NCAA: UNLV runs by Kent State, 71-58
By ERIC OLSON
Associated Press
OMAHA, Neb. — It wasn't that UNLV was necessarily good.
Kent State just made the Runnin' Rebels look that way.
Joe Darger made four 3-pointers and had 18 points, Wink Adams added 17 and UNLV tied an NCAA tournament record by holding Kent State to just 10 points in the first half of a 71-58 victory in the first round today.
The Mid-American Conference champions averaged a turnover a minute the better part of the first half, went almost eight minutes without a point and trailed 31-10 at halftime. And that was with UNLV shooting under 40 percent and committing nine turnovers of its own.
Kent State played evenly with the Rebels in the second half, committing only three of its 20 turnovers, but it was too late by then.
For Kent State (28-7), which had won 11 of its previous 12 games, the tournament was over in a flash.
UNLV (27-7) advanced to play top-seeded Kansas in the Midwest Regional on Saturday.
