Streak busters

Not having much success on the season, the skidding Runnin' Rebels, losers of six straight games, head into a place where success is rarely found. On Sunday afternoon, the Rebels play San Diego State at Viejas Arena on CBS Sports Network.

Under the scrutiny of "The Show" and a tremendous defensive force, Viejas used to be a place where opponents seldom escaped with victory, but the Aztecs have already dropped three games there this season.

This appears to be the most difficult place for UNLV to get healthy. The Runnin' Rebels, who are trying to avoid their first seven game losing streak in school history, are also looking to snap a eight game losing skid against the Aztecs.

Though highly unlikely, it's still possible for the Aztecs to make a push to the top of the conference. SDSU is currently in fifth place in the Mountain West standings, only 2.5 games behind the Colorado State Rams. With Fresno State and San Jose nipping at their heels, the more pressing goal might be to finish at fifth place or above, which affords a first round bye in the Mountain West Conference tournament. The sixth through 11th seeds will play in the opening round.

The Rebels, on the other hand, find themselves tied with Air Force at the bottom of the standings. A win at Viejas could give the Rebels the upper hand heading into next week's game at Air Force.

A victory on Sunday would also stop nasty streaks in their tracks.