▁and ▁going ▁on ▁long ▁runs ▁that ▁turned ▁close ▁games ▁into ▁blow outs . ▁ ▁They ▁hit ▁their ▁peak ▁after ▁joining ▁the ▁Pacific ▁Coast ▁Athlet ic ▁Association ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 , ▁winning ▁or ▁sharing ▁ 1 0 ▁straight ▁regular - season ▁titles ▁and ▁winning ▁seven ▁tournament ▁titles . ▁ ▁He ▁took ▁his ▁UN L V ▁teams ▁to ▁four ▁Final ▁F ours . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁first , ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 7 ▁( only ▁seven ▁years ▁after ▁the ▁program ▁joined ▁Division ▁I ), ▁the ▁Reb els ▁lost ▁to ▁North ▁Carolina ▁in ▁the ▁semif inals . ▁The ▁Reb els ▁aver aged ▁ 1 0 9 ▁points ▁per ▁game ▁that ▁season ▁in ▁an ▁era ▁before ▁the ▁shot ▁clock ▁or ▁the ▁three - point ▁shot . ▁ ▁However , ▁Carolina ▁controlled ▁the ▁tempo ▁with ▁coach ▁Dean ▁Smith ' s ▁famous ▁four ▁corners ▁off ense . ▁Ten ▁years ▁later ▁in ▁the ▁Final ▁Four , ▁UN L V ▁was ▁defeated ▁by ▁Bob ▁Knight ' s ▁Indiana ▁Ho os iers , ▁the ▁event ual ▁national ▁champion . ▁Finally , ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁NCAA ▁Men ' s ▁Division ▁I ▁Basketball ▁Tournament ▁T ark an ian ▁led ▁UN L V ▁to ▁the ▁championship , ▁prev ail ing ▁ 1 0 3 – 7 3 ▁against ▁Duke ▁while ▁setting ▁a ▁record ▁for ▁margin ▁of ▁victory ▁in ▁a ▁championship ▁game . ▁That ▁season ▁the ▁team ▁was ▁heavily ▁monitor ed ▁by ▁the ▁NCAA , ▁which ▁visited ▁their ▁campus ▁ 1 1 ▁times , ▁and ▁susp ended ▁