R-J cub reporter front, center for Kruger’s landmark victory

Editor’s note: Evan Devine is a seventh-grader at Becker Middle School and was selected to cover Saturday’s UNLV-Colorado State game. The following is his account of the game.

As fans piled into the Thomas & Mack, for Pack the Mack on Saturday, the excitement got under way with the usual and exciting fireworks show, band playing, cheerleaders cheering and the Rebels running out onto Tarkanian court, looking for their 18th win of the season and Lon Kruger’s 400th career win.

The game started with Wink Adams scoring two 3-pointers in the first four minutes, which contributed to an 8-0 UNLV lead. The Rebels cooled off for a few minutes as Colorado State battled back, but the Rams still trailed 17-12 in the first 10 minutes of the game.

Adams was hot, stealing the ball from Las Vegas native Andre McFarland. Adams headed up the court and missed a 3-pointer, but teammate Corey Bailey was there to rebound and make an unbelievable dunk.

UNLV fans went wild, jumping up and down. Then as the first half was expiring, Adams, who had hit four 3-pointers, made a jump shot, which gave him 19 points, three more than Colorado State.

Going into the half, UNLV led 31-16.

At the beginning of the second half, UNLV came out fired up.

Rene Rougeau hit a jumper and a layup that followed a 3-pointer by Curtis Terry and a jumper by Joe Darger, making the score 40-18.

Then came an amazing dunk by Bailey. UNLV kept the pressure on, and though the Rams came back from a 26-point deficit, UNLV still won 68-51. It was the Rebels’ 18th win of the season and Kruger’s 400th college coaching victory.

After the game, I asked Kruger how it felt to win his 400th game.

“It feels good, but whether it’s 400 or 50, it doesn’t really matter,” a humble Kruger said.

The Rebels’ next game is Tuesday against Air Force.