While the final score doesn’t appear to be so bad, UNLV trailed by 22 at halftime and didn’t cut into the deficit until the game was no longer in doubt.

The Rebels were one of the top defensive teams in the NCAA tournament, but certainly didn’t bring their best effort against Illinois.

UNLV allowed the Illini to shoot almost 60 percent from the field and over 53 percent from three-point range.

For a team that is offensively challenged as it is, there was no way UNLV is going to beat a quality team giving up those types of high shooting percentages.

Coming into the NCAA tournament, the University of Nevada-Las Vegas Running Rebels are one of the hotter teams in the field.

UNLV has won 10 of its past 13 games, and looks to be another team from the Mountain West Conference to make some noise in the Big Dance.

The Running Rebels open NCAA play as the eighth seed in the Southwest regional in Tulsa, against No. 9 seed Illinois on Friday. The winner likely gets top seed Kansas in the third round.

UNLV’s six-game winning streak ended in the semifinals of the Mountain West tournament to sixth-ranked San Diego State, the Running Rebels falling 74-72 on Friday. The only other two losses for UNLV since Jan. 20 are to the Aztecs and No. 10-ranked BYU.

Senior guard Tre’Von Willis leads the Running Rebels in scoring at 13.5 points per game. Willis is an 83 percent shooter from the free-throw line.

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UNLV trailed by 10 points at halftime but managed to rally back in the second half and force the Aztecs to the brink.

The game was tied in the final moments until San Diego State’s D.J. Gay knocked down the winning jump-shot with just 4.9 seconds to play in regulation.

The Rebels knocked down 17 of their 18 free throw attempts, but San Diego State was more efficient from three-point range.

Chace Stanback lead the way with 22 points and six rebounds. Tre’Von Willis added 19.

The Rebels certainly didn’t do themselves any favors before the game when they called out BYU star Jimmer Fredette for being selfish.

Tre’Von Willis basically said that Fredette didn’t like to pass the ball and was a one-man show, and that wasn’t very smart.

Fredette torched the Rebels to the tune of 29 points and seven assists, becoming the all-time scoring leader in the conference.

UNLV trailed by 11 at halftime but kept things close for most of the second half, staying within striking distance.

The Badgers had just a three-point leading heading into halftime thanks to two turnours that kept UNLV in the game.

Wisconsin came out with a purpose in the second half and outscored UNLV 24-0 in the third quarter to seal up the victory.

The weather conditions certainly weren’t good for either team, as the game was played in 90-degree heat.

Running back John Clay finished with 17 carries for 123 yards and two touchdowns to lead the ground attack for Wisconsin. Montee Harris also added two touchdowns.

Masoli was finally kicked out of Oregon after he had yet more legal trouble, ending his career there.

Masoli’s mother said she had no comment on reports that her son and UNLV could be a good fit.

The quarterback not only could be headed to UNLV, but he also might be eligible to play this season.

It’s certainly a risk to bring in a player who has had multiple run-ins with law enforcment, but the pay off could be worth it.

Oscar Bellfield got the look he wanted. He got the result UNLV wanted. But at the end, it wasn’t enough.

The Runnin’ Rebels tied their first-round game in the NCAA Tournament on Bellfield’s 3-pointer with 37 seconds left. But Northern Iowa responded with a 3-pointer from Ali Farokhmanesh with 4.9 seconds to go, ending the Rebels’ season in a 69-66 loss Thursday in the Midwest Regional in Oklahoma City.

UNLV (25-9) had one last chance, but could not get off a shot before the buzzer.

It was a frustrating night on offense for the Rebels, who failed to score 70 points for just the 10th time this season. Northern Iowa slowed the tempo, and UNLV shot just 43 percent from the field.

Matt Shaw scored a team-high 14 points, 12 in the first half. Tre’Von Willis and Bellfield added 13 points each.

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