Re: UNLV @ Pilots Tuesday 12/4 @ 8PM on ESPNU

by dholcombe Tue Dec 04, 2012 11:19 pm

I won't comment on the officiating of the game, but I will say this. It's still a bad economy. The refs must have thought we wanted a job.

Good effort Pilots. I saw a lot of positives and very few negatives (even good teams will always have a couple) tonight. I liked when early in the second half when UNLV went on their run Oskar got back and was yelling at his teammates to Calm down guys, calm down. I think he's going to make a good on court presence. He's made great strides since the exhibition game in which he looked VERY NERVOUS and had me going OH NO, he's going to take a while. He's quickly become a player I want to see more of and while he still looks a bit nervous at times he usually does very well with the ball in his hands.

by Guest Tue Dec 04, 2012 11:34 pm

The juke box overrode the TV for all but two minutes of early in the first half, but man was I hollering at the reffing. Even my "neutral" buddies that were there (read, Saint Mary's and Pepperdine fans) were irate.

Into the bonus less than five minutes into the second half....that just hurts, bad.

by Guest Tue Dec 04, 2012 11:35 pm

Good effort by all aspects of UP program: team, coaches, admin, students, and fans. Hopefully it won't take a free tuition giveaway to get many of those students back again. Of course, the task (layup, free throw, 3 point and one try at a half court, rebounding your own misses, in 35 seconds) was duanting enough that the risk was pretty low.

Turns out Derek Rodgers was sick with strep throat, explaining his missing energy tonight. I wonder where the Tanner Riley from the PSU game went? We even got the twin towers for a couple minutes, when Rhino was in foul trouble. UNLV fans near us tagged Korey as our best player; what a metamorphosis for him.

Woulda, coulda, shoulda on missed layups, rebounds and turnovers. But if the team puts forth that type of performance the rest of the year, this season will be a success no matter the wins and losses.

by **PilotNut** Tue Dec 04, 2012 11:48 pm

No. 18 UNLV Edges Pilots Despite Big Game from Nicholas

PORTLAND, Ore. --- Junior forward Ryan Nicholas had 15 points and a career-high 19 rebounds and the University of Portland Pilots led No. 18 UNLV by six at the break, but the Runnin’ Rebels rallied late for a 68-60 win in front of 3,057 fans at a raucous Chiles Center on Tuesday night. The game marked the first time that the Pilots hosted a ranked non-conference opponent at the Chiles Center.

After leading 28-22 at the half, the Pilots (3-5) opened a nine-point lead after Riley Baker hit a short jumper in the paint and Oskars Reinfelds made a slicing lay-up through the paint. The Portland lead was still nine moments later when Korey Thieleke converted a traditional three-point play that gave the Pilots a 39-31 advantage with 16:07 remaining.

The Rebels then responded with a 13-2 run capped by a Quintrell Thomas dunk. Pilot point guard David Carr responded with a steal and three-pointer and sophomore center Thomas van der Mars followed with a fast break dunk to make it 47-44 Portland.

UNLV (6-1) guard Justin Hawkins then went on a personal 9-0 run, including two long-range three-pointers, as the visitors gained a 56-47 lead. Portland cut the deficit to three twice in the closing minutes, but did not score in the final 3:57 as UNLV pulled away.

The Pilots outrebounded UNLV by a 43-39 margin, had a 36-28 edge in points in the paint, and held the Runnin’ Rebels to 36 percent shooting in the game while converting 42 percent on the offensive end. But the UNLV benefitted from a significant foul and free throw disparity by converting 18-of-29 attempts compared to 5-of-9 for Portland. The Runnin’ Rebels committed just 13 fouls in the game, while the host Pilots were whistled for 23 fouls.

Portland committed 21 turnovers which led to a 21-13 advantage for UNLV in points off of turnovers.

Nicholas also recorded a career-high six assists in 37 minutes of action. Junior guard Korey Thieleke continued his solid play with a career-high 12 points, while van der Mars finished with 11 points and a career-best nine rebounds.

Freshman forward Anthony Bennett paced UNLV with 18 points, while Anthony Marshall added 16 and Hawkins chipped in 15 off the bench. Junior Mike Moser, a Portland native, missed the game due to injury.

Portland will return to the hardwood in Lexington, Ky. this Saturday to take on No. 19 Kentucky at Rupp Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 9 a.m. (PST) and the game will be televised on ESPN2.

by Pilot60 Tue Dec 04, 2012 11:54 pm

I noticed at about the 10 min mark of the first half UNLV had 9 fouls, Pilots had 3. End of the game UNLV had 14, that's 5 fouls in about 30 min of a physical game. P

by VillaGorilla Tue Dec 04, 2012 11:55 pm

Tremendous event all around. Exceptional heart shown by the Pilots tonight as they dug deep in the second half and clawed back where weaker teams would have folded. Great atmosphere from both the UNLV fans and the Pilot fans. The students brought numbers and elevated their level of support.

A few thoughts:

-Rev and staff just out-coached the hell out of the opposition
-Rodgers really gutted it out after missing practice the last two days with the flu and receiving fluids today (heard via radio postgame)
-Although we continue to have problems with teams that possess a high to elite level of athleticism, I think we overall held it together in comparison to previous years. Our athleticism level is slowly getting up there.
-As a player, coach, and even fan, you can start to think about criticizing refs on the night you make fewer mistakes than they do. 21 turnovers = you need to play better.

-Games like this (great crowd, great on-court product) are what will draw the surrounding community in and keep them coming back. Not give-aways, blaring timeout music, or sumo-suit-clad co-eds. There is a decent fan base already on board (1100+ showed up on a Tuesday to watch us play a DIII squad for Pete's sake), a growing amount of young alumni who live in the area, and plenty of just plain basketball fans who live in Portland. Let's use this D-I basketball with atmosphere to tap into that, build a broader fan base, and pack the dome every game.

No better way to spend a Tuesday evening. Absolutely one of the most enjoyable games I've seen in the last decade.

by dholcombe Tue Dec 04, 2012 11:57 pm

up7587 wrote:Good effort by all aspects of UP program: team, coaches, admin, students, and fans. Hopefully it won't take a free tuition giveaway to get many of those students back again. Of course, the task (layup, free throw, 3 point and one try at a half court, rebounding your own misses, in 35 seconds) was duanting enough that the risk was pretty low.

Turns out Derek Rodgers was sick with strep throat, explaining his missing energy tonight. I wonder where the Tanner Riley from the PSU game went? We even got the twin towers for a couple minutes, when Rhino was in foul trouble. UNLV fans near us tagged Korey as our best player; what a metamorphosis for him.

Woulda, coulda, shoulda on missed layups, rebounds and turnovers. But if the team puts forth that type of performance the rest of the year, this season will be a success no matter the wins and losses.

Interesting that they tagged Korey as our best player with how big a night Nicholas had. He's just so good, but does it so quietly. NINETEEN rebounds tonight and I didn't notice. I noticed he had a few. I would have said 12? maybe if someone asked. But 19. That kid is just good, but the way he does it isn't flashy. I wonder if even the opponents don't notice some of the time when he's busy wrecking them.

by Guest Wed Dec 05, 2012 12:02 am

Oh, they appreciated Nicholas as well, but I think they were evaluating best as in most athletic, etc. Eyeball test.

by Guest Wed Dec 05, 2012 12:11 am

Oh yeah, even the dance team had nicer looking outfits.

by DoubleDipper Wed Dec 05, 2012 12:15 am

Ryan Nicholas….the animal!! His 19 rebounds and the entire team’s effort on the boards is what ALMOST brought UP a victory. I’m sure someone can look it up, but I don’t recall any Pilot snagging 19 rebounds in the last 30 years. I saw Don Lawson get 26 once, but that was in the ‘60’s.

Not only did Ryan lead the team in stats…..he lead the team, period. Very vocal in directing and rallying his teammates....he is the model for what every coach is looking for in a team/floor leader.

by DoubleDipper Wed Dec 05, 2012 12:21 am

According to the WCC Director of Officials tonight, the officials are broken into three groups based upon ability and experience….and tonight’s group was in the BEST category. Hmmm.

And what’s with the shot clock operator? Great guy, and he’s been doing it forever, but maybe it’s time to give him an emeritus title. confused

If it was purely a mechanical problem, I apologize and congratulate him for a job well done.

Agreed, Rev outcoached UNLV's Rice, but my goodness, I've NEVER seen a college coach with such a calm demeanor.

by DoubleDipper Wed Dec 05, 2012 12:22 am

Did anyone notice? All those cards and letters to the AD worked; the dance team were in fancy new, but more traditional costume…although one forgot her pants; and the east end bleachers were closed, concentrating the fan seating better.

On the negative side, I honestly can believe the young lady who was shooting for tuition was made to rebound her own misses….and the band members were shooed away when the attempted to be of some assistance. Come on UP, she wasn’t going to make the required shots in 35 seconds anyway…..at least make it a positive experience for everyone. Sheesh.

It was an all around excellent college atmosphere tonight; kudos to the entire Athletic Department staff and the coaches and players. Look how well the Pilots can play with a little support.

by DoubleDipper Wed Dec 05, 2012 12:26 am

Had to laugh….the two UNLV grads sitting near us were flabbergasted that UP’s players had to take final exams, or even go to class for that matter. They related that in their combined eight years of college, neither had ever seen a player in class, but they were told some took their classes online.

NOTHING to substantiate this, but four different UNLV fans and grads were sure their team had a few player who were given “extra” incentives to play at UNLV…..just a different culture, I guess.

by dholcombe Wed Dec 05, 2012 12:27 am

Usually such promotions are covered by some type of insurance and it's probably in the contract with the contest insurer that she had to rebound for herself.

by dholcombe Wed Dec 05, 2012 12:31 am

DoubleDipper wrote:According to the WCC Director of Officials tonight, the officials are broken into three groups based upon ability and experience….and tonight’s group was in the BEST category. Hmmm.

And what’s with the shot clock operator? Great guy, and he’s been doing it forever, but maybe it’s time to give him an emeritus title. If it was purely a mechanical problem, I apologize and congratulate him for a job well done.

Agreed, Rev outcoached UNLV's Rice, but my goodness, I've NEVER seen a college coach with such a calm demeanor.

In regards to the shot clock guy...I sit in the second row. I didn't see what happened this time, but that guy struggles with the equipment sometimes. I have to believe it was human error and not the equipment. I've been wondering why we don't replace him for a while now. Sometimes the guy NEXT TO HIM helps fix it because he can't do it....

by DoubleDipper Wed Dec 05, 2012 12:43 am

dholcombe wrote:Usually such promotions are covered by some type of insurance and it's probably in the contract with the contest insurer that she had to rebound for herself.

That in itself was insurance enough!

When I got home from the game I went out to the hoop in the driveway next door with a neighbor kid and found it was an impossible task to have to rebound and make the required four shots unless you make all four in a row or the ball comes back to you directly. Remember, even when you make the shot you have to run up to retrieve the ball from the made shots.

I say, at least make it fun for everyone, even if it’s not fair!

by Guest Wed Dec 05, 2012 12:46 am

Rev's reaction to the shot clock issue was wild. He was on fire tonight, running out on the court, coaching down at the half court line, and fist bumping Coach Rice. Love his passion.

He needs a red flag in his pocket to call for the official reviews, when the refs got down and look at the replay on the 6" screen. Razz

by Geezaldinho Wed Dec 05, 2012 12:54 am

dholcombe wrote:

In regards to the shot clock guy...I sit in the second row. I didn't see what happened this time, but that guy struggles with the equipment sometimes. I have to believe it was human error and not the equipment. I've been wondering why we don't replace him for a while now. Sometimes the guy NEXT TO HIM helps fix it because he can't do it....

I've talked to him about it. Sometimes the switch locks up and he has to use a lot of pressure together the thing to fire for the new clock. And it doesnt give a warning.
When we had the tournament here he had bruises on his hands from struggling with it. I think they have tried new switches, but I guess it's still a problem.

The trailing ref is supposed to look at the shot clock each time down the floor, but like so many other things this crew struggled with, he didn't catch it.

by Guest Wed Dec 05, 2012 1:14 am

DoubleDipper wrote:Had to laugh….the two UNLV grads sitting near us were flabbergasted that UP’s players had to take final exams, or even go to class for that matter. They related that in their combined eight years of college, neither had ever seen a player in class, but they were told some took their classes online.

NOTHING to substantiate this, but four different UNLV fans and grads were sure their team had a few player who were given “extra” incentives to play at UNLV…..just a different culture, I guess.

Given the following from Coach Rice's wiki bio, it doesn't seem like he would go for those kind of shenanigans.

Rice played for legendary UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian, part of the 1989-90 UNLV Runnin' Rebels squad that won the NCAA men's basketball championship. He earned his bachelors from UNLV 1991 and a MBA in 1993, and was a Rhodes scholar candidate.

On the other hand, it's Vegas, baby!

by Geezaldinho Wed Dec 05, 2012 1:22 am

[quote="up7587"]

the following from Coach Rice's wiki bio, it doesn't seem like he would go for those kind of shenanigans.
Rice played for legendary UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian, part of the 1989-90 UNLV Runnin' Rebels squad that won the NCAA men's basketball championship. He earned his bachelors from UNLV 1991 and a MBA in 1993, and was a Rhodes scholar candidate.
On the other hand, it's Vegas, baby!

Huh?

He got the passion for coaching from watching Tark the Shark's methods for winning championships and he wouldn't go for shenanigans? scratch

by **DaTruRochin** Wed Dec 05, 2012 6:47 am

by Stonehouse Wed Dec 05, 2012 8:45 am

dholcombe wrote:Usually such promotions are covered by some type of insurance and it's probably in the contract with the contest insurer that she had to rebound for herself.

Ding, ding, ding! Smile

Also, as for the shot clock issue... I can't say with certainty, but I think it may have been a mechanical problem because the game clock also froze. It's always possible that either the shot clock or game clock operator could forget to hit the switch (life happens), but it's quite unlikely that both of them forgot at the exact same time.

If it would have just been a shot clock problem, they wouldn't have taken long at all. The reason it was such a delay was figuring out how much time had elapsed so they could get the game clock right.

by Geezaldinho Wed Dec 05, 2012 9:47 am

DaTruRochin wrote:
+

=

Nice dorm room.

by DoubleDipper Wed Dec 05, 2012 10:07 am

Stonehouse wrote:
dholcombe wrote:Usually such promotions are covered by some type of insurance and it's probably in the contract with the contest insurer that she had to rebound for herself.

Ding, ding, ding!

So really then, about the same chance as winning the lottery.

Hmm; I think there's just something basically wrong with getting students to attend a game based upon their hopes of winning free tuition, when in fact they have next to NO chance.

Look, I'm all for promotions, but I'm even more in favor of a sense of fairness and the promotion of fun. I'm old!

by Geezaldinho Wed Dec 05, 2012 10:20 am

Just saw the O's take on the game.

Grant High star Mike Moser wore jeans, a sweater and a tie and sat for his homecoming game as he watched his UNLV team play somebody.