If only Utah could play UNLV every night.
The Utes swept the Rebels in the regular season for the first time since the 2005 season and gained a much needed win in a season with decreasing chances. I'm not about to claim the rebirth of Utah basketball, but it's always nice to win. Especially against a team that a week earlier had been ranked and slaughtered BYU.
Of course, it isn't necessarily what Utah did Wednesday night and what they'll do post-UNLV that matters most. You see, this season has been entirely lost due to not building on these big wins. The Utes beat UNLV, on the road, earlier in the year and followed it up with some very surprising and difficult to accept losses. With road games against San Diego State, Colorado State & Air Force left on the schedule (as well as home contests against Wyoming & BYU), a good ending to the 2010 season is right there for the taking. A return to the struggles, unfortunately, is also a possibility.
Hopefully Utah has found a way to overcome the inconsistency problem and use this win as a stepping stone to a strong finish and a better 2011 campaign.
If not, at least we swept the Rebels, right?