, is they showed they might have an inside threat after all. Junior college transfer Damion Morbley scored 23 points.

From the opening moments of the game--when UNLV missed an alley-oop attempt at one end and Morbley converted at the other to give Northridge a 2-0 lead--it looked as if the Matadors would at least put up a good fight.

Morbley scored the Matadors’ first nine points. He scored 17 points in the first half, which Northridge led most of the way despite shooting only 39% from the field.

The Rebels came back to take a 38-36 halftime lead, then outscored the Matadors, 42-20, in the second half.

Clayton Johnson led UNLV with 24 points. Warren Rosegreen added 14.