Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Live blog: Rebels roll in season-opening win, 86-71

1105_sun_UNLVMastodons02

Steve Marcus

UNLV Rebels forward Cheikh Mbacke Diong (34) dunks against the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons at the Thomas & Mack Center Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019.

Updated Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019 | 8:57 p.m.

T.J. Otzelberger picked up his first win as UNLV's head coach as the Rebels dispatched Purdue Fort Wayne, 86-71. 

The Rebels' modern, up-tempo offense looked unstoppable at times, and stalled at others, but in the end UNLV shot 51.9 percent from the field, so Otzelberger will have to be happy with that performance. 

Balanced scoring saw all five starters finish in double figures, led by 17 points apiece from Mbacke Diong and Jonah Antonio. Diong also posted 17 rebounds and four blocks, while Antonio nailed 5-of-9 from 3-point range. 

After tuning up against Purdue Fort Wayne, the Rebels will now get ready for an early test as they welcome Kansas State to the Thomas & Mack Center on Saturday. 

UNLV leads by 15 in second half of season opener

UNLV has four players in double figures, and with 11:47 to play the Rebels lead Purdue Fort Wayne, 58-43.

Jonah Antonio and Mbacke Diong are tied with a team-high 12 points apiece, while Amauri Hardy has 11 and Donnie Tillman has 10. UNLV is shooting 57.1 percent for the game, so T.J. Otzelberger's offense seems to be working on opening night.

The Rebels' play on the defensive end might be the bigger story, however. Purdue Fort Wayne has struggled to generate open looks since the opening minutes of the game, and so far the Mastodons have been held to 19-of-44 from the field. Diong has been a big part of the defensive effort with four blocks and eight defensive rebounds.

Rebels build big halftime lead over Purdue Fort Wayne

The Rebels found their stride over the final 12 minutes of the half and they've built a 39-23 lead over Purdue Fort Wayne at the half.

A 25-4 run gave UNLV control of the game, and it was fueled on the defensive end. With Mbacke Diong (seven rebounds, four blocks) parked in the paint, Purdue Fort Wayne went more than 11 minutes without a basket before scoring in the final seconds of the half. The Mastodons are 10-of-34 from the field (29.4 percent).

Offensively, Jonah Antonio's UNLV career couldn't be off to a hotter start. The junior made 4-of-5 from 3-point range in the first half, giving him a team-high 12 points at the break. Including the exhibition game, he has now connected on 11-of-16 from long distance so far this year.

Rebels on big run to open lead over Purdue Fort Wayne

Amauri Hardy is heating up, and a 15-6 run by the Rebels has given them a 29-21 lead over Purdue Fort Wayne late in the first half.

Hardy has seven points, five rebounds and three assists to pace UNLV so far, while Jonah Antonio, Mbacke Diong and Elijah Mitrou-Long have each scored six points apiece.

The Rebels struggled to defend the basket in the early going, but they've clamped down on that end of the court. With Diong providing most of the rim protection, Purdue Fort Wayne has only scored two points in the last nine minutes.

Rebels trail Purdue Fort Wayne early in Otzelberger debut

Eight minutes into the first game of T.J. Otzelberger's tenure, UNLV has shown glimpses of what they can do on offense, but Purdue Fort Wayne has an early 15-14 lead.

The Rebels' first basket came on a nifty pick-and-roll pass from Donnie Tillman to Mbacke Diong, who finished it off with an open dunk. Minutes later, Jonah Antonio knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Rebels a 12-5 advantage.

Things have stalled a bit since then, as UNLV has struggled to convert open jump shots. Purdue Fort Wayne has had some success driving to the basket, especially with Rebels' backup big man Cheickna Dembele in the game. With UNLV's thin frontcourt situation, that will be something to monitor as the game (and the season) goes on.

Amauri Hardy has shown an ability to drive to the basket, converting a couple layups in the early going. Hardy got the start at shooting guard tonight, replacing Bryce Hamilton in the starting lineup from last week's exhibition game.

UNLV basketball vs. Purdue Fort Wayne

UNLV will open its first season under coach T.J. Otzelberger at 7 p.m. tonight when the Rebels host Purdue Fort Wayne. Otzelberger should be familiar with the Mastodons, as he clashed with them twice a year in the Summit League as the coach at South Dakota State.

Three keys to watch for UNLV:

Embrace the pace

For any Rebels fans looking for a crash course in Otzelberger's vision, this game should be an accurate guide. He wants his teams to play fast and take quick, efficient shots, and Purdue Fort Wayne will be a willing partner on both ends of the floor. The Mastodons were No. 26 in KenPom.com's adjusted tempo last year, and they ranked 37th in possessions per game. Look for both teams to push the ball and take the first open look.

Sprint back

The main tenet of Otzelberger's defense is getting back quickly and getting set to stop transition baskets, and the Rebels will be tested by Purdue Fort Wayne's open-court attack. Otzelberger spent most of the preseason talking about the defensive end of the court, as he tried to instill a hustling mindset in his players; tonight we should get to see how much the Rebels have taken it to heart.

Backcourt stopper

UNLV's two best defensive players are center Mbacke Diong and forward Donnie Tillman, and they'll likely man the 4 and 5 positions most of the time. That leaves some defensive question marks in the backcourt, where Elijah Mitrou-Long, Jonah Antonio, Amauri Hardy and Bryce Hamilton should rotate through for most of the playing time. Which of those guys is going to step up as a stopper on the defensive end?

TV: UNLVRebels.com

Radio: ESPN1100 AM

Betting line: UNLV minus-11.5; over/under 161.5

Purdue Fort Wayne (0-0)

Coach: Jon Coffman

Scoring leader: Matt Holba, 11.7 points per game (2018-19)

Rebounding leader: Dylan Carl, 5.0 rebounds per game (2018-19)

Assist leader: Dylan Carl, 1.9 assists per game (2018-19)

UNLV (0-0)

Coach: T.J. Otzelberger

Scoring leader: Amauri Hardy, 13.1 points per game (2018-19)

Rebounding leader: Mbacke Diong, 6.8 rebounds per game (2018-19)

Assist leader: Amauri Hardy, 3.5 assists per game (2018-19)

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.

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