Blog: Colorado State knocks off Rebels, 91-77

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Published Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2016 | 7:06 p.m.

Updated Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2016 | 9:45 p.m.

For the second straight game, UNLV managed to put together one solid half of basketball. And for the second straight game, it wasn't nearly enough to win. This time, it was a discouraging second half that let the Rebels down, as they were outscored 45-34 over the final 20 minutes by Colorado State in a 91-77 loss.

UNLV's offense died after halftime, as the Rebels made just 10-of-33 from the field (30.3 percent). Colorado State, on the other hand, nailed 50 percent of its shots (15-of-30), using Gian Clavell's 21 points to pull away.

The Rebels are now 0-1 in the Mountain West and 7-7 overall.

Slumping Rebels trail CSU by 13

Offense continues to elude the Rebels in the second half, as they've made just 7-of-22 from the field. The prolonged cold stretch has allowed Colorado State to maintain a comfortable double-digit lead, and with 7:44 remaining CSU has a 78-65 advantage.

Kris Clyburn has been UNLV's most active player in the second half; for the game, he's got 10 points, seven rebounds, three steals and a block in 23 minutes.

Despite Clyburn's best efforts, CSU has outscored the Rebels 32-22 in the second half. Unless UNLV makes a run soon, it looks like an 0-1 start in conference play for Marvin Menzies and the Rebels.

Rebels trail, 61-46, after Clavell barrage

Colorado State guard Gian Clavell has single-handedly put UNLV on blowout notice, as he hit three consecutive 3-pointers during a personal 9-0 run to inflate the Rams' lead to 57-46 in the opening minutes of the second half. With 15:47 remaining, UNLV now trails, 61-46.

UNLV has struggled offensively to start the second half, shooting just 1-of-5 (with the one made basket coming as the result of good defense on a Kris Clyburn steal-and-score) over the first four minutes. That was plenty of time for Clavell to heat up and put the Rebels in a deep hole.

CSU uses late run to claim halftime lead

Colorado State closed the half on a 10-0 run to take a 46-43 lead into the locker room.

UNLV had built a lead as large as nine points in the first half, and the Rebels led, 43-36, with less than three minutes on the first-half clock, but a string of turnovers led to easy transition baskets and a pair of CSU 3-pointers, capped off by Che Bob's triple with 55 seconds remaining to put the Rams ahead by three.

After playing a relatively clean first half, UNLV committed four turnovers in the final 3:33 to allow Colorado State to build momentum. The Rebels had eight turnovers in the half, while Colorado State finished with four.

Still, UNLV managed to shoot 46.7 percent and score 1.132 points per possession in the first half. Despite the rash of turnovers, the offense has been fine. On the other end of the court, Colorado State has been able to shoot 47.4 percent. It's hard to imagine UNLV winning a shootout with both teams scoring in the 90's, so the Rebels are going to have to dig in on the defensive end in the second half if they want to pull this one out.

Troy Baxter leads UNLV with nine points on 3-of-4 shooting, while Bob paced CSU with 10 points.

Rebels hot from deep, lead CSU 35-28

Four different Rebels have made 3-pointers, and UNLV has made 6-of-9 from long range as a team to build a 35-28 lead over Colorado State with 7:24 remaining in the first half.

Freshman Troy Baxter and junior Jovan Mooring are both 2-of-2 from deep, while Uche Ofoegbu and Jalen Poyser have each made a triple of their own.

UNLV has outscored CSU 15-8 over the last four minutes. I don't know how much longer the hot shooting is going to last, but for now it's given the Rebels a sizable first-half lead.

Jalen Poyser gets Rebels off to good start at CSU

With 11:55 left in the first half, Colorado State has a 20-19 lead over UNLV, though Rebels freshman Cheickna Dembele will shoot a pair of free throws after the timeout.

UNLV has enjoyed a solid start, looking crisp on offense while racking up five assists on the first seven made field goals.

Jalen Poyser has six quick points courtesy of a long 3-pointer and a length-of-the-court drive which resulted in an and-1 finish. Troy Baxter has also provided an offensive spark with five points.

The Rebels have committed three turnovers, but two of them came in the game's opening minute. Since then, UNLV has been careful with the ball and efficient on offense.

Rebels seek Mountain West win at Colorado State

Winning on the road in conference play is almost never easy, but UNLV should have more than a puncher’s chance tonight at Colorado State in the Mountain West opener for both teams.

There probably won’t be a better time to play the Rams this season, as they’re currently on a three-game losing streak while coach Larry Eustachy tries to figure out his rotation. UNLV is a 6-point underdog, but the Rebels have some momentum in their favor after a solid second-half showing in last week’s pre-Christmas loss to Kansas.

Perimeter scoring will be important and possibly decisive. Colorado State plays good halfcourt defense (0.78 points per possessions allowed, 56th in the country) and employs capable backcourt defenders, led by standout guard Prentiss Nixon. That means Rebels guards Jalen Poyser, Uche Ofoegbu, Kris Clyburn and Jovan Mooring will have to work for their points.

Poyser has been in something of a scoring slump recently, averaging just 7.3 points over the last four games. Ofoegbu has also been regressing, as he’s averaged just 4.2 points in 19.5 minutes over the last six contests.

That could leave the door open for Mooring to take more control of the offense. He’s seen his playing time spike in conjunction with Ofoegbu’s cold streak, as coach Marvin Menzies has tapped him for 23.3 minutes over the last six games. Mooring has delivered 9.0 points and 3.0 assists per game during that span.

Up front, it looks like Christian Jones showed enough in his return against Kansas (27 minutes, eight points, seven rebounds) and subsequent practices to return to a full-time role in the rotation. Look for the fifth-year senior to start at center tonight, allowing freshman Cheickna Dembele to slide back into a reserve role.

Freshman forward Troy Baxter also appears to be available tonight. He left the Kansas game after tweaking his knee, but he was dressed and participating in team warmups about an hour before tipoff at CSU.

Can the Rebels start off the Mountain West season with a win on the road? Join the conversation by tweeting with the hashtag #unlvmbb.

Mike’s prediction: Colorado State 72, UNLV 62. Shots don’t fall early, and CSU is too good on the defensive glass to allow UNLV to stay close via second-chance points.