Live blog: Rebels finish off Robert Morris, 81-69

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Published Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019 | 2 a.m.

Updated Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019 | 1:57 p.m.

UNLV went into the low post over and over again in the second half to secure an 81-69 win over Robert Morris.

That kind of offensive attack is unorthodox for T.J. Otzelberger, but a lot of things about today's game were unorthodox, beginning with the starting lineups and continuing with the lack of 3-point shooting and the emphasis on getting to the basket. It paid off for the Rebels, though, as Marvin Coleman (16 points), Mbacke Diong (17 points) and Vitaliy Shibel (13 points) feasted in the second half.

UNLV is now 5-8 on the season. They'll have a week off before next facing Eastern Washington on Saturday, Dec. 28.

UNLV leads Robert Morris late in second half

With 4:56 to play, UNLV is holding onto a 68-61 lead over Robert Morris.

Marvin Coleman splashed the Rebels' second 3-pointer of the day to extend the lead to 10 points, but RMU's Josh Williams immediately followed with a triple of his own to get it back down to seven.

Coleman has been productive for UNLV, as he's got 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting.

Rebels lead Robert Morris in second half, 3-point streak intact

UNLV has come out with a strategy to pound the ball inside in the second half and so far it's working like a charm, as the Rebels have powered to a 58-46 lead with 11:39 to play.

The Rebels' first nine shot attempts all came inside the restricted area, with Vitaliy Shibel in particular having success backing down some of Robert Morris' smaller defenders. Shibel has eight points so far this half and 11 for the game.

The one drawback of working the ball inside is that UNLV went 28 minutes before making its first 3-pointer today. The fans at the Thomas & Mack Center were clearly getting antsy about the program's 3-point streak, but Jonah Antonio knocked down a triple from the corner with 12 minutes remaining to extend the streak to 1,083 straight games.

Rebels trail Robert Morris at halftime

What to make of this game at the half? UNLV is trailing Robert Morris, 35-34, but there's so much more to consider than just what's on the scoreboard.

Otzelberger didn't just send a message with his starting lineup — he has continued to play Marvin Coleman and Jay Green throughout the first half, as they've each played a team-high 16 minutes. And as far as hustle stats go, it seems to be working as UNLV has pounded the offensive glass to build a 14-0 advantage in second-chance points.

While the scrappy, hustling Rebels are providing energy, the outside shooting has taken a hit. UNLV missed all seven of its 3-point attempts in the first half, so the streak of 1,082 consecutive games with a made 3 will be up in the air over the final 20 minutes.

Robert Morris has hit 4-of-11 from 3-point range and 52.7 percent overall, paced by a balanced scoring attack that has eight players between 2-7 points.

UNLV leads Robert Morris late in first half

Mbacke Diong has just scored back-to-back 3-point plays, and UNLV has a 27-24 lead over Robert Morris with 3:24 left in the first half.

While Diong finished through contact on both putback attempts to earn the extra free throw, what the Rebels don't have yet is an actual 3-pointer. UNLV is 0-of-7 from beyond the arc; if the 0-fer continues into the second half, Rebels fans may have to sweat out the program's 1,082-game streak with at least one 3-pointer made.

Diong currently leads UNLV with 10 points and three rebounds.

Otzelberger sending message with lineup changes

T.J. Otzelberger said that UNLV's effort against Pacific wasn't good enough, and it looks like he's sending a message via playing time today as the Rebels' starting lineup did not include usual stalwarts Amauri Hardy, Donnie Tillman and Bryce Hamilton. Instead it was seldom-used junior Jay Green getting the start in the backcourt along with sophomore Marvin Coleman. Nick Blair started his second straight game at forward, and Vitaliy Shibel joined regular start Mbacke Diong in the frontcourt.

The message didn't stop there. The first Rebel off the bench when Otzelberger substituted was freshman walk-on Trey Hurlburt. Hardy and Hamilton did not check in until seven minutes had passed.

The patchwork starters held their own against Robert Morris, and with 11:53 left in the first half the Colonials have a 14-12 lead.

It will be fascinating to see what Otzelberger has to say about his rotation after the game.

Three keys for UNLV basketball vs. Robert Morris

The last time we saw UNLV in action, the Rebels were beaten on their home court by Pacific, prompting T.J. Otzelberger to rip into his team for a lack of effort. How will they respond today, when they host Robert Morris in a Saturday matinee?

Three keys for UNLV:

Get out in transition

Scoring was an issue once again in the loss to Pacific, and the halfcourt offense was particularly ineffective. One way the Rebels could relieve the pressure would be by getting into the open court a little more frequently. For the season, UNLV is No. 82 in transition efficiency according to Synergy Sports data while ranking 250^th in halfcourt efficiency. Push the ball and see if there are any easy buckets to be had.

Box someone out

UNLV was atrocious against Pacific in several ways, but especially when it came to defensive rebounding. Pacific grabbed 15 offensive boards compared to just 19 defensive rebounds for UNLV, and it's almost impossible to win a game when you barely get half of the available defense rebounds. Center Mbacke Diong has to be better (three defensive rebounds against Pacific) and he needs more help from his teammates in the paint.

Dive

I don't know if it will help the Rebels win, but they should dive for loose balls just as an act of self-preservation. Otzelberger seemed furious that his guys didn't hit the floor very often against Pacific, and he made a point to bring it up multiple times in his post-game press conference. Then he put the team through a grueling practice that included floor-burn-inducing drills. Even if the Rebels build a big lead against Robert Morris, they better not let a single loose ball bounce away without hitting the deck.

TV: UNLVRebels.com, 12 p.m.

UNLV: 4-8, KenPom No. 193

Coach: T.J. Otzelberger

Leading scorer: Amauri Hardy, 17.1 points per game

Leading rebounder: Mbacke Diong, 9.6 rebounds per game

Leading assists: Elijah Mitrou-Long, 3.8 assists per game

Robert Morris: 4-8, KenPom No. 282

Coach: Andrew Toole

Leading scorer: Josh Williams, 12.4 points per game

Leading rebounder: A.J. Bramah, 7.3 rebounds per game

Leading assists: Dante Treacy, 4.2 assists per game

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