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March 29, 2024

Tyrell Green plays hero in 68-61 win over Southern Illinois

2016 Rebels: UNLV vs Southern Illinois

Steve Marcus

UNLV’s Tyrell Green (3) takes a shot over Austin Weiher (15) as the Runnin’ Rebels take on the Southern Illinois Salukis at the Thomas & Mack Center Monday, Dec. 19, 2016.

2016 Rebels: UNLV vs Southern Illinois

UNLV's Cheickna Dembele (11) and Austin Weiher (15) dive for a loose ball as the Runnin' Rebels take on the Southern Illinois Salukis at the Thomas & Mack Center Monday, Dec. 19, 2016. Launch slideshow »

Tyrell Green does not fit the archetype of the “go-to guy.” The senior forward is unassuming, soft-spoken, level-headed and more than happy to put the team above himself. He’s definitely not the type to call his own number.

So he took no personal offense when, despite having scored a game-high 20 points in the first 38 minutes against Southern Illinois, Green still found himself as the second option on the Rebels’ biggest play of the game. With the score tied, 61-61, and just more than a minute remaining, coach Marvin Menzies drew up a play that called for junior guard Jovan Mooring to feed freshman big man Cheickna Dembele down low.

Instead of pouting, Green focused on carrying out his assignment. And when the first option broke down and Mooring was forced to swing the ball to option No. 2, Green was ready.

Green drilled the shot, a 3-pointer from the left wing, to put UNLV ahead, 64-61. A minute later, UNLV had a 68-61 victory, and Green was the (somewhat reluctant) hero.

“Those moments are always fun as a player,” Green said of his clutch shot. “You’re just living within the game. You’re into it, it’s fun, everyone’s cheering. Even if I didn’t make it, I would have been cheering if someone else made it.”

The game-winning triple capped off another superlative night for Green, who seems to be improving on a daily basis. He tied a career high with his 23 points, and he did it in ultra-efficient fashion, nailing 9-of-13 shots from the field and 4-of-5 from 3-point range. He’s now scored at least 18 points in each of the last three games, and he’s shooting 59.0 percent during that span (64.2 percent from 3-point range).

UNLV needed every bit of Green’s production on a night when it seemed like the Rebels wanted to give the game away. The Rebels committed a staggering 23 turnovers, a new season high, and Southern Illinois turned those miscues into 22 points going the other way. The turnovers were so frequent and led to so many easy SIU baskets that UNLV found itself trailing, 55-50, with eight minutes left despite shooting better than 58 percent from the field.

A Jalen Poyser 3-pointer tied things at 55-55, and it was 57-57 with six minutes remaining when Mooring connected with Dembele for consecutive pick-and-roll layups to give UNLV a 61-57 advantage.

Southern Illinois scored the next four points to tie the game, aided by Mooring twice missing the front end of 1-and-1 free-throw attempts.

That set the stage for Green, though he didn’t know it at the time.

“The original play was to find Cheickna down low,” he said. “But he had scored [two] in a row, so my guy helped and he cheated, so I just came off the screen and I was open. So I shot the shot.”

After Green’s shot, UNLV still needed a defensive stop to close out the win. Southern Illinois forward Thik Bol missed a jumper on the ensuing possession, and UNLV knocked the rebound out of bounds. The Salukis had to inbound from under their own basket, and when they tried to lob a pass out to midcourt, Kris Clyburn attacked.

Tracking the ball over his shoulder, Clyburn leapt and contested the pass, nearly coming up with the steal. Southern Illinois guard Leo Vincent made a twisting catch and came down with the ball, but Mooring streaked in behind him and poked the ball away, eventually controlling it and coasting in for an easy insurance layup.

“I just saw the ball go up and I took a chance,” Clyburn said. “Luckily, Jojo had my back. That’s what a team is for, one of us takes a chance and the other one has each other’s back.”

UNLV held Southern Illinois to 39.3 percent from the field for the game. It was a dominant performance in many ways, though it was almost wasted due to the continuing turnover issues.

“Bad performance at several points of the game,” Menzies said, “but in winning time we pulled through. That’s the most important thing. End of the day, you’ve got to get the W’s and we were able to do that tonight.”

Clyburn played one of his most active games of the season, tallying 11 points (3-of-5 FGs), seven rebounds, two blocks, two assists and two steals. Poyser also enjoyed something of a bounce-back game, scoring 10 points after being held to nine combined in the previous two games.

UNLV is now 7-5 on the season and has clinched a winning non-conference record regardless of Thursday’s result. That’s notable, as Thursday’s opponent is No. 3 Kansas, a team that will likely be favored by at least 20 points.

Follow Mike on Twitter at Twitter.com/MikeGrimala

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