Illinois blows out UNLV in tournament

TULSA, Okla. -- With an opportunity to make a bold statement on a national stage, UNLV instead made an embarrassing one. It left Oscar Bellfield at a loss for words.

"I don't know what to say," Bellfield whispered in response to the first question at the postgame news conference.

The junior guard could have said the Rebels failed to show up to play, and their NCAA Tournament experience was a nightmare.

One and done again. Never had a chance.

Mike Davis scored 22 points and Demetri McCamey added 17 as ninth-seeded Illinois eliminated UNLV with surprising ease in a 73-62 victory Friday night at the BOK Center.

The Rebels, seeded No. 8 in the Southwest Region, finished 24-9 after getting ambushed in one of their most lopsided losses of the season.

The final score did not accurately reflect how ugly it was, as UNLV trailed by 22 points at halftime, 25 early in the second half and 20 with three minutes remaining.

As Rebels junior Chace Stanback said, "We dug ourselves a hole."

And they were left hopeless after a first-half fiasco that will be remembered as one of the worst 20 minutes in coach Lon Kruger's seven seasons at UNLV.

Kruger said the blowout was "going to sting," and added, "When the stage is big like this, you feel it a little bit deeper."

Even the opposing coach, the Fighting Illini's Bruce Weber, said he never envisioned the scenario that unfolded.

"I really thought it would be a grind-out game and we'd have to win it in the end," Weber said. "So it really surprised me."

Illinois (20-13) advanced to face top-seeded Kansas on Sunday.

UNLV heads home after losing its NCAA Tournament opener in Oklahoma for the second straight year. The Rebels were stunned by Northern Iowa 69-66 on a late 3-pointer a year ago, but the manner in which they were manhandled by the Illini was more discouraging.

"When you get whipped like this, hopefully it will motivate you in the spring, summer and fall," Kruger said.

UNLV opened by shooting 4-for-18 from the field and finished the first half 7-for-26 (26.9 percent). The shooting was poor, but so was the Rebels' transition defense and every other aspect of their play.

"It was very disappointing. We came out flat and without enough energy," said Bellfield, who finished with a team-high 14 points.

Stanback and Anthony Marshall each scored 13 for UNLV. Senior guard Tre'Von Willis, who had five points, sat on the bench for the final 17½ minutes because of a left knee injury.

"Midway through the first half, I felt my knee pop," Willis said. "I don't know what to say about that first half."

After a Bellfield 3-pointer put the Rebels ahead 8-7 with 17:11 left, they went 10½ minutes with only one field goal as the Illini put together an overwhelming 22-4 run.

Davis' fast-break dunk put Illinois in front 24-12 with 9:35 to go, and McCamey's 3 stretched it to 29-12. McCamey put exclamation points on the first-half punishment by beating the buzzer with a 3-pointer to make it 46-24.

"We talked about going out in the second half and compete harder, stick our nose in there and compete like crazy for 20 minutes," Kruger said. "I thought our guys did that."

UNLV's players said they were ready to play, even if it didn't appear that way.

"I felt going into this game we were prepared. I thought we were mentally ready," Marshall said. "They just kind of jumped on us."

Illinois ran a layup drill in the first half, shooting 17-for-27 (63 percent) and outscoring UNLV 20-6 in the paint.

"We gave up so many transition buckets," Stanback said. "We were taking too many jump shots when we should have been attacking. In the second half, I felt like we played harder."

After a roller-coaster season tinged with disappointment, the Illini players obviously felt redeemed.

"It's not what you do at the beginning of the year," McCamey said. "It's about what you do now."

In this game, the beginning -- as in the first half -- was all that mattered. It spelled a disastrous end for the Rebels.

Contact reporter Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907.