UNLV forward Dwayne Morgan (15) drives hard to the basket through UC Riverside forward Alex Larsson (21) for a critical score late at the Thomas & Mack Center, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016.
Published Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016 | 6:30 p.m.
Updated Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016 | 9:02 p.m.
UNLV led UC Riverside 58-54 with only 4:15 when Jovan Mooring got the ball as the shot clock ticked away. He pulled up from nearly the half court logo and drained a 3-pointer as buzzer went off.
On the following possession UNLV again had very little ball movement but another deep 3-pointer saved the Rebels as the shot clock expired — this one by Jalen Poyser.
Those two shots, and some clutch free throws down the stretch, propelled UNLV to a 74-62 win over UC Riverside.
The win is the first of coach Marvin Menzies’ career at UNLV, and evens the Rebels’ record at 1-1 this season.
Poyser led UNLV with 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting, seven rebounds and two assists.
Mooring, who made only the one shot all night, led UNLV with six assists.
UNLV outrebounded UC Riverside 46-32 but were outscored in the paint 36-28.
Alex Larson led the Highlanders with 14 points and nine rebounds.
• • •
The basket has shrunk for the Runnin’ Rebels in the second half.
After extending their lead to as much as 15 early in the second half, UC Riverside has made it a two-point game with 10 minutes to go in the game.
UNLV leads UC Riverside 49-47.
The Highlanders used a 21-8 run to cut the lead, thanks to an offensive disappearing act by UNLV in the second period.
The Rebels went more than three minutes without a field goal, turning the ball over four times in that time frame.
UNLV has opened the second half 5-of-14 from the floor and 0-for-4 from behind the 3-point arc.
Jalen Poyser still leads all scorers with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting and is tied with Tyrell Green for the team lead in assists with five.
Malik Thames and Secean Johnson lead the Highlanders with nine points each.
• • •
Welcome back Dwayne Morgan.
The junior forward has taken advantage of his first playing time of the season, including a monster dunk that brought the Thomas & Mack crowd to its feet.
UNLV used a late 17-7 run to lead UC Riverside 37-26 at halftime.
Jalen Poyser sparked the run with lights-out shooting from behind the arc. Poyser is 3-of-4 from 3-point range and leads the Rebels with 11 points and four rebounds.
Morgan has six points on 3-of-7 shooting and has grabbed three rebounds in his eight minutes.
Big man Cheickna Dembele also made his debut after missing the opener with a foot injury and has provided the rim-protection that the Rebels have missed.
The 6-foot-11 freshman had a block, a steal and four points in only seven minutes on the floor.
After being outscored 29-3 in the loss to South Alabama, the Rebels bench has come alive, and UNLV holds a 14-6 advantage in bench scoring.
• • •
UNLV is off to another slow start, trailing UC Riverside 13-11 halfway through the first half.
Dwayne Morgan came off the bench to get his first playing time of the season after undergoing offseason hip surgery. Morgan hit two baseline jumpers and leads the Rebels with four points and two rebounds.
UC Riverside big man Alex Larson has given UNLV fits, racking up four points and three rebounds quickly before sitting down with two early fouls.
The Runnin' Rebels have made only two of their last 11 shots — both by Morgan.
Christian Jones also has four points on 2-of-3 shooting. The rest of UNLV (not Jones and Morgan) have gone 0-for-8 from the floor.
The lead would be much more if not for solid defense by UNLV. Riverside has turned the ball over four times and has missed its last six shots.
• • •
The UNLV basketball team will be looking for its first win of the season tonight against UC Riverside at the Thomas & Mack Center.
The Rebels have won 12 straight against the Highlanders and lead the all-time series 13-1, including a 73-62 win in Riverside last season.
UNLV dropped its season opener to South Alabama 76-68 and will be looking to bounce back from its miserable shooting night. The Rebels were 21-of-57 (36.8 percent) from the floor and 2-of-15 (13.3 percent) from behind the 3-point arc.
Christian Jones was one of the lone bright spots for UNLV, recording a double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds.
UC Riverside (0-1) is led by senior guard Malik Thames, who had 18 points and six rebounds in the Highlanders’ 71-55 loss to Portland. The Highlanders followed the loss up with an 81-45 exhibition win over Bristol University.
The Rebels are six-point favorites in the books, and the total for the game is 142.
We'll keep you posted once the game begins.
Granger's Prediction: UNLV 76, UC Riverside 67
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