The UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (4-3) couldn’t quite close out on a positive note at the Arizona Tip-Off tournament during the Thanksgiving holidays. The Runnin’ Rebels look to get back on track after their loss to the Northwestern Wildcats last week to close out the tournament
It will be a tough task as they go on the road to face the Creighton Bluejays.
The Creighton Bluejays are coming off a big upset win against No. 1 Kansas, 76-63. The key to Crighton’s success has been senior center Ryan Kalkbrenner. He was named Preseason Big East player of the year. He averages 18.0 points per game, 8.8. rebound per game and 2.8 blocks per game. In the win over Kansas, Kalkbrenner had a double-double, he scored 17 points and 10 rebounds. Kalkbrenner, Pop Issacs, and Steven Ashwoth combined had 61 points.
Creighton averages 77.4 points per game and shoots 45.7% from the field. The Bluejays also shoot 32.5% from the three-point line. From the free-throw line, the Bluejays are averaging 78.3%. The Bluejays went on an 18-6 run against the Jayhawks to close out the game.
The Runnin’ Rebels came up short against the Northwestern Wildcats 61-66. In the loss, the Runnin’ Rebels struggled with turnovers, they had 14. They did manage to outrebound the Wildcats 34-33. In the post-game press conference, head coach Kevin Kruger said, “We just need to tighten up on some things, but the guys are working at it.”
Dedan Thomas, Jr., leads the Runnin’Rebels averaging 16.6 points per game while shooting 50% from the three-point line. Against the Wildcats, Thomas scored 17 points. The Runnin’ Rebels will also need to rely on forward Jeremiah Cherry who is a major presence in the paint, averaging 6.7 rebounds per game.
The Runnin’ Rebels lead the series against the Bluejays overall 3-1. Last year, UNLV defeated Creighton 79-64 in Las Vegas.
This will be the first real road test for the Runnin’ Rebels as they will face off against the Bluejays on Saturday at 1 p.m. PST in Omaha, Nebraska.
