BIG WEST TOURNAMENT : No Suspense This Time as Rebels Roll

Even the Cal State Fullerton Titans--those masters of suspense--could not create much doubt about this one.

Nevada Las Vegas, playing against a team that had upset the Rebels with a three-point shot at the overtime buzzer last month, sent a swarming defense, some ferocious offensive rebounders and Stacey Augmon at the Titans in a Big West Conference tournament semifinal game Friday night, and that was more than enough.

UNLV scored a 99-83 victory before a crowd of 8,153 at the Long Beach Arena and moved into the tournament final against New Mexico State today at 3 p.m.

Fullerton, besides beating UNLV once this season, lost the other game only on a three-point bank shot at the buzzer. And the Titans had won five overtime games during conference play this season.

Friday night, Fullerton made it suspenseful for just a short time.

The Titans’ Cedric Ceballos scored 19 of his 31 points in the first half, which ended with Las Vegas leading, 46-38.

In the second half, Augmon, the soft-spoken Rebel whose reputation is built on defense, went to work.

By the time Augmon was through, about the only thing less suspenseful than the outcome was who Fullerton will name as head coach today at a news conference.

John Sneed, the acting coach, guided the Titans to a 16-13 season and is the only one of three candidates interviewed who has not withdrawn.

With UNLV leading by only six points, 51-45, early in the second half, Augmon picked up a loose ball and went into the air. Stymied on that move, he did a 360 and softly banked in a short shot.

Fullerton came back with a basket, and Augmon answeredwith an alley-oop dunk.

But 10 minutes later, Fullerton was still hanging in there, trailing by 10. Augmon turned a three-point play with a nifty drive to the basket followed by a free throw on the foul.

On the other end, Ceballos missed a shot, and Augmon came back with a three-pointer. He followed that with a steal and a slam.

After Las Vegas’ Anderson Hunt hit two free throws, Augmon made a steal and a dunk, capping a 12-0 run that put UNLV up, 81-59.

Augmon added a 16-foot jumper and a three-pointer to make it 88-65 with 6:38 left. He finished with 29 points, equaling his career high.

Hunt, who hit four three-pointers, scored 13 points in the first half and finished with 21.

“You got to hear today from Stacey,” UNLV Coach Jerry Tarkanian said. “This guy has pride that’s unbelieveable. In the first half, Ceballos was having a great game. I think Stacey wanted to show everybody in the ring who the man is.”

That would be with actions, not words. To say he doesn’t like to talk about himself is an understatement.

“I don’t like to talk at all,” Augmon said.

Sneed, named Fullerton’s acting coach when George McQuarn resigned before the season, guided a team picked to finish ninth in the Big West to a 16-13 record and a tie for fourth place.

“After the season we had, you always hate for it to end on a losing note,” Sneed said. “But I told the team that only two schools, the NCAA winner and the NIT winner, get to end with a win. There will be 288 other schools losing their last games.”

One more team will lose in the Big West tournament. So far, this one clearly enough, has belonged to UNLV, as have most of the others. UNLV is 17-2 in seven years in the Big West tournament, losing only in 1984 and 1988.