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March 18, 2024

UNLV basketball:

Blog: McCaw leads Rebels, who close well in 69-57 win against Wyoming

UNLV beats Wyoming

L.E. Baskow

UNLV guard Patrick McCaw shoots a jumper against Wyoming on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015.

Updated Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015 | 7:08 p.m.

UNLV Defeats Wyoming

Wyoming forward Larry Nance Jr., left, fights to keep possession of the ball as UNLV forward Goodluck Okonoboh does his best to strip it away Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015. Launch slideshow »

UNLV 69, Wyoming 57

Game over

Pat McCaw's banked-in 3-pointer capped a 10-0 run that helped UNLV run away for good with a 69-57 victory tonight against Wyoming at the Thomas & Mack Center.

McCaw finished with 21 points, including 5-of-7 on 3s, plus his usual stellar defense while Chris Wood scored all 10 of his points in the second half plus 13 rebounds for another double-double after coach Dave Rice, I think, limited his playing time after talking about accountability following the Utah State game. Wood still played 29 minutes, but Dwayne Morgan started the second half in his place.

Cody Doolin had 10 points, all of them in the first 12 minutes, and Morgan finished with eight points that don't really tell the whole story of his effectiveness. He got under Larry Nance's skin early in the game, and while that's not the sole reason Nance struggled to nine points on 3-of-10 shooting before fouling out, it was certainly a factor.

The win brings UNLV to 16-13 overall and 7-9 in league play heading into Wednesday's home game against San Diego State, which lost today at home to Boise State. Check lasvegassun.com later tonight for a full report from the Rebels' victory.

The Rebel Room

Mystery box

Las Vegas Sun sports writers Ray Brewer and Taylor Bern have given up trying to predict UNLV's performances as the Rebels responded from an ugly home loss to go win by eight at New Mexico.

Whenever you hear UNLV coach Dave Rice say the word physical, he’s talking about fouls. There are exceptions, of course, but the vast majority of the time it comes up it’s because Rice felt his team wasn’t getting the whistles it needed.

Not wanted. Needed.

“We’re better when the game is officiated so that game isn’t quite so physical,” Rice said Friday.

Ever since Chris Wood opened Mountain West play scoring UNLV’s first 19 points at Wyoming, there’s been a difference in how league opponents guard him. Much like teams used to do with Khem Birch before he adjusted, they’re often bullying Wood out of the post.

Sometimes it should be a foul, but more often it’s physical play that UNLV (15-13, 6-9) would really like to be called a foul, because it doesn’t take many hits for Wood to become more interested in trying to sell his plight to the refs than in trying to really post up and score. That came to a head Tuesday night at Utah State when, after the refs missed a clear foul, Wood stayed behind to yell at the refs while Utah State used the 5-on-4 advantage to hit a 3.

Wood felt he had been getting abused all game, so he kept talking and drew a technical foul. The game was already out of hand so the technical itself didn’t have an impact, but the Aggies’ defense being in Wood’s head most of the game sure did.

Fast forward to today’s 5 p.m. game against Wyoming (21-7, 10-5), which will air on CBS Sports Network, and it’s possible that Wood won’t have nearly as much to worry about. Wyoming coach Larry Shyatt told ESPN 1100 yesterday that his team, partly because of depth, isn’t very physical with opponents, and the numbers back that up.

Wyoming opponents attempt the second-fewest free throws in the league, which obviously doesn’t account for the fouls home fans think should be called — for example, when someone breathes on an opponent or looks at them funny — but it's an indication of Wyoming’s defensive style.

The Cowboys have played with a seven-man rotation, plus a couple of guys for spot minutes, all season, so it’s always been a priority to keep that main group out of foul trouble and on the floor. Obviously they’re going to have a different game plan than the one that allowed Wood to go off in the first meeting, but more than most games this is one where Wood and the Rebels shouldn’t have to worry themselves as much with the physicality.

Bern’s prediction: Pending Larry Nance Jr.’s overall health, the Rebels should have a great chance to win today. I’ll go with a rare final-possessions victory. UNLV 62, Wyoming 61

Taylor Bern can be reached at 948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Taylor on Twitter at twitter.com/taylorbern.

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