UNLV Rebels forward Victor Iwuakor (0) goes after a loose ball after forcing a turnover from Incarnate Word Cardinals guard Trey Miller (25) during an NCAA basketball game at the Thomas & Mack Center Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022.
Published Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022 | 2 a.m.
Updated Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022 | 4:47 p.m.
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In a game that took on the feel of an exhibition, UNLV controlled the flow from start to finish on Saturday and cruised to a 88-63 win over Incarnate Word.
Sophomore guard Keshon Gilbert impressed, knocking down four 3-pointers on his way to a game-high 23 points. It was his first career 20-point performance, and the second straight game in which he set a personal high after scoring 13 in the opener.
Jackie Johnson (13 points) and Luis Rodriguez (10 points) also reached double figures.
UNLV once again stifled its opponent on the defensive end; after forcing Southern into 28 turnovers on Monday, they got 24 takeaways against Incarnate Word.
The Scarlet and Gray are now 2-0 on the season, with a home game against No. 24 Dayton set for Tuesday.
UNLV increases lead over Incarnate Word to 60-41
UNLV opened the second half with an 11-0 run, and with 11:51 remaining they've got a commanding 60-41 lead over Incarnate Word.
The rest of this game is academic, as Kevin Kruger is surely already planning ahead to Dayton on Tuesday. One area to watch is rebounding; though UNLV has a size advantage over Incarnate Word, the Cardinals have grabbed 11 offensive rebounds to UNLV's 17 defensive rebounds.
But that's of little concern today, as UNLV is simply dominating in every other facet of the game. Keshon Gilbert (15 points) and Luis Rodriguez (10 points) are in double figures, while the defense has held Incarnate Word to 37.8% from the floor.
UNLV basketball leads Incarnate Word at half, 43-29
The scoreboard says UNLV has a 43-29 lead over Incarnate Word at halftime, but this game is not nearly as close as that margin might indicate.
UNLV has dominated from the opening tip, holding Incarnate Word to 37.5% from the field while forcing 15 turnovers. At the other end, Keshon Gilbert leads all scorers with 12 points on 3-of-6 shooting, while Luis Rodriguez is putting together a nice all-around performance with four points, five rebounds, four steals and three assists.
In a good sign, the Scarlet and Gray are shooting the ball much better than they did on opening night. They've already connected on four triples (4-of-7), matching their total from Monday night.
One more concerted run early in the second half should be enough for UNLV to relax and start looking ahead to Tuesday's showdown against Dayton.
UNLV basketball dominating Incarnate Word
UNLV is off to a quick start, building a 17-6 lead over visiting Incarnate Word with 11:41 left in the first half.
So far this looks like a mismatch, and that's not unexpected. UNLV has throttled the Cardinals defensively, limiting them to just three field goals.
Eli Parquet set the tone early with a driving and-1 layup, then stole the ensuing inbound pass and laid it in. Keshon Gilbert and Jordan McCabe have each chipped in a 3-pointer, while freshman Keyshawn Hall and sixth man Jackie Johnson made driving layups.
It shouldn't be too much longer before the Scarlet and Gray put this one away for good.
UNLV basketball looks to clamp down on Incarnate Word
UNLV basketball will try to build on its opening-night victory when the Scarlet and Gray host Incarnate Word in a Saturday afternoon affair at the Thomas & Mack Center (3 p.m., Mountain West Network).
Kevin Kruger was pleased with his defense in the 66-56 win over Southern on Monday, as UNLV forced 28 turnovers and held the Jaguars to 35.8% from the field. Now they’ll try to carry it over against an Incarnate Word squad that comes in ranked a lowly 358th in the KenPom ratings — the sixth-worst team in the nation.
Three keys to watch:
More deliberate offense.
UNLV may have been a little too excited on opening night, as Kruger thought the offense got too sped-up on too many possessions.
Though there were open looks to be had against Southern’s defense, the Scarlet and Gray rushed the process and ended up shooting just 31.3% from the floor and 4-of-28 from 3-point range.
Kruger said UNLV averaged 13 seconds per offensive possessions, and he wants his squad to be more deliberate against Incarnate Word.
“I thought we were just a little rushed,” Kruger said. “If they’re clean open looks doing what we want to be doing, that’s one thing. But I thought a couple of them were just too quick, too fast.”
Look for UNLV to focus on generating drive-and-kick 3-pointers on Saturday.
Sixth man emerging
As expected, sophomore Jackie Johnson was the first player off the bench for UNLV in the opener. And the 5-foot-11 guard had the green light, as he scored 10 points in 16 minutes, displaying the kind of scoring touch UNLV needs.
Will Johnson eventually end up in the starting lineup? Or will Kruger continue to bring him off the bench in an attempt to juice the offensive production?
Johnson said he hasn’t been informed of any defined role, and that he’s comfortable just following Kruger’s lead.
“Kev is an easy guy to play for,” Johnson said. “He tells you what he expects of us as a whole, as a group, so it’s not necessarily about what each guy’s role is.”
Balanced scoring
Ten UNLV players scored against Southern, and with no dominant scoring threat on the roster, that’s probably going to be the team’s offensive formula throughout the year.
Sophomore Keshon Gilbert, who led the way with 13 points on Monday, wants to see all his teammates contribute on a nightly basis.
Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.
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