Live blog: Rebels top Boise State in overtime

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Published Saturday, March 2, 2019 | 5:30 p.m.

Updated Saturday, March 2, 2019 | 9:48 p.m.

Kris Clyburn made a go-ahead layup, and Noah Robotham sank a pair of game-clinching free throws to give UNLV an 85-81 win over Boise State in overtime. 

The Rebels had several shaky moments in the overtime period, but the ball bounced their way more often than not. One play saw Nick Blair dribble into a crowd before finding Mbacke Diong under the basket for a dunk, and UNLV was leading by 2 when the Rebels came perilously close to committing a turnover in the backcourt in the final minute. Robotham came up with the loose ball on that play, made his free throws with nine seconds left and UNLV came away with the victory. 

Robotham finished with nine points and 11 assists, while Clyburn tallied a game-high 21 points. 

UNLV is now 16-13 on the year, and 10-7 in Mountain West play. The Rebels have one game remaining in the regular season, a road contest at Colorado State on March 9. 

UNLV and Boise State going to overtime

Boise State guard Justinian Jessup hit a long 2-point jumper just before the buzzer to tie the game at 71-71, and this game is headed to overtime.

Noah Robotham gave UNLV the lead by sticking a 3-pointer with a minute to play, and Amauri Hardy padded the lead with a free throw. That set up Jessup's jumper, which came after a slick dribble move against Nick Blair.

UNLV center Mbacke Diong has four fouls; no one else is in foul trouble as we set for the extra period.

Boise State and UNLV going down to wire

UNLV's seniors are coming up big, as Noah Robotham just found Kris Clyburn for 3 to give the Rebels the lead... briefly.

Boise State scored immediately on the ensuing possession to regain a 68-67 advantage with 3:06 to play.

Robotham now has eight points and eight assists for the game, while Clyburn has five 3-pointers and a game-high 19 points.

Robotham leading UNLV comeback against Boise State

Noah Robotham sparked a 12-3 run by the Rebels, and with 7:39 remaining Boise State's lead has been trimmed to 63-53.

Robotham started the spurt by hitting a 3-pointer, and on the next possession he drove baseline for a reverse layup. He then threw a look-ahead pass to Kris Clyburn for a fast-break layup that got the modest crowd on its feet.

Robotham now has eight points and seven assists. Joel Ntambwe is leading UNLV with 14 points.

Boise State leads UNLV in second half, 56-46

Just like the first half, UNLV has started slowly come out of the locker room and Boise State has extended its lead to 56-46 with 13:48 to play.

The Rebels have had too many lapses on defense, including two possessions where they allowed BSU sharpshooter Justinian Jessup to dribble into open 3-pointers. Jessup made them both to give him a team-high 14 points.

UNLV has continued to mishandle the ball so far in the second half, committing three turnovers in the first six minutes. The Rebels have now given the ball away nine times on the night, while Boise State has committed just four turnovers.

The Rebels used hot 3-point shooting to get back in the game after falling behind early in the first half. Let's see if they can go to the well again to close the gap here.

Rebels shoot their way back, trail by 2 at half

UNLV is right back in this one, thanks to some scorching-hot 3-point shooting to close out the half.

After falling behind, 30-16, the Rebels ripped off a 20-4 run to take a brief lead. Joel Ntambwe, Kris Clyburn and Amauri Hardy each hit a pair of 3-pointers to power the run. Ntambwe leads UNLV with 12 points at the break.

Defense is still an issue for the Rebels, as Boise heads to the locker room having made 53.8 percent of its field goals in the half. Forward Derrick Alston leads the Broncos with 11 points.

Boise bolts out to 30-16 lead over UNLV

The situation has deteriorated for UNLV.

Boise State has made 10-of-16 shots from the field, including four 3-pointers, and the Broncos have taken a 30-16 lead over UNLV with 8:31 remaining in the half.

The Rebels have struggled defensively, allowing several easy makes inside the paint. And when they have defended well, Boise State has responded by making tough shots. R.J. Williams is leading BSU with eight points.

UNLV has made 3-of-6 from 3-point range, but the Rebels have also committed five turnovers. Boise has yet to turn it over once.

Slow start for Rebels on Senior Night

Someone might want to let the Rebels know that the Senior Night ceremony is over and that the game has started. UNLV has opened this one in sleepwalk mode, and Boise State has jumped out to a quick 8-3 lead.

Joel Ntambwe got UNLV off to a good start with a corner 3, but Boise State has scored on all four of its possessions, with all four baskets coming on uncontested shots around the basket.

Marvin Menzies called timeout after the most recent BSU basket and looks to be inserting Nick Blair for Ntambwe after the break.

Three keys for UNLV basketball vs. Boise State

UNLV will aim for its fourth season sweep of the Mountain West season when Boise State comes to the Thomas & Mack Center (7:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network).

Can the Rebels snag a win on Senior Night? Three keys to watch:

Get the shot back

The Rebels are a 3-point shooting team. That’s their identity, and that’s how they win games. But over the last four contests, they have connected on just 27.1 percent from long range (29-of-107). In the 12 Mountain West games before that, UNLV made 39.7 percent (121-of-305). So which number is more representative of the Rebels’ true shooting ability?

In UNLV’s win at Boise State on Feb. 6, the Rebels hit on 14-of-26 from beyond the arc. Most of them were open shots. If they move the ball on offense, there should be plenty of good looks tonight. Then it will be up to the shooters to knock them down.

Push the ball

Boise State is a bad defensive team — if you can get them in transition. According to Synergy Sports data, the Broncos are a bottom-25 team in defensive efficiency in the open court, and UNLV exploited that by scoring 12 fast-break points in the first meeting. UNLV has scored just 13 combined fast-break points in their last two games (losses to San Diego State and UNR), so pushing the ball aggressively should be a priority against Boise.

Finish inside

Boise State has the softest interior defense in the Mountain West, allowing opponents to make 61.0 percent of field-goal attempts around the rim. That ranks 335^th in the nation, according to Synergy Sports data. UNLV had a ton of success driving to the basket in the first meeting between the two teams, making 10-of-11 shots categorized as layups or dunks.

Basically, UNLV should not take a mid-range shot against Boise State. Fire up 30 3-pointers, drive it to the rim 20 times, and the Rebels should score efficiently enough to finish off a season sweep of Boise.

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