Live blog: UNLV advances in MWC tourney with big win over Air Force

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Published Wednesday, March 10, 2021 | 2 a.m.

Updated Wednesday, March 10, 2021 | 3:32 p.m.

UNLV will continue playing at least one more day.

The No. 7 seed scarlet and gray used an inside-out approach on offense and turned in one of their most efficient performances of season in an 80-52 win over No. 10 seed Air Force.

UNLV will advance to face No. 2 Utah State tomorrow at 6 p.m. in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West tournament.

The frontcourt duo of Mbacke Diong and Edoardo Del Cadia did most of the damage early and combined for 22 points and 12 rebounds. Bryce Hamilton looked as good as he has all year and finished with 18 points. David Jenkins heated up in the second half, when he hit five of his six 3-pointers and scored 18 of his 21 points.

The 28-point margin of victory was UNLV's largest of the season over a Division I opponent.

After a week in which UNLV looked as bad as we've seen all season in losing both makeup games, the scarlet and gray now appear to be playing their best ball, and at just the right time.

UNLV blowing out Air Force in MWC tourney

UNLV fans may have been a bit apprehensive about facing Air Force in the play-in round of the Mountain West tournament, but UNLV is allaying those fears with an absolutely dominant performance. With 13:26 remaining, the scarlet and gray have built a 58-36 lead and they show no signs of slowing down.

To illustrate how well things are going for UNLV, David Jenkins just enjoyed a six-point possession. The junior guard hit a 3-pointer and was fouled on the shot; he missed the and-1 free throw, but UNLV got the offensive rebound, worked the ball around, and Jenkins eventually drilled another 3.

Jenkins now has 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting on the day, and UNLV is hitting at a rate of 64.9 percent as a team. 

Unless something impossible happens, UNLV will move on to face No. 2 seed Utah State in tomorrow's quarterfinal round.

UNLV has big lead over Air Force at half

The big men got it started, and now Bryce Hamilton has joined the party.

The junior guard scored in transition and then nailed a 3-pointer, and UNLV has built a commanding 39-21 lead over Air Force at the half.

Hamilton is the game's leading scorer with 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting, and perhaps the most encouraging sign for UNLV is that Hamilton has hit both of his 3-point attempts. Hamilton struggled from the outside all season and shot just 27.0 percent from 3-point range in conference play, so seeing him drill a pair of triples had to make T.J. Otzelberger happy.

Otzelberger also has to be smiling about UNLV's perimeter defense. After getting torched by opposing teams from beyond the arc for most of the season, UNLV has stayed close to Air Force's shooters and harassed the Falcons into an 0-of-9 showing from long range.

Mbacke Diong has given UNLV 10 points and four rebounds. UNLV has a 22-7 rebounding advantage.

Big men help UNLV pull ahead of Air Force

After a shaky start, UNLV has opened a 20-14 lead over Air Force with 7:55 left in the half, and the scarlet and gray have two big men to thank for it.

Mbacke Diong has given the team a jolt with three straight buckets, including one steal and breakaway jam, while seldom-used Edoardo Del Cadia has gotten some extended playing time and is responding with four points and three rebounds in five minutes.

It makes sense for the bigs to feast, as undersized Air Force ranks dead last in Division I in rim protection, as they allowed opponents to convert 73.0 percent of shots around the rim this season. As long as they can't defend it, maybe UNLV should keep feeding Diong and Del Cadia.

Air Force takes early lead over UNLV

UNLV's start today hasn't been a worst-case scenario, but it's not far off.

The scarlet and gray have already committed three turnovers, one of which led to a breakaway dunk, and allowed a backdoor cut for a layup as Air Force has jumped out to an 8-5 lead with 15:38 left in the first half.

UNLV has only had one good offensive possession so far—a Devin Tillis post-up in which the freshman drew two defenders and then kicked the ball out to David Jenkins for a 3-pointer. Aside from that, Air Force has hassled UNLV ball-handlers while forcing several deflections and off-target passes.

T.J. Otzelberger warned that his team would have to play patiently in order to crack Air Force's deliberate style. So far, the advantage has gone to the Falcons.

UNLV looks to keep season alive vs. Air Force in MWC tourney

For UNLV, it has all come down to this week.

The season started with so much promise — all-conference players, a strong non-conference schedule and dreams of an NCAA Tournament bid — but after posting an 11-14 record (8-10 in the Mountain West), UNLV is now in a position where they will only play as long as they keep winning.

That gauntlet begins today, when the No. 7-seeded scarlet and gray take on No. 10 Air Force in the play-in round of the Mountain West tournament (1:30 p.m., Mountain West Network).

Air Force is one of the few teams UNLV handled this season, as T.J. Otzelberger led his team to a two-game sweep of the Falcons in February.

Can UNLV win again and keep its season alive? Three keys to watch:

Defend the 3

UNLV has allowed opponents to make 9.0 3-pointers per game, which ranks 329^th in the nation. It has been a weakness all season, and though Air Force is not a bombs-away offense by nature (7.2 3-pointers per game, 182^nd in the nation) the Falcons do have some players who can hurt UNLV if the defense slacks around the arc, including guard A.J. Walker, Christopher Joyce and Glen McClintock.

Otzelberger said 3-point defense is not just a matter of putting a hand up on shooters, but anticipating the play as it’s unfolding.

“It’s been an Achilles heel for us, our ability to guard the 3-point line,” Otzelberger said. “We’ve got to have ball pressure so people can’t make direct-line passes. We’ve got to have our hands active on the ball. We’ve got to have an awareness off the ball, that as the opposing player is attempting to make a pass to our man, that we get to that close-out and beat the ball to the close-out. We’ve got to not get caught watching the ball. Against [Air Force], back cuts and everything, you get mesmerized watching the ball.”

No lulls

In UNLV’s 80-69 loss to Wyoming in the regular-season finale, the Cowboys used a 15-2 run in the second half to blow the game open. UNLV never recovered.

It was far from the first time this season that the scarlet and gray have allowed an opponent to seize control of a contest via an extended run of dominance, and Otzelberger thinks it’s a maturity issue.

“I thought we’ve had two good practices, but now it’s demanding that those habits come out during the game,” Otzelberger said. “We show them in stretches, but we play with immaturity a lot of times. It’s not through the balance of the game. We’re [not] usually getting blown out. It’s more of a, ‘Hey, the game’s pretty tight and now they go on a 10-0 run and separate and we’re not able to come back. I believe our guys will come out tomorrow and play hard. They better.”

Get the ball inside

Air Force is a severely undersized team, with no true center or power forward on the roster. Because of that, opponents make 73.0% of their shots around the rim against the Falcons, which ranks AFA dead last in all of Division I basketball. Even a perimeter-oriented team like UNLV should be able to take advantage of that by working the ball inside and converting easy baskets.

That means UNLV’s top offensive threats — junior guards Bryce Hamilton and David Jenkins — have to put in extra effort to get all the way to the hoop and not settle for their preferred mid-range jumpers.

Shot selection has been a huge weakness for UNLV throughout the season, and the reliance on mid-range attempts has been one of the key issues. With the season on the line, Hamilton and Jenkins cannot take the easy way out.

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