UNLV seniors set for final home bow

      In many ways, they are college basketball misfits.
      A 6-foot-6 center who exacts almost all of his damage within the confines of the key, toiling against players several inches taller.
      A 6-foot-5 power forward who faces similar size disadvantages, but prospers because of a tenacious work ethic, relentless court presence, physical strength and leaping ability.
      A 6-foot point guard who arrived as a walk-on, became a starter, and finished his career as a valued reserve.
      A pair of shooting guards, one a muscular 6-1 defensive specialist; the other a smooth but streaky 6-3 shooter.
      They are the seniors on the UNLV basketball team, and they play their final home game Monday when the Rebels face Hawaii at 7:35 p.m. in the second round of the National Invitation Tournament.
      For Tony Lane, Warren Rosegreen, Kevin James, and Sunshine and Damian Smith, the event will be bittersweet.
      "This is definitely it for us," Rosegreen said. "We know there won't be anymore home games for us, and we want to go out on top."
      What the five have in common is resiliency and the ability to overcome adversity.
      Lane has worked diligently to hone a once-overweight body. Rosegreen, with a limited offensive arsenal, has worked to become a viable scoring option. James, a non-scholarship player, has learned to be steady instead of spectacular. The Smiths have fought through knee problems and turmoil within the program.
      Rebel coach Bill Bayno, who recruited Lane, Rosegreen and James, said the seniors were the most important element of this season's 21-9 team.
      "If you look at this team, Tyrone (Nesby) and Keon (Clark) have been our go-to guys all year," Bayno said. "But since the San Diego State game, when I challenged this team to win seven in a row, the seniors carried us with their emotion and intensity."
      The 78-71 victory in San Diego launched the Rebels' strong season-ending run. They won seven straight and were a one-point loss at Colorado State from finishing the regular season with 20 victories.
      Bayno said each senior has contributed.
      "How many times did Kevin James come up big for us?" Bayno asked. "Damian stepped up his defensive intensity and his shooting improved with that. Sunshine has always been that way. Tony and Warren gave us so much in that stretch, going against bigger guys every night, and Warren had those huge games against Fresno State and TCU.
      "This is the seniors' team. They've carried the team."
      Each player was asked to name their favorite game.
      Lane chose the 78-64 home victory over Fresno State on Feb. 17.
      "It was big for all the guys," Lane said. "With (Jerry Tarkanian) coming back, being on ESPN and having that big crowd. Even though I didn't play that well (seven points, nine rebounds) and missed a lot of easy shots, it was a big team win."
      Rosegreen, who in the span of six days had a career-high 21 rebounds against Fresno State and 17 against Texas Christian, also chose the Fresno victory with the 89-82 home loss to UCLA last season a close second.
      "I was really fired up last year against UCLA, even though they had a size advantage and we didn't have enough depth to beat them," Rosegreen said. "I was really motivated to play that game."
      As was the case against the Bulldogs.
      "We couldn't let them beat us at home, and we couldn't let them beat us twice in one season," Rosegreen said. "I felt so strong that night."
      James said the 98-91 victory at Texas Christian on Jan. 6 topped his list.
      "We were down and they had us in trouble," said James, who scored eight points, registered a career-high 10 assists and keyed a 22-0 second-half rally. "We made that big run on them. That was a big win for us."
      Sunshine Smith said the UCLA game in his freshman season (a 108-83 road loss) and the 66-64 victory over Michigan last season were his favorites.
      "The UCLA game was my first game and I was pretty nervous, but I played well," he said. "The Michigan game I remember because of the big crowd. It was loud. What I'll remember most are the big, loud crowds at home."
      After a pause of several moments, Damian Smith reached back for the famed 1993 home victory over Georgetown.
      "It was a big game, on national TV, and we just killed them," Smith said of the 96-80 victory under Rollie Massimino. "We got on a roll and never stopped. The crowd was really into it. That would have to be my favorite."
      Bayno said he hopes the seniors have one more memorable home experience.
      "Now we know this is it for them," he said. "Monday is truly senior night. I hope people come out one more time for these guys, because they deserve it. They really do."