Rougeau fills gaps, stat sheet for Rebels

If not for the versatility of Rene Rougeau, UNLV would be a basketball team with a soft middle that is easily exposed.

But Rougeau, a 6-foot-6-inch guard, patches almost every hole. He scores, defends, rebounds and energizes the Rebels with his relentless effort.

"I really have to make things happen for the team," he said. "Being a senior, I really have to step up now. I can't sit back and watch people."

Rougeau rarely gets to rest. He played 37 minutes in UNLV's 56-55 victory over No. 18 Louisville on Wednesday at Freedom Hall, and he influenced the game in several areas, as usual.

Rougeau finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots. His line is more impressive when compared to the Cardinals' stars.

Rougeau shot 8-for-9 from the field. Louisville's front line of Earl Clark, Samardo Samuels and Terrence Williams combined to shoot 8-for-32.

"I'm one of those people who think Rene is very underrated, and he's very valuable to our team," said sophomore guard Tre'Von Willis, who had 16 points and five rebounds.

Freshman point guard Oscar Bellfield banked in the winning layup over the 6-9 Samuels with 16 seconds to play.

Rougeau gave the Rebels an inside presence on both ends of the floor. Their other interior players -- Darris Santee, Brice Massamba and Joe Darger -- totaled six points, three rebounds and 10 fouls.

Rougeau bragged about UNLV's "team defense" that limited the Cardinals to 16 field goals and 29.6 percent shooting. The Rebels denied entry passes into the low post and collapsed on Louisville's big men to keep from getting exposed in the middle.

"We've been working hard in practice on shutting down that middle, and it really paid off for us," Rougeau said.

UNLV is 12-2 overall, 4-0 on the road and riding a seven-game winning streak as it prepares to host New Mexico (9-5) in the Mountain West Conference opener Saturday night at the Thomas & Mack Center.

The win against the Cardinals, who should contend in the Big East, puts another high-profile mark on the Rebels' NCAA Tournament resume.

Senior guard Wink Adams missed the game because of a lower abdominal strain, but he might play against the Lobos.

Adams went through shooting drills Wednesday before being declared out "right before the game," according to coach Lon Kruger.

"Wink just wasn't moving like he needs to. He's close. I think he'll be ready Saturday," said Kruger, encouraged by how UNLV competed without its leading scorer. "I think having the whole week to practice helped in that way. The guys handled that real well."

In Adams' absence, Rougeau, Willis and Bellfield proved capable of carrying the team.

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