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No. 25 Runnin' Rebels Rout Utah in MWC Quarterfinal Kevin Kruger's 21 points pace UNLV to an 80-54 win.
March 8, 2007
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LAS VEGAS (AP) - Of all the kids Lon Kruger has coached over the years, he has a special place in his heart for this one, and not just because he's leading UNLV's return to power. Kevin Kruger, a fifth-year senior who transferred from Arizona State to play for his father this season, scored 21 points and the 25th-ranked Runnin' Rebels celebrated their return to the rankings with an 80-54 quarterfinal win over Utah in the Mountain West Conference tournament Thursday night. The Rebels (26-6), ranked this week for the first time since the final week of the 1992-93 season, are seeded second behind regular-season champion BYU and are hoping the tournament's return to the Thomas & Mack Center after three years in Denver will help them hoist the trophy on Saturday. Wendell White and Wink Adams each added 15 points for UNLV, which easily withstood 26 points and 10 rebounds from Luke Nevill. Kevin Kruger took advantage of a new NCAA rule that allows players to transfer from one Division I program to another and play immediately if he has earned an undergraduate degree in four years and still has a year of eligibility left. Normally, players have to sit out a year when they change schools. Kevin Kruger left Arizona State for UNLV, where he's averaging 13.2 points. He graduated last year from ASU with a major in justice studies and is working on his master's degree in Las Vegas. He scored 16 first-half points as the Rebels built a 35-25 halftime lead. The Utes (11-19) led most of the first half, but after going 8-of-12 from the floor, they made just one of their last 12 shots and never recuperated. The highlight of the Rebels' rout was a one-handed follow slam dunk by Reggie Rougeau in the final minute.
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