Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 1, 1990 TAG: 9004020083
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: DENVER LENGTH: Long
The Runnin' Rebels, who were making their third appearance in the Final Four, can become the first Western team to win the national championship since UCLA in 1975. They face Duke, a 97-83 winner over Arkansas, in Monday night's title game.
The ACC would have been assured of a national champion with a victory by Georgia Tech, but Duke will now have to carry the conference's banner in the final.
Things didn't look good for UNLV - the only team seeded No. 1 in a regional to reach the Final Four - at halftime. The Rebels (34-5) trailed 53-46 and the Yellow Jackets had made 20 of 30 shots from the field.
"In the first half, there was no intensity and they did what they wanted against us," said UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian. "They outran us and I thought we were lucky to be down seven at halftime."
When the second half started, so did UNLV's tenacious defense, which has become almost as famous as the school's battles with the NCAA.
The Yellow Jackets (28-7) missed eight of their first nine field-goal attempts in the opening nine minutes of the half. They couldn't make free throws either, going 2-for-6 from the foul line in the same period.
"In the second half we came out and played real well," said Tarkanian, who coached UNLV's two previous Final Four teams. "We got after them defensively and shut down some things."
Georgia Tech was forced out of its offense and its shooting dropped from 67 percent in the first half to 35 percent (10-for-29) in the second half.
"We really played well in the first half," said Bobby Cremins, Georgia Tech's coach. "Then what happened was the turning point. In the first five minutes of the second half we lost our composure. We tried to work the ball around to Dennis [Scott] and got completely out of our offense."
The Runnin' Rebels lived up to their nickname early in the second half, using a 10-1 run to take the lead at 56-54 with 16:23 to play.
They took the lead for good at 59-57 on a 3-pointer by Stacey Augmon with 13:55 left.
The fact that they extended the lead on a turnaround jumper by David Butler mattered little when Georgia Tech's freshman point guard Kenny Anderson picked up his fourth foul with 11:38 to play.
Anderson returned to action with 7:02 to play and Georgia Tech down 76-69. The Yellow Jackets then scored five straight points, the last two on a spectacular spin-and-duck move in the lane by Anderson with 5:25 left.
"We hung in there and still had a chance," Cremins said.
But the Rebels simply had too many weapons of their own.
Anderson Hunt hit consecutive 3-pointers and the lead was back to eight with 4:07 left.
"It's what people dream about, hitting clutch baskets," Hunt said. "Fortunately, my shot was on."
Augmon led UNLV with 22 points and Anderson Hunt had 20.
Scott, Tech's long-range bomber, finished with 29 points, but he scored just nine in the second half and was 3-for-9 from the field after intermission. Brian Oliver, the third member of the Jackets' high-scoring trio, had 24 points. Anderson finished with 16 points and eight rebounds.
"He's a great palyer anbd you can't take anything from him" Augmon said of Scott, the man he covered most of the game. "I did the best I could and he still had 29. Great players hit their shots on anyone."
"Augmon played great defense in the second half. He denied me the ball," Scott said. "The whole team denied the ball and got us out of our offense."> UNLV was able to overcome foul trouble of its own. It seemed every player on the front line had at least three fouls midway through the second half. Larry Johnson, the Rebels' leading scorer and rebounder, fouled out with 6:50 to play.
"When Larry Johnson got in foul trouble, I thought we had an opportunity, but they kept their composure," Cremins said.i
"I don't like to keep a good player out that long," Tarkanian said when asked when asked why he put Johnson back in just two minutes after the junior ocmmitted his fourth foul.i
Reserve Moses Scurry finished with 11 rebounds for UNLV.i
"Moses was a key to the game,: Tarkanian said. "In the second half he dominated the boards."
GA. TECH MPFGFTRAFPT Scott 398-176-940329Mackey 262-30-05034McNeil 292-40-19024Anderson 347-141-288416Oliver 379-186-934324Brown 292-30-02354Barnes 60-00-00000Totals 20030-5913-2135152081\ UNLV MPFGFTRAFPT Johnson 265-114-453515Augmon 379-163-393322Butler 316-101-3101413Hunt 387-151-227120Anthony 394-93-715214Scurry 213-40-011046Cvijanovich 10-00-00010Young 30-00-00000Jones 20-00-00000Bice 20-00-00100Totals 20034-6512-1940202090 Rebounds include team rebounds Score by periods: Georgia Tech 53-28-81 UNLV 46-44-90
Three-point goals - Georgia Tech: Scott 7-14, Anderson 1-4, Oliver 0-3, Totals 8-21. UNLV: Hunt 5-9, Anthony 3-4, Augmon 1-1, Johnson 1-1, Totals 10-15.
Attendance - 17,675.
by CNB