Rene takes the blame for OT loss to Lobos

ALBUQUERQUE — After UNLV’s second bitter overtime loss in five days, this time a 73-69 setback to New Mexico here on Saturday night, there was some finger-pointing going on outside the Runnin’ Rebel locker room.

Senior swingman Rene Rougeau was doing the pointing … at himself.

Although he tied his career-high with 13 rebounds and also scored 12 points for a double-double, the 6-foot-6 senior took full responsibility for a crucial blunder down the stretch that not only resulted in his ouster from the game but two extra points for the Lobos.

With UNLV leading, 53-52, Rougeau and New Mexico forward Tony Danridge got tangled going for a rebound on the right side of the Rebel basket. It appeared that Danridge may have grabbed Rougeau on the play — the aptly named Pit doesn’t have any replay scoreboards or TV monitors in press row circa 1980 so I’m going on first impressions — but Rougeau was the one who got whistled for the foul by Kelly Self.

We all know that Rene plays with a lot of emotion … and wears that emotion on his sleeve. When he realized he had been called for his fourth foul, he jumped up and waved his arms in protest.

Many officials in that situation, realizing the high emotion and intensity involved during that part of the game, would have turned and simply walked away. And Self appeared to hesitate briefly before calling the crucial technical.

How big was the call?

Beside giving New Mexico two additionally free throws that Chad Toppert promptly sank, it also was Rougeau’s disqualifying fifth foul of the night.

Danridge also sank a one-and-one from Rougeau’s original foul meaning the Lobos went from trailing by one to leading by three, 56-53, thanks to the two big calls. And UNLV also lost its best frontcourt defender in crunch time.

Was Rougeau upset with losing his cool in such a key situation?

“Without a doubt,” Rougeau said. “Definitely put the blame on me for sure. Got to play a lot smarter than that. We probably could have won that game if I don’t get that technical foul.”

Danridge, held to just two points in the first half, took over the game down the stretch and in overtime and finished with a game-high 26 points.

All Rougeau, the man who guarded Danridge most of the night, could do was watch.

“Basically I guess he teed me up for getting in his face,” Rougeau said. “I didn’t say anything foul to him. Basically you’ve got to be smart and walk away from it. It’s just tough when you’re trying to go for every rebound … but that’s how it goes sometimes.

“(Watching the ending) was probably the hardest thing ever to be honest with you. I (couldn’t) even help the team right now. I definitely let the team down.”

Just like Tuesday night against San Diego State, the Rebels had their chances to win even without Rougeau. But Wink Adams and Mo Rutledge both missed short jumpers in the final four seconds of regulation, and Adams had a good chance to put the Rebels ahead with 29 seconds left in overtime but missed another jumper. Danridge then broke a 69-69 tie with a 10-footer in the key with 5.4 seconds to go. UNLV didn’t get an opportunity to try and force a second OT because Tre’Von Willis was ruled to have stepped on the sideline at midcourt on the ensuring inbounds pass.

“It’s hard,” Rougeau said. “Everyone is playing really hard. When you give it your all, it’s tough losing like that in overtime.

The good news? The Rebels (5-4) play the next two games at the Thomas & Mack Center against TCU and Colorado State, two teams they should be able to garner some revenge on. Then it’s off to Wyoming, which is easily the worst defensive team in the league, before returning home to host BYU.

So barring a major letdown, UNLV should be 8-4 and right back in the thick of the conference race when they host their old rivals from Provo on Feb. 21.

But they have to be able to put two bitter losses behind them. That may be easier said than done. However, they have no choice.

“We’ve just got to get back to work and get better,” Darger said. “We’ve had two games in a row where we just didn’t get enough stops. We have to realize every possession counts. Each of these games came down to one possession and it didn’t go in our favor. So we just have to get back to work and try and take care of business earlier on.”