YouTube Gold: Tark’s UNLV Gets Tested By Arkansas
Duke changed how 1991 UNLV was seen, but that was, truly, a great team.
College Basketball: UNLV Larry Johnson (4) in action, dunking vs Arkansas at Barnhill Arena. Fayetteville, AR 2/10/1991 CREDIT: Manny Millan (Photo by Manny Millan /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X40981 ) | This was 1991 UNLV at or near its peak. In 1991, Jerry Tarkanian’s UNLV team was still riding high after putting on an awesome blitz against Duke in the 1990 national championship game.
Behind Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon, Anderson Hunt, and Greg Anthony, the Rebels were a burgeoning dynasty. Everyone knew that team was going to repeat, and the performance at Arkansas on February 10 just reinforced that perception. Arkansas is a tough place to play, and UNLV was actually down four at the half.
The second half was a different matter altogether. Vegas roared back and built a 23-point lead before taking the air out of the ball late. The Rebels won 112-105, and while that’s not exactly a blowout, there was no question which was the better team.
They just punked the Razorbacks in the second half, and on the road, too. UNLV was nearing all-time greatness, but as history closed in, the pressure started to take its toll. They got a tight game from New Mexico State on February 25, winning by just 12, then somehow, Long Beach State managed to keep the score to 49-29.