UNLV Rebels’ Jonah Antonio (10) and Bryce Hamilton (13) leave the court after losing to Boise State, 67-61, during the Mountain West tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center Thursday, March 5, 2020.
Published Thursday, March 5, 2020 | 12:16 p.m.
Updated Thursday, March 5, 2020 | 4:13 p.m.
The Rebel Room
UNLV ready for (early) March Madness
It’s a week earlier than usual, but the Mountain West tournament is here and the Rebels have a real chance to make some noise — if Elijah Mitrou-Long is healthy. Ray Brewer and Mike Grimala break down UNLV’s postseason hopes.
The Rebels couldn't get enough stops when they really needed them, and Boise State held on for a 67-61 victory in the Mountain West quarterfinals.
Bryce Hamilton and Jonah Antonio provided most of the offense as UNLV chipped away at a double-digit lead in the closing minutes, but Boise guard Justinian Jessup hit two clutch free throws with 12 seconds left to make it a four-point game and effectively end the Rebels' season.
Hamilton finished with 24 points but needed 22 shots to get there. Antonio hit four 3-pointers and ended up with 13 points. As a team, UNLV shot just 32.1 percent from the field.
The end came sooner than UNLV expected. The Rebels closed the regular season on a five-game winning streak, but an injury suffered by Elijah Mitrou-Long in the closing minutes of the finale at San Jose State put UNLV at a steep disadvantage today.
Now it's on to the offseason — T.J. Otzelberger's first full one since taking over as UNLV's head coach.
UNLV coming back against Boise State, down 52-49
UNLV is making its run.
Jonah Antonio has scored 10 points in the last four minutes, including back-to-back 3-pointers that have pulled UNLV within 52-49 with 3:58 to play.
The Rebels needed a spark on offense and Antonio has provided it by getting hot. Now the final four minutes will be about which team can get stops, make its free throws and take care of the ball. Playing without their most experienced point guard, the Rebels will need to execute at a high level in order to pull off this comeback.
Boise State guard Derrick Alston was fouled and will shoot two free throws after the timeout to try to extend the Broncos' lead.
Bryce Hamilton leads UNLV with 14 points, while Antonio is now up to 13 points on the day.
UNLV trying to come back against Boise State
It's been a one step forward, two steps back kind of half for UNLV, and with 7:12 remaining Boise State has extended its advantage to 49-42.
Every time Bryce Hamilton knocks down a short jumper or Jonah Antonio hits a 3, the Rebels have followed it up by committing a turnover or allowing a Boise offensive rebound, as those momentum plays have seemingly all gone against UNLV since the break.
There may still be life left in the Rebels' season, however. After Boise State pushed its lead to 11 a moment ago, the Rebels got buckets from Antonio and Hamilton to trim the deficit to seven.
If UNLV is going to make one final run today, it has to come soon.
UNLV struggling on offense, trails Boise State
UNLV is still struggling to create open looks at the basket, and with 14:43 remaining Boise State has increased its lead to 38-32.
The Rebels just had a chance to cut it down to four points on a Nick Blair post basket, but he was called for an offensive foul on the move. Boise will have possession after the timeout.
T.J. Otzelberger started Jonah Antonio again coming out of the locker room but quickly went to the bench and subbed in Jay Green in Antonio's place. Antonio is 1-of-4 from 3-point range.
Boise State leads UNLV at half, 29-24
Bryce Hamilton splashed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give UNLV a little boost heading into the locker room, but Boise State still has a 29-24 lead at the break.
Hamilton has been the focal point of the Rebels' offensive attack, but it's been tough sledding for the high-scoring sophomore. Hamilton is 2-of-3 from long distance but just 1-of-8 in the paint. Without Elijah Mitrou-Long to help space the floor, the Rebels are going against a sagging Boise defense that is stacking its long, athletic defenders around the rim to thwart drives from Hamilton and Amauri Hardy.
That approach is working for Boise, as UNLV shot 29.6 percent in the first half. Let's see if T.J. Otzelberger can diagnose the situation at halftime and devise some kind of plan to get the Rebels some open looks at the rim, because they have been impossible to come by in the first 20 minutes.
Boise State leads UNLV late in first half
UNLV is turning back the clock to earlier this season, when the team's offense was nonexistent and T.J. Otzelberger managed to squeeze some wins out by packing it in and playing defense. It has kept UNLV close for most of the first half, but a 6-0 spurt by Boise State has given the Broncos a 23-17 lead with 2:46 left in the half.
The Rebels are suffering through a terrible shooting game, as they're 6-of-23 from the field (26.1 percent) and 2-of-12 from 3-point range. They're also 3-of-6 from the free-throw line, including misses on the front end of two 1-and-1 situations. If this game remains close down the stretch, the Rebs will probably wish they hadn't left those points on the floor.
Justinian Jessup has been the difference for Boise State, as the senior guard has 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting. He has connected on 2-of-3 from downtown.
Early turnovers hampering UNLV against Boise State
The early results for UNLV's offense without injured guard Elijah Mitrou-Long have not been good, and with 11:41 left in the first half Boise State has a 12-8 lead.
Boise State is packing the paint defensively and sagging off UNLV ball-handlers, forcing the Rebels to create perimeter offense. Jonah Antonio hit an early 3-pointer, but aside from that it has been ugly; UNLV is 3-of-9 from the field with six turnovers already.
The Rebels need to find a fix on offense, fast.
No Mitrou-Long for UNLV today
If the Rebels are going to advance in the Mountain West tournament, they are going to have to do it without their most important player.
Senior guard Elijah Mitrou-Long is not playing today and is not even suited up, indicating that his severe knee contusion is going to keep him off the court for an extended time. T.J. Otzelberger has elevated junior Jonah Antonio to the starting lineup in his place, keeping UNLV's four-guard strategy intact.
Three keys for UNLV basketball vs. Boise State
UNLV's hot finish to the season was enough to get the Rebels the No. 4 seed in the Mountain West tournament and a bye to the quarterfinals, where they will take on No. 5 Boise State today (2 p.m., CBS Sports Network).
What will it take for UNLV to keep things rolling? Three keys to watch:
Mitrou-Long’s status
There’s no question that senior guard Elijah Mitrou-Long has been UNLV’s most important player during its impressive five-game winning streak to close the season. Now, unfortunately, the Rebels might have to find out if he was the most indispensable.
Mitrou-Long is “unlikely” to play today, according to the team, and the Rebels’ advanced metrics without him haven’t been very encouraging. Given the situation and the stakes, don’t be surprised if Mitrou-Long goes through pregame workouts and tries everything he can to get on the court against Boise State.
Defend the perimeter
UNLV did an excellent job of harassing Boise State’s shooters in the most recent meeting between the teams, a 76-66 Rebels win just eight days ago. But that was accomplished with Mitrou-Long locking down opposing ball-handlers; can UNLV sustain that kind of defensive performance without him? Or with a severely limited version of him?
Amauri Hardy is known as a scorer, but his defense will be critical today. He and Marvin Coleman will have to pressure the ball, disrupt passes and close out on shooters, because if Boise State gets in a rhythm it could be a long day for the UNLV.
Finish
Who is the Rebels’ finisher? They have built some big leads during the five-game winning streak, but they’ve also had to sweat out some closer-than-they-should-be finishes after taking their foot off the gas pedal.
If UNLV has a lead late in this one, someone will have to step up offensively to put the game away. In terms of personality, that guy would ideally be Mitrou-Long; he closed out the San Diego State win (eventually) and is not afraid of the big moment. But with his availability in question, someone else will have to take up the mantle. Bryce Hamilton averaged 21.7 points in league play and earned All-MWC first team honors, so he seems like the choice.
When the game is on the line, UNLV needs its star scorer to come through.
TV: CBS Sports Network, 2 p.m.
UNLV: 17-14, 12-6 MWC (KenPom No. 95)
Coach: T.J. Otzelberger
Leading scorer: Bryce Hamilton, 15.8 points per game
Leading rebounder: Mbacke Diong, 7.9 rebounds per game
Leading assists: Elijah Mitrou-Long and Amauri Hardy, 3.4 assists per game
Boise State: 19-11, 11-7 MWC (KenPom No. 85)
Coach: Leon Rice
Leading scorer: Derrick Alston, 17.6 points per game
Leading rebounder: Roderick Williams, 8.6 rebounds per game
Leading assists: Derrick Alston, 3.1 assists per game
Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.
Join the Discussion:
Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.
Full comments policy