Live blog: UNLV holds off Wyoming for first conference win

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Published Saturday, Dec. 31, 2016 | 2 a.m.

Updated Saturday, Dec. 31, 2016 | 3:05 p.m.

Things got interesting down the stretch as UNLV struggled to get stops on defense, but the Rebels made their free throws when it counted and held off Wyoming, 81-75.

Jovan Mooring did the heavy lifting down the stretch, finishing with a team-high 17 points, seven assists, three steals and just one turnover. Mooring also connected on all four of his free-throw attempts in the closing minutes, coming through in the clutch to prevent Wyoming from getting possession with a chance to tie or take the lead.

UNLV improves to 8-7 on the season and picks up its first Mountain West win (1-1).

Christian Jones added 15 points for the Rebels, while Tyrell Green (14 points), Jalen Poyser (14) and Uche Ofoegbu (12) also finished in double figures.

UNLV and Wyoming going down to wire

Kris Clyburn just hit a tie-breaking 3-pointer from the right corner, and UNLV has a 64-61 lead with 5:41 to play.

Wyoming is shooting 55.6 percent in the second half, but the Rebels have made just enough timely shots to hold onto their slim lead. Clyburn's 3 was the seventh long-distance make for UNLV today (7-of-20), while Wyoming is ice cold from the arc (4-of-22).

Marvin Menzies is choosing to put the game in Jovan Mooring's hands, as the junior guard is running the point and initiating offense on every possession. Mooring has 12 points and four assists, and he's a team-best +10 in his 26 minutes so far.

Jovan Mooring heating up in second half

All indications are that this game is going to go down to the wire.

UNLV carried a six-point lead into halftime, and with 11:54 left in the game, the Rebels are still clinging to a 55-51 lead. Jovan Mooring is starting to heat up, with a pair of buckets in the last few minutes to help UNLV keep its lead, but Wyoming isn't going away. Even though the Cowboys are just 4-of-19 from 3-point range, they've managed to stay close thanks to dribble penetration. For the game, Wyoming leads UNLV 30-22 in points in the paint.

Jovan Mooring now has 10 points for the game, joining Tyrell Green (12 points), Jalen Poyser (12) and Uche Ofoegbu (10) in double figures.

Rebels lead Wyoming, 42-36

UNLV closed the first half on a 5-0 run and has taken a 42-36 lead over Wyoming at halftime.

That's a good sign, considering the Rebels wasted a seven-point lead three days ago by allowing Colorado State to close the half on a 10-0 run in an eventual 91-77 loss. That rocky stretch carried over into the second half, so perhaps the Rebels will carry some good vibes out of the locker room this time.

UNLV has been pretty good on offense, shooting 43.8 percent from the field (6-of-12 from 3-point range) and committing just six turnovers so far. On the flip side, they've held quick-trigger Wyoming to just 35.3 percent and 3-of-15 from the 3-point line.

Tyrell Green is just 3-of-12 from the floor, but he leads UNLV with 12 points. Green has made 2-of-7 from the arc and battled his way to 4-of-5 from the free-throw line.

Both teams are still on pace for 80 possessions today, so the Rebels have been able to play at Wyoming's tempo and hold their own so far. Marvin Menzies has oscillated between man and zone defenses in an attempt to gunk up Wyoming's offense, which relies on firing up quick 3-pointers. Let's see which team is better able to adjust in the second half.

UNLV leads Wyoming in back-and-forth affair

An 11-0 run midway through the first half helped UNLV built a double-digit lead, but Wyoming has chipped away from the free-throw line and the Rebels' lead is down to 32-31 with 3:20 left in the half.

Tyrell Green has 12 points, while Jalen Poyser has seven. UNLV is 5-of-10 from the 3-point line, while Wyoming is just 2-of-11 from the arc.

This is around the time when UNLV collapsed at the end of the first half against Colorado State on Wednesday, so it will be important for the Rebels to close out the final three minutes and go into the locker room on a strong note.

Rebels up early over Wyoming

Wyoming has set the tempo early, as each team is on pace for around 80 possessions today, but UNLV has managed to gain an 18-15 lead with 11:05 remaining in the first half.

The shots are going up quickly for both teams. Tyrell Green leads UNLV with seven points (2-of-5 FGs), while Hayden Dalton has seven for Wyoming.

The Rebels have held their turnover problem in check so far, with three giveaways in the first nine minutes. If UNLV can continue to take advantage of Wyoming's soft defense and minimize turnovers, there's a chance the Rebels can grab their first conference win today.

Rebels looking to slow down fast-paced Wyoming offense

UNLV faded late in Wednesday's Mountain West opener at Colorado State, but today's New Year's Eve matchup with Wyoming will give the Rebels a prime chance to even their record at 1-1. Although Wyoming went 11-2 in nonconference play and topped Air Force to start 1-0 in league play, the Cowboys are beatable.

Let's take a look at three keys for UNLV against Wyoming:

Get back!

It feels strange to say this about Wyoming, but transition defense is going to be important in this game. In Allen Edwards' first year as head coach, the Cowboys have abandoned former coach Larry Shyatt’s preferred slow-down system and have embraced playing fast. Wyoming currently ranks 16th in the nation in possessions per game and 9th in adjusted tempo, according to KenPom.com. While Wyoming isn’t necessarily efficient in the open court (0.858 points per possession in transition, 331st in the country), that’s where players like Justin James (16.6 points per game) and Hayden Dalton (12.6 points) do most of their damage. Transition defense hasn’t been a strength for UNLV this season, but they’ll need to come through on Saturday or Wyoming will run the Rebels off the court.

Stop the 3

Wyoming’s offense is built around quantity, not quality. The Cowboys jack up a lot of 3-pointers (28.2 attempts per game, 9th in the country) and make just enough (33.3 percent, 250th) to field a good offense (0.914 points per possession). Seven Wyoming players are averaging more than two long-range attempts per game, so it will be up to the entire Rebels defense to defend the arc. “It’s a game changer when you have guys that can shoot it,” coach Marvin Menzies said, “and it’s a game changer when you have multiple guys who can shoot it. That’s why they are so successful right now, not just because of their overall shooting percentage from the floor, but it’s coming from so many different positions.”

Shooters gotta shoot

I know this is starting to sound like a bit of non-analysis akin to “Make shots and don’t let them make shots,” but UNLV has to make some shots. The Rebels have been in a shooting slump recently, but they’ll have an opportunity to snap out of it against Wyoming’s defense, which is prone to giving up open looks on the perimeter. Players like Jalen Poyser (36.7 percent shooting over the last six games), Uche Ofoegbu (32.1 percent in the last six games), Kris Clyburn (30 percent over the last two games) and Jovan Mooring (21.4 percent over the last three games) are going to get opportunities, and they have to cash in.

Mike's prediction: Wyoming 75, UNLV 71. The Rebels haven't shown an ability to play a full 40 minutes yet, and taking even one possession off against Wyoming will prove costly.