Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, March 18, 1991 TAG: 9103180092
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: TUCSON, ARIZ. LENGTH: Medium
The defending national champion Runnin' Rebels survived a scare from Georgetown's giants on Sunday, but left with their aura of invincibility shattered in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
"When people read about Vegas, they think about Batman and Superman," said Georgetown's Alonzo Mourning.
Now, after a brutal battle won by the Runnin' Rebels 62-54, the 15 other teams left in the tournament will know UNLV is mortal - a 32-0 record and 43-game winning streak notwithstanding.
"We can get beat anytime by anybody that's left in this tournament - on a given day," said UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian, whose team is in the NCAA West Regional semifinals for the fifth time in six years.
The Runnin' Rebels go to the Sweet 16 in Seattle against Utah, an 85-84 double-overtime winner over Michigan State.
But neither UNLV nor their rivals will forget what happened against a Georgetown team that was seeded eighth in the West and finished with a 19-13 record.
"It was a really tough game, one of the toughest games I can remember being in," Tarkanian said. "It was a very, very physical game, and Georgetown was the type of team that worried me. This is the toughest second-round game anybody could have played. They are the type of team that, on a good day, could be a first seed."
Georgetown could take pride in giving the Runnin' Rebels their closest game since a seven-point win over No. 2 Arkansas on Feb. 10.
"We're not in the moral victory business at Georgetown," said Hoyas coach John Thompson. "But that's a great team Vegas has, and in all probability they'll win it."
Playing most of the game without starting center George Ackles, who sprained his left foot in the opening round, the Rebels relied on speed and relentless defense to overcome Georgetown's Rejection Row combination of 7-foot-2 center Dikembe Mutombo and the 6-10 Mourning.
Ackles said his foot "bothered me big-time." He started the game but played only 13 minutes.
"I tried to loosen it up during warmups, but it was a little too much, and I think coach knew that," he said.
Larry Johnson scored 17 of his 20 points in the second half, Greg Anthony finished with 15, and Anderson Hunt 14 for the Rebels. Mutombo led the Hoyas with 16 points.
Georgetown never folded, fighting back from stunning surges by the Rebels to keep the game close to the end.
"As I told the kids, we had to maintain our composure, and then I thought we could beat them," Thompson said. "But we got into a little bit of foul trouble early in the game, and we had to shorten it" and slow down the tempo. "I do think it's possible for someone to beat them. Whether that happens remains to be seen."
Mutombo's ferocious dunk opened Georgetown's 6-0 run at the start of the second half as the Hoyas trimmed a 29-19 halftime deficit to four points.
Johnson responded with 11 points, capped by a dunk, in a 13-2 stretch by the Rebels that gave them a seemingly comfortable 44-29 lead with 6:04 left. But Georgetown roared back again, scoring 11 straight points in five minutes to pull to 44-40.
Hunt's three-pointer and breakaway dunk, followed by Stacey Augmon's jumper put UNLV ahead 53-42.
see microfilm for box score
Keywords:
BASKETBALL
by CNB