Rebels eye answer for road woes

SAN DIEGO - A road littered with losses has come full circle, leading Dave Rice back to where he coached his first Mountain West game for UNLV one year ago.

There was no shame in how the game went down. Jamaal Franklin's off-balance layup with three-tenths of a second remaining lifted San Diego State to a 69-67 win. But it was the beginning of a trend.

The Rebels' shortcomings on the conference road are alarming for a team that is arguably the league's most talented and one that is expected to contend for a title.

"It's very frustrating. You can reflect on the past games and learn from them, but you can't let that get you down," senior guard Anthony Marshall said. "You've got to keep battling through it. Your character is challenged when you're going through adversity."

UNLV is 2-6 in eight Mountain West road games under Rice, who is searching for a breakthrough win to help reverse the trend.

The Rebels (14-3, 1-1) run into the 15th-ranked Aztecs (14-2, 2-0) at 7:15 p.m. today at Viejas Arena, where San Diego State is a 4½-point favorite and has won four straight in the rivalry.

"I guess it's going to come down to which team plays tougher," UNLV junior forward Mike Moser said. "Road wins are so big in this conference. There's no easy ones."

Nothing has come easily on the MW road for the Rebels, whose only two victories, at Boise State and Air Force in late January of last year, were earned in overtime. In those games, the Broncos and Falcons each had a shot to win at the end of regulation.

UNLV is that close to winless on the league road under Rice, but it also held second-half leads in each of its past five road losses.

The skid started Feb. 4 at Wyoming, where the Cowboys held the then-No. 11 Rebels to zero fast-break points in a 68-66 victory. Marshall and Moser each missed a shot to tie in the final five seconds.

Ten days later in a 102-97 overtime loss at Texas Christian, UNLV blew an 18-point lead with 14 minutes remaining.

In a 65-45 loss at New Mexico on Feb. 18, the Rebels led by one at halftime and fell apart after the game was tied at the 12-minute mark. They committed 17 turnovers and missed 10 free throws.

UNLV squandered a 16-point lead with 16½ minutes to go in a 66-59 setback at Colorado State on Feb. 29.

In this season's league opener at New Mexico on Jan. 9, foul trouble sidelined freshman star Anthony Bennett, but the Rebels were up 58-56 with 3:25 to go before turnovers and poor shooting led to their demise, 65-60.

"It's important for us to get off to a good start on the road," Rice said, "and we've got to figure out a way to play better down the stretch."

The point guard plays a big part in offensive execution down the stretch. Marshall, a full-time point guard for the first time this season, is taking criticism for the team's inconsistencies. But many of the same problems were evident even when veteran point Oscar Bellfield ran the offense last season.

In UNLV's most impressive conference victory under Rice, 80-63 over the Lobos at the Thomas & Mack Center last January, it held a 26-0 advantage in fast-break points. In most road games, however, the Rebels have been less inclined to run while allowing opponents to dictate a slower pace.

Marshall said the team also needs to play with more energy and fire, qualities that were absent in the first half of UNLV's 79-73 loss at North Carolina on Dec. 29.

"Instead of trying to feel our way through the game, we've got to play on the attack," Marshall said. "We can't come out being on our heels like we did at North Carolina."

San Diego State coach Steve Fisher said an elbow injury to Moser, who missed most of December and early January, and the mid-December addition of transfer center Khem Birch are "factors" in the Rebels not yet playing at their peak.

"UNLV is one of those teams filled with expectations of others. Expectations are always high," Fisher said. "We've had some terrific games with them over a number of years, and it hasn't mattered who was the favorite. There's mutual respect. They want to pound us, and we want to pound them."

A much-needed road win this week - either today or Saturday at Colorado State - can put the Rebels' league title hopes back on track.

"A lot of teams have the ability to win the conference," Rice said. "We feel like we're road tested. There's a long way to go."

Contact reporter Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907. Follow him on Twitter: @mattyoumans247.