Live blog: Utah State finishes off UNLV, 85-78

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Published Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018 | 5 p.m.

Updated Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018 | 8:57 p.m.

Utah State closed the game on a 9-0 run to stun UNLV, 85-78 at the Thomas & Mack Center.

The Rebels took a 78-76 lead on a Brandon McCoy turnaround jumper with 2:01 to play, but that turned out to be the team's last bucket. USU guard Sam Merrill hit a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession, and Kobe McEwen followed that with another triple to give USU an 82-78 lead. UNLV didn't get a good look the rest of the way.

Utah State shredded UNLV's halfcourt defense for most of the night and finished the game at 52.5 percent from the floor, including a 10-of-25 showing from 3-point range.

UNLV is now a disappointing 1-2 in conference play and 12-4 overall.

UNLV storms back to take 66-63 lead over Utah State

UNLV has stormed back to take a 66-63 with 8:38 to play, thanks to a 17-4 run that just caused Utah State to take a timeout.

The Rebels have used a penetrate-and-dish game plan to go on a scoring spurt, with Brandon McCoy and Shakur Juiston the main beneficiaries. McCoy has 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting, while Juiston has nine points on 4-of-7 shooting.

Amauri Hardy has provided a spark off the bench with 10 points on 4-of-4 shooting, and he has pushed the pace effectively.

Utah State is shooting just 6-of-16 in the second half, as the Rebels look refocused on the defensive end. If UNLV continues to defend this well for the next eight minutes, a satisfying comeback win could be in the cards.

UNLV trying to come back against Utah State

UNLV has finally picked up its defensive intensity, and with 11:27 remaining the second half, the Rebels' have trimmed Utah State's lead to 59-55.

The Rebels have scored the game's last six points, with a Brandon McCoy dunk and a Shakur Juiston layup accounting for the damage. Utah State has made just 5-of-12 from the field in the second half, fueling UNLV's run and helping to get the crowd into the game.

Jordan Johnson has a team-high 12 points and three assists, while Kobe McEwen is one of the four Utah State players with 12 points.

Jovan Mooring is just 2-of-11 from the field, but he's got five points in the second half. Amauri Hardy has eight points off the bench on 3-of-3 shooting.

Utah State leads UNLV at halftime, 46-36

UNLV closed the first half strong, but it wasn't nearly enough to make up for the sluggish way the Rebels played the first 15 minutes, and they trail Utah State 46-36 at the break.

The Rebels struggled to defend Utah State for the first 20 minutes, especially beyond the 3-point arc — usually a strength of UNLV. Utah State made 6-of-13 from long range and shot 56.7 percent overall, led by Daron Henson's 12 points (4-of-4 3FGs).

Henson's fourth 3-pointer of the half gave Utah State its biggest lead, 41-26 with three minutes to play. UNLV picked up its game in the closing minutes, led by Amauri Hardy (team-high 11 points), but unless the Rebels clamp down defensively in the second half, their comeback chances are slim.

One game after attempting just two field goal attempts, Jovan Mooring put up eight shots in the first half. He made just one, however, so a hot-shooting half second half from Mooring would definitely help UNLV's cause.

Utah State jumps to 30-20 lead over UNLV

While both teams may have started slowly, Utah State showed up first. The Aggies have used a 3-point spree — including three long-range bombs in a span of 1:23 — to jump out to a 30-20 lead with 6:54 left in the half.

UNLV is usually committed to limiting opponents' 3-point attempts, but Utah State has been creating open shots over the past few minutes, and the Aggies are now 5-of-10 from deep.

Daron Henson has been particularly troublesome, as he's hit all three of his 3-point attempts. He leads Utah State with nine points, while Sam Merrill has seven points.

UNLV, Utah State start slow

The Rebels have yet to find an offensive rhythm in the opening minutes, and with 10:42 left in the first half, Utah State has a 14-13 lead.

Shakur Juiston was knocked out a couple minutes into the game after hitting the deck on a rebound, and UNLV struggled in his absence, allowing USU to go on a 7-0 run. But Juiston appears to be ready to check back into the game, so he may give the Rebels a boost after the timeout.

Jovan Mooring also appears to be back to normal. After attempting just two shots against San Jose State on Wednesday, he has attempted three already tonight, including one drive to the basket and two long jumpers. He has two points on 1-of-3 shooting.

Three keys for UNLV basketball vs. Utah State

After working overtime to earn their first conference win of the season at San Jose State on Wednesday, the Rebels return to the Thomas & Mack Center tonight to take on Utah State (7 p.m., AT&T SportsNet).

Three keys to watch:

Crash the glass

Utah State is not a good rebounding team. The Aggies have allowed 92 points on putbacks this season, which ranks 266th in the country, so UNLV bigs Brandon McCoy and Shakur Juiston should have plenty of second-chance opportunities. And since Utah State isn’t very dangerous in transition (0.95 points per possession, 282nd in the country), Marvin Menzies should give his players the green light to crash the glass at will.

Defend McEwan

In three conference games, Utah State sophomore guard Kobe McEwen has averaged 17.0 field goal attempts per game. No other Aggie has averaged more than 9.3, so it’s safe to say the offense revolves around McEwen, who is scoring 22.3 points in Mountain West play.

UNLV can choose to defend him in one of two ways. Option 1: The Rebels can focus all their energy on slowing McEwen, tilting the entire defense toward him and daring his USU teammates to make it hurt. Option 2: The Rebels can play McEwen straight-up, strangle his teammates defensively and challenge him to win as a one-man show.

I think we’ll see Menzies opt for Option 1. Look for UNLV to make McEwen work by denying him the ball, especially from outside the 3-point arc.

Intensity

UNLV’s effort level has been noticeably off in each of the last two games. Boise State was able to beat UNLV in transition all night just by sprinting up the court, and a lack of energy allowed San Jose State to hang around and even force overtime. Neither was a good look for a UNLV team that harbors NCAA tournament aspirations.

McCoy said the Rebels have to be more prepared to match the intensity of Mountain West opponents.

“We’ve just got to learn that in this conference, we’re going to get everybody’s best shot, and we’ve just got to come out and compete,” McCoy said.

Getting Cheickna Dembele and Anthony Smith back from injury should help. Menzies said he expects both to be available today, and with that additional depth on the bench, Menzies should be able to rest his starters and keep them fresh throughout the game. That will leave the Rebels with no excuses when it comes to playing hard for 40 minutes.