Blog: Robotham leads UNLV to victory at Boise State

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Published Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019 | 2 a.m.

Updated Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019 | 9:56 p.m.

Noah Robotham made huge plays down the stretch, and UNLV has snapped its three-game losing streak with an 83-72 win at Boise State.

The senior point guard finished with a game-high 21 points, 10 assists and zero turnovers. Robotham made 6-of-8 from the field, 5-of-6 from 3-point range and recorded a plus/minus rating of +15 in his 37 minutes.

Led by Robotham's hot hand, UNLV simply out-shot Boise State for 40 minutes. BSU made 52.7 percent of its attempts on the night, but UNLV countered by connecting on 14-of-26 from 3-point range.

UNLV is back in the win column after dropping three straight games, improving to 6-4 in Mountain West play and 12-10 overall.

Robotham coming up clutch as UNLV tries to close out Boise State

Noah Robotham just made one of the biggest shots of the season for UNLV, and with 1:30 to play, the Rebels have a 76-70 lead at Boise State.

Robotham drilled a 3-pointer with time running out on the shot clock to extend the lead from three points to six, and then the senior point guard forced a turnover on the other end.

Robotham now has a team-high 17 points on 5-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc.

UNLV leads at Boise State, 65-64

UNLV pushed its lead as high as eight points, but a 7-0 run from Boise State has trimmed the Rebels' edge to 65-64 with 7:36 to play.

The Rebels remain scorching hot from 3-point range, as they've 4-of-8 in the second half and 12-of-23 for the game, but back-to-back misses by Bryce Hamilton allowed Boise to go on a spurt to close the gap.

Noah Robotham is playing a tremendous game for UNLV, with 14 points, eight assists and zero turnovers in 27 minutes. Amauri Hardy has 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting.

Derrick Alston is leading the way for Boise State with 14 points, including a big 3 during the Broncos' current run.

Rebels take lead for first time at Boise State, 56-53

UNLV has made six of its first seven shots to open the second half, and all of a sudden the Rebels find themselves leading Boise State, 56-53 with 14:08 to play.

Noah Robotham found Mbacke Diong under the rim for a layup to give UNLV its first lead, 46-45, and the Rebels scored on their next four possessions to solidify the advantage. Four Rebels have scored in double figures already, led by Amauri Hardy's 12 points.

For the game, UNLV is now shooting 56.8 percent from the floor (21-of-37) and 55.6 percent from beyond the arc (10-of-18).

Rebels trail Boise State at half

Nick Blair buried a 3-pointer in the closing seconds of the first half to give him a team-high nine points and bring UNLV within 43-49 at the break.

Blair took four shots in the first half — all from 3-point range — and made three of them. Amauri Hardy and Kris Clyburn scored eight apiece, and UNLV made 8-of-15 from beyond the arc as a team.

Boise State continues to generate easy offense, however. The Broncos shot 61.5 percent in the first half, including 4-of-9 from 3-point range and 7-of-11 on layups and dunks. Center Zach Haney has 11 points, while guard Justinian Jessup has nine.

UNLV raining 3-pointers, staying close at Boise

Boise State seems to be scoring every time down the court, but UNLV has made 7-of-12 from 3-point range so far, and with 3:29 left in the half Boise leads, 37-32.

The Broncos are shooting 14-of-21 from the field and 4-of-7 from long distance, but UNLV has managed to stick around thanks to outside shooting. Five different Rebels have connected from 3-point range, including Nick Blair and Noah Robotham, both of whom are 2-of-3.

Boise State continues to have success inside, outscoring UNLV 18-8 on points in the paint so far.

Boise State leads UNLV early, 16-13

After letting Boise State run out to an 8-0 lead, UNLV has used some hot outside shooting to close the gap. With 11:43 left in the first half, the BSU lead has been trimmed to 16-13.

UNLV is 3-of-5 from 3-point range, with Noah Robotham, Joel Ntambwe and Bryce Hamilton all connecting from deep.

The Rebels have struggled defending Boise at the other end, however. The Broncos have made 8-of-11 from the field, scoring 14 of their 16 points from inside the paint.

Rebels start slow at Boise State

Marvin Menzies made a change to his starting lineup in hopes of jump-starting the Rebels tonight, but it did not work. Boise State scored the game's first three baskets, and with 16:33 left in the half, the Broncos lead, 8-0.

Menies inserted sophomore center into the starting lineup in place of undersized Nick Blair, but so far the move hasn't made much of a difference.

Live blog: Three keys for UNLV basketball at Boise State

UNLV basketball needs a win. Back-to-back-to-back losses by 17 points have dropped the Rebels to 5-4 in the Mountain West, and if things don’t turn around soon, the season could tailspin out of control.

Can the Rebels turn things around at Boise State today (8 p.m., ESPNU)? Three keys to watch:

Start fast

Or, just don’t start slow. Ice-cold starts have been killing the Rebels all season, and Menzies said he’s making it a priority to figure it out. If UNLV gets through the first four minutes or so without digging a big hole, consider that a step in the right direction.

Positionless

Boise State has been on the forefront of the offensive revolution under coach Leon Rice, and that’s still true this season. The Broncos aren’t shooting as many 3’s as they have in the past (or making them at as high a rate), but they are the epitome of “positionless basketball.” Boise plays four guards at a time, but they all check in between 6-foot-4 and 6-foot-8, giving them tremendous versatility on both ends of the floor.

UNLV will have to construct a specific game plan for this matchup and make sure everyone knows their defensive assignments. Otherwise, Boise will exploit mismatches and bury the Rebels with a bunch of easy baskets.

Stop fouling

UNLV has gotten careless on the defensive end during its current three-game losing streak, committing a ton of fouls and giving opponents a big advantage from the free-throw line. Over the last 120 minutes, opponents have taken 84 free throws to the Rebels’ 55.

A more disciplined approach on the defensive end will be crucial against Boise State. The Broncos are not a team that gets to the free-throw line a ton — just 19.2 percent of their points come via free throws, which ranks 159^th in the nation — so if UNLV can hold them under 16 attempts, that would be a good sign.

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