UNLV Rebels guard Keshon Gilbert (10) celebrates after scoring a three point basket during the first half of an NCAA basketball game against the Wyoming Cowboys in Las Vegas Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023.
Published Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023 | 2 a.m.
Updated Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023 | 10:05 p.m.
UNLV Leaders
• Scoring: E.J. Harkless — 16.4 points
• Rebounding: Luis Rodriguez — 5.7 rebounds
• Assists: Keshon Gilbert — 3.8 assists
Wyoming Leaders
• Scoring: Noah Reynolds — 15.1 points
• Rebounding: Hunter Thompson — 5.3 rebounds
• Assists: Hunter Maldonado — 3.4 assists
UNLV’s four-game losing streak is over, as E.J. Harkless scored 28 points to lead the Scarlet and Gray to a much-needed 86-72 victory over Wyoming.
Harkless took over in the second half and scored 20 of his points after the break. For the game he connected on 8-of-15 from the field and a perfect 11-of-11 from the free-throw line.
UNLV is now 13-7 on the season and 2-6 in Mountain West play.
Wyoming was handicapped down the stretch after point guard Hunter Maldonado went down midway through the second half and left the court holding his back. He did return to the game five minutes later, but by then UNLV had pulled away.
Keyshawn Hall was responsible for putting this one on ice. The freshman scored six consecutive points, including a coast-to-coast layup in traffic, to extend UNLV’s lead to 14 points with seven minutes remaining.
Hall finished with 10 points in 13 minutes. UNLV’s reserves combined to score 28 as Kevin Kruger leaned on the bench more than in any other league game so far this season.
UNLV and Wyoming came into this contest tied for last place in the Mountain West, and by virtue of the win the Scarlet and Gray are now alone in 10th place. Kevin Kruger and his squad will try to build off the victory on Saturday, when they host UNR.
UNLV leads Wyoming in second half
UNLV opened the second half with an 8-2 run, but Wyoming continues to hang around. With 11:13 remaining, the Scarlet and Gray maintain a 60-51 advantage.
They’ve got Justin Webster to thank for that lead. The senior guard opened the half with consecutive 3’s from the right corner, then moved over to the left corner a few possessions later to drain another triple. He’s got nine points on 3-of-3 shooting.
The rest of the squad is 3-of-9 since the break, which has allowed Wyoming to keep pace. Rebounding is beginning to become an issue, as the Cowboys have grabbed seven in the second half already. Noah Reynolds leads Wyoming with 14 points.
Keshon Gilbert and Jordan McCabe each have 12 points, while E.J. Harkless has 10.
UNLV goes deep to build halftime lead
Jordan McCabe just buried a long 3-pointer just before the halftime buzzer to extend UNLV’s lead to 41-31 at the break.
McCabe is giving the Scarlet and Gray a huge boost tonight, as he’s got 10 points in 13 minutes off the bench. Keshon Gilbert is also enjoying his best offensive game in a while, with a game-high 12 points. The sophomore is 2-of-3 from 3-point range, which is a good sign, considering Gilbert appeared reluctant to shoot from outside in recent games.
Kevin Kruger is utilizing his bench more than in any other Mountain West game this season, as nine players have seen the court already. McCabe is the headliner, but seldom-used wing Shane Nowell and freshman Keyshawn Hall have also gotten 10 and six minutes, respectively.
UNLV’s new-look defense continues to hold up, despite a few miscues when it comes to handling screens on the perimeter. Wyoming is just 12-of-30 from the field and 6-of-24 from inside the arc.
Another 20 minutes like that, and UNLV will have snapped its four-game losing streak.
New defense getting early results
As Kevin Kruger said, UNLV has tweaked its defensive scheme, and it seems to be producing good results so far. With 7:16 left in the first half, the Scarlet and Gray have built a 21-20 lead over Wyoming.
Instead of switching every screen, UNLV is being a little more discriminating. Big men Victor Iwuakor and Keyshawn Hall have dropped and the guards have gone through picks, which has kept Wyoming from getting favorable matchups on the perimeter. The Cowboys have made just 6-of-16 from the field.
At the other end, E.J. Harkless has scored three buckets inside the arc for six early points, and Keshon Gilbert leads the team with seven points. The Scarlet and Gray are 8-of-18 overall.
Kruger has also expanded his rotation, with nine players already checking in.
As expected Luis Rodriguez did not suit up tonight due to an injury suffered on Saturday at Fresno State.
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UNLV’s defense has taken a beating during conference play, allowing opponents to score 77.9 points per game while making 47.9% of their shots. Both numbers rank the Scarlet and Gray worst in the Mountain West.
That’s after a nonconference run that saw UNLV post an 11-1 record mostly on the strength of its attacking, pressure defense.
Head coach Kevin Kruger hasn’t been blind to the sudden shift.
After Monday’s practice at the Thomas & Mack Center, Kruger said UNLV is going to have to change its approach at that end of the court if it wants to start winning again.
“We have to,” Kruger said. “It’s time to make some changes to try to get the results we want.”
That can’t be an easy admission for Kruger, who has invested a lot of time, effort and recruiting resources into turning the Scarlet and Gray into a pressure defense. But a three-game losing streak has dropped UNLV to 1-6 in conference play — tied for last place — and brought all their weaknesses to the forefront.
Opponents have been quick to use cross-court passes to beat double-teams, often leading to wide-open 3-point attempts. Other teams have hit 41.4% of their 3’s against UNLV, which ranks 11th in the 11-team Mountain West.
And Kruger’s philosophy of switching every screen has put the defense in some unfavorable matchups. In Saturday’s game at Fresno State, the Bulldogs were clearly looking to get their guards switched onto centers Victor Iwuakor and Keyshawn Hall, and it worked — FSU enjoyed its most efficient offensive performance of the season in a 76-63 win.
Kruger said that while changing the team’s defensive principles on the fly this late in the season isn’t ideal, he feels UNLV has enough versatile veterans to handle it.
“We spent a lot of time putting in what we’re doing, with guys that have been in different schemes and different terminology,” Kruger said. “It’s about finding that balance where we can make the changes we think we need without doing too much.”
One of those adjustments could see UNLV look to protect its big men in space. Instead of conceding the switch on every screen, senior guard Eli Parquet indicated that perimeter defenders could fight through more picks in order to maintain matchups.
It’s something UNLV hasn’t done all year, but Parquet agrees with Kruger that the players can make it work.
“I feel like we can do it pretty quick,” Parquet said. “We’ve got the guys to do it. We just have to lock in and get the job done. At this point we have no room for errors or any mistakes, so we have to really lock in at practice and take it to the game.”
UNLV will test out its new defensive strategy on Tuesday, when the team hosts Wyoming. The Cowboys are also 1-6 in MWC play, which means the loser of that game will leave the court alone in last place.
Kruger said UNLV has adjusted quickly since implementing the changes.
“Guys have been locked in,” he said. “We’ve had a pretty good two days in terms of approach, and I think in the execution we want going forward.”
Rodriguez day to day
UNLV could be without one of its key defenders against Wyoming, as senior wing Luis Rodriguez missed practice on Monday due to a leg injury.
Rodriguez played just 10 minutes at Fresno State on Saturday before being forced from the game. Kruger said his status is “day to day” and didn’t rule him out for Wyoming.
Rodriguez has started all 19 games this season and is tied for the team lead in minutes played. He is third on the team in scoring (12.1 points per game) and second in made 3-pointers with 29.
