The Runnin’ Rebels faced off against No. 1 conference seed San Diego State on Jan. 24. Many UNLV fans believed UNLV was capable of causing an upset, coming off a win over the No. 2 seed in the conference and riding a three-game win streak. The game went down to the wire until the Aztecs pulled away in the second half, winning 82-71.
The Rebels fought hard all first half, with the Aztecs leading by five points going into the final quarter. Guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn led the way in the hard-fought loss, scoring 27 points with 2 rebounds and 2 assists while shooting 52.4 percent from the field. Forward Kimani Hamilton added 12 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist while shooting 42.9 percent.
UNLV’s main concerns in this game were its 3-pointers and free throws. The Rebels shot 33.3 percent from behind the arc, going 7-for-21. With 3-pointers being a huge reason for their wins and losses, UNLV averages 20-plus attempts per game.
While in a shooting slump behind the arc, UNLV also shot only 54.5 percent from the free-throw line, going 12-for-22. With 10 missed free throws in an 11-point loss, the outcome could have looked different if the Rebels had converted more at the line. In comparison, the Aztecs shot 61.5 percent from three and 84.6 percent from the free-throw line.
The Rebels needed to expose the Aztecs’ lazy defense in the paint, scoring 36 points in the restricted area. If UNLV can better use its size, with nine players listed at 6-foot-4 or taller, it can attack teams inside and force defenders to give up more open 3s.
They still showed plenty of hope, with 3-pointers being the only negative aspect of their game. UNLV holds a 5-3 conference record and a 10-9 overall record. The Rebels look to get back on track on Jan. 27 against No. 3 conference seed New Mexico.
Jesse Vanderveer is a basketball reporter and writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @JesseVanderveer22
