UNLV basketball play of the decade

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Monday, Dec. 30, 2019 | 2 a.m.

The 2010's may not seem like the most exciting decade of UNLV basketball, but when you sit down and begin to comb through all the memorable moments and clutch victories, it becomes clear that there were plenty of big plays made by the Rebels over the last 10 years.

The program's Player of the Decade, guard Patrick McCaw, authored his share of highlights, including the No. 1 play of the 2010's. This list can't cover all the other great plays from the last decade, but from dunks to buzzer-beaters to defensive gems, most of the Rebels' top moments are included here.

The best individual plays of the decade:

Play of the Decade

Patrick McCaw beats the buzzer

Feb. 21, 2016

UNLV 102, UNR 91 OT (Game story)

Highlight

UNLV's in-state rivalry with UNR got especially heated this decade, as the team to the north caught up with (and surpassed) the Rebels on the court. The last time UNLV definitively had the upper hand may have been late in the 2016 season, when sophomore guard Patrick McCaw hit the biggest shot of the decade to help give UNLV a wild home win.

UNR guard Marqueze Coleman had made a pull-up 3-pointer to give the Wolf Pack an 80-77 lead with three seconds to play, and with no timeouts remaining it was desperation time for UNLV. Jordan Cornish inbounded to McCaw deep in the backcourt, and the lanky guard needed only two dribbles to get all the way to the 3-point line. McCaw took off from beyond the arc and hoisted a one-legged runner that found the bottom of the net as the buzzer sounded to tie the game.

The Rebels went on to dominate in overtime. Led by McCaw's team-high 25 points — and his memorable long-distance runner — UNLV was able to hold off UNR for at least one more night.

Runner-up

Anthony Marshall throws down vs. No. 1

Nov. 26, 2011

UNLV 90, UNC 80 (Game story)

Highlight

With this play, Marshall announced — very loudly — that UNLV was ready to play with the best teams in the country. North Carolina was ranked No. 1 at the time, and the Rebels had an early 11-9 lead when Marshall dribbled around a screen on the left wing and found the paint to be unprotected. The 6-foot-3 guard elevated with two hands and threw down a monster dunk, drawing contact in the process to make it an and-1. The crowd went wild, as did Marshall's teammates, and the statement was made. Following Marshall's lead, UNLV went on to topple UNC for its best win of the decade.

Honorable mention

Noah Robotham saves the day

Dec. 15, 2018

UNLV 92, BYU 90 OT (Game story)

Highlight

At the time it would have been hard to imagine this play unfolding the way it did, as Robotham was suffering through a brutal shooting slump to start his one and only season at UNLV. But the local product cemented himself in Rebels lore with this shot.

UNLV trailed by a point on the final possession of overtime, and when the play broke down Robotham found himself with the ball and almost no time on the clock. The senior took one quick dribble to create space and then swished a long 3-pointer to end it.

Chace Stanback sends it to OT

Nov. 30, 2011

UNLV 94, UC Santa Barbara 88 2OT (Game story)

After beating No. 1 North Carolina, the Rebels were almost on the wrong end of an upset in their next game until Stanback stepped up. UNLV trailed by three points at the end of the first overtime period in Santa Barbara, and Anthony Marshall missed a 3-pointer in the final seconds; Stanback collected the rebounded, retreated to the arc and nailed a 3 to send the game to a second extra frame. UNLV eventually pulled away, and it wouldn't have been possible if not for Stanback's heroics.

Justin Hawkins locks it down

Nov. 20, 2010

UNLV 68, Wisconsin 65 (Game story)

Highlight

Protecting a one-point lead in the final seconds, one of the Rebels' best defenders of the decade came up big. Hawkins, a sophomore guard, stole Wisconsin's inbound pass with eight seconds to play and then drained the two accompanying free throws to help UNLV beat the No. 25 Badgers at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.