Live blog: Boise State trounces UNLV, 77-59

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Published Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017 | 6:31 p.m.

Updated Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017 | 9:49 p.m.

That's a wrap from the Thomas & Mack Center, where UNLV spent the past two hours getting dragged up and down the court by Boise State. The final score ended up at 77-59, but that doesn't truly capture the carnage.

Boise State shot 48.4 percent from the field, while UNLV managed just 19 field goals (19-of-64). Tyrell Green and Jalen Poyser led UNLV with 10 points apiece, though they combined to shoot just 6-of-21.

Bright spots were few and far between for the Rebels, who are now 8-8 on the season and 1-2 in Mountain West play.

Coming off Saturday's win over Wyoming, this performance has to be considered a major, major disappointment and a big step back for the Rebels. UNLV will have two days to figure out what went wrong before traveling to face Utah State on Saturday.

Boise State leads UNLV, 61-41

UNLV went on a 12-0 run midway through the second half and still couldn't get any closer than 18 points. That's how big Boise State's lead was, and with 7:05 remaining, the Broncos are still cruising, 61-41.

Chandler Hutchison has a career-high 27 points on 12-of-19 shooting. The final seven minutes will be an extended scrimmage for UNLV (really, the entire second half has taken on that feel). Freshman center Cheickna Dembele is making a play for a career high in minutes, and his three blocks have been a bright spot for the Rebels on a night that has been otherwise devoid of them.

Rebels trail Boise State by 21 at half

If UNLV has played a worse half of basketball this season, I don't think I've seen it. Sure, the Duke game was a blowout from the opening tip, but Duke is a national championship contender that was amped to be playing in Las Vegas, despite the meager competition. There's no such excuse tonight, as UNLV goes into halftime trailing Boise State, 41-20.

Boise State has toyed with the UNLV defense, shooting 52.9 percent and outscoring the Rebels 28-6 on points in the paint. Boise State finished the first half averaging 1.206 points per possession, paced by junior Chandler Hutchison's 15 points on 7-of-19 shooting. UNLV doesn't appear to have a defender who can match up with Hutchison, a 6-foot-7 swingman who scored from the inside and outside at will over the first 20 minutes.

Offensively, UNLV hasn't been able to generate any positive momentum. Big men Christian Jones and Cheickna Dembele have gone a combined 1-of-7 with three turnovers, and the Rebels have shot just 25.0 percent as a team (7-of-28).

I'm not sure there's a game plan or coaching adjustment that can help UNLV right itself in the second half. The final 20 minutes are going to be a test of effort and will. The Rebels may not win this game — in fact, I'm fairly sure they won't — but they can't let it get out of hand and spiral into an embarrassment for the program like the Duke loss.

Boise State builds 20-point lead over UNLV

Not only can't UNLV stop Boise State, the Rebels can't even contest shots. Boise continues to generate open layups and 3's on every trip, and the Broncos have shot a blistering 59.1 percent so far to build a 31-11 lead over UNLV with 7:47 left in the first half.

Boise State is outscoring UNLV 20-2 on points in the paint, and most of those attempts have not been challenged by the Rebels defense. Marvin Menzies has tried playing big, with Cheickna Dembele and Christian Jones teamed up in the frontcourt, and that didn't help at all. I'm not sure what the coach's next move will be, but if the Rebels don't turn things around in the next eight minutes, this one will be over at halftime.

Boise State blitzing UNLV with early offense

If you've got a ticket to tonight's game and you're still en route to the Thomas & Mack Center, get here fast. Boise State jumped out to a 9-0 lead and currently has an 18-6 advantage over UNLV with 13:21 left in the first half.

Junior swingman Chandler Hutchison has proved unstoppable so far, already tallying nine points on 4-of-5 shooting. Hutchison opened the game by swishing a wide-open 3-pointer, then made three uncontested layup to help the Broncos put UNLV in an early hole.

Boise State has made 8-of-12 from the field so far, while UNLV has connected on just 3-of-11.

Unless UNLV finds its defensive backbone soon, this game could get out of hand. Let's see if Marvin Menzies has any strategic counters.

UNLV aims for second straight home win against Boise State

Can UNLV make it two in a row with a win over Mountain West contender Boise State tonight?

The Rebels (8-7, 1-1 MWC) looked more than capable in their last outing, an 81-75 win over Wyoming, but Boise presents different challenges. The Broncos (9-4, 2-0) are a little more athletic, a lot tougher on the defensive end and will come into the Thomas & Mack Center just as hot, having won their last five games.

The main matchup concerns will be junior swingman Chandler Hutchison and sophomore guard Paris Austin, who combine for more than 28 points per game. Hutchison is averaging an efficient 18.0 points on 54.9-percent shooting, including a 37.5-percent clip from the 3-point line. Austin isn’t a shooting threat (18.2 percent from 3-point range), but he’s a slick penetrator who gets to the basket with ease — 62.4 percent of his field goal attempts this season have come at the rim, according to hoop-math.com, a higher ratio than any UNLV player except center Cheickna Dembele.

Coach Marvin Menzies and his staff devised a clever game plan to hold Wyoming in check, so it will be interesting to see what kind of wrinkles the Rebels throw at Boise. Look for plenty of zone defense and an emphasis on getting the ball into the paint on offense, as Boise State’s block rate of 3.3 percent is among the lowest in the nation. I expect post-up attempts for big men Christian Jones, Troy Green and Dembele, as well as driving finishes for Kris Clyburn, Jalen Poyser and Jovan Mooring.

Mike’s prediction: UNLV 70, Boise State 68. Am I overreacting to one home win? Probably. But the Rebels proved they can close out a close game at home, and I think this one probably comes down to the final minutes, too.