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March 18, 2024

Rebels Basketball:

Blog: UNLV can’t finish comeback, loses in double OT at Fresno State

UNLV Loses to Fresno State

L.E. Baskow

UNLV Rebels forward Dwayne Morgan reacts to Fresno State pulling ahead during the Mountain West opener Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2015, at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Updated Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016 | 6:36 p.m.

Fresno State 111, UNLV 104 2OT

Game over

UNLV trailed by 17 midway through the second half and stormed all the way back to force two overtimes, but the short-handed Rebels didn't have much left in the tank in the extra sessions and fell 111-104 to Fresno State tonight at the Save Mart Center.

Ike Nwamu led the comeback with a flurry of 3-pointers, finishing with 27 points. The Rebels used the same lineup — Nwamu, Pat McCaw, Jordan Cornish, Derrick Jones Jr. and Dwayne Morgan — from the final 9:05 of regulation until Jones fouled out in the second overtime. All five of those players scored in double figures, and each played a role in the comeback.

But they weren't enough, and with an already-thin roster after losing Stephen Zimmerman Jr. to a knee injury in the first half, the Rebels didn't look like they had their legs at the end. Marvelle Harris led Fresno State with 37 points, making him one of four Bulldogs to score in double figures.

The Rebels played exclusively zone defense in the second half and overtime, and they forced Fresno State to make a lot of jump shots to keep them at bay. That's exactly what the Bulldogs did for much of the night, and in the end they just had too many answers for what UNLV tried to do.

Check lasvegassun.com later tonight for a full report from the Rebels' defeat.

UNLV isn’t the only team that will be shorthanded when it tips off at Fresno State tonight at 4. Fresno State leading rebounder Torren Jones will miss his second straight game, something that should help the Rebels in a key battle on the boards.

The Rebels (13-10, 4-6) and Bulldogs (14-8, 5-4) clash at 4 p.m. on ESPN3.

UNLV’s roster looks a bit different than the teams’ last meeting, which was a 69-66 Fresno State victory in Las Vegas. Junior forward Ben Carter is out for the season because of a torn ACL and junior guard Daquan Cook is no longer on the team, following a team dismissal with few comments from the program.

It’s an ugly time for UNLV as it tries to fight towards .500 in league play, but Jones’ absence could help them survive. Jones is Fresno State’s leading rebounder and ranks second in scoring. He missed Wednesday’s game because of a violation of team rules, and Fresno State coach Rodney Terry said Jones is out of tonight’s game because of a medical issue.

Whether that’s true or not doesn’t matter to the Rebels, who need to win to avoid a three-game losing streak. This is a good chance to get the season a little more under control heading into a pair of winnable games at home, and it’s one the Rebels will regret not taking advantage of if it slips away.

Prediction: UNLV needs to hit some outside shots today, and if they do they should be able to get out with a win. I’m not picking it, though. Fresno State 67, UNLV 65

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

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