UNLV Rebels guard Kris Clyburn (1) goes for a lay up past Colorado State Ram guard Kris Martin (30) during a game at Thomas & Mack, Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019.
Published Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019 | 7 p.m.
Updated Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019 | 9:44 p.m.
The Rebels couldn't shoot straight for 35-plus minutes, but they finished the game on a 16-5 run to steal a 78-76 win over Colorado State.
After Noah Robotham tied the game by bouncing in a 3-pointer off the front of the rim with a minute to play, Mbacke Diong tipped in an Amauri Hardy miss with 1.2 seconds left to give UNLV its only lead of the second half.
UNLV finished the game 25-of-74 from the field (33.8 percent), but the Rebels made up for it by playing good defense over the final five minutes and making 20-of-24 free throws on the night. Joel Ntambwe and Kris Clyburn led the way with 17 points apiece.
The win improves UNLV to 7-6 on the season and 1-0 in Mountain West play.
UNLV trails CSU in second half, 67-62
UNLV held Colorado State scoreless for more than four minutes, and the Rebels are within 67-62 with 6:52 remaining.
The Rebels could be even closer (or ahead), but they managed just six points of their own during that stretch. Joel Ntambwe scored a pair of baskets to help get UNLV back into the game, and he now has 15 points (all in the second half). Kris Clyburn is up to 17 points on 6-of-16 shooting.
Colorado State leads UNLV, 59-51
UNLV trimmed the Colorado State lead to three points a moment ago, but CSU responded with a 3-pointer by JD Paige and an inside bucket by Nico Carvacho to extend the advantage to 59-51 with 13:14 remaining.
UNLV has struggled to score on the inside, making just 7-of-23 shots categorized as dunks or layups. Joel Ntambwe has come to life, however, connecting on back-to-back 3-pointers to breathe some life into the Rebels momentarily.
For the game, UNLV is shooting just 14-of-50 from the field (28.0 percent).
Rebels trail Colorado State at half
The Rebels couldn't buy a bucket over the first 20 minutes, and at halftime they find themselves trailing Colorado State, 43-36.
UNLV made just 10-of-40 from the field in the first half and 2-of-15 from 3-point range. If it wasn't for Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua's toughness under the basket (13 points, 9-of-10 free throws), the Rebels would be getting run off the court.
Colorado State warmed up as the half went on, led by senior big man Nico Carvacho, who had his way with multiple UNLV defenders while posting 18 points and 12 rebounds in 17 minutes.
If the Rebels are going to make a run in the second half, they'll need better production from the perimeter. Wing players Kris Clyburn (eight points, 2-of-11 FGs) and Joel Ntambwe (zero points, 0-of-6 FGs) have struggled to find the range so far.
UNLV changes up lineup against Colorado State
After having a week off to think about losing two straight games to close out non-conference play, Marvin Menzies decided to shake up his starting lineup. He inserted Amauri Hardy into the starting five, removed Mbacke Diong and shifted Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua to center. That five-man lineup has been one of UNLV's most effective so far this season, and they jumped out to a 7-3 lead over Colorado State before foul trouble forced Tchamwa Tchatchoua to the bench.
Colorado State has controlled play since then, pulling ahead, 14-11, with 12:37 left in the half. Center Nico Carvacho has produced on the interior, scoring a game-high eight points on 3-of-3 shooting.
Tchamwa Tchatchoua leads UNLV with six points and two rebounds. After a brief stint on the bench, he is back on the floor playing with two fouls.
Three keys for UNLV basketball vs. Colorado State
After going 6-6 in non-conference play, UNLV will tip off the Mountain West season on Wednesday when Colorado State visits the Thomas & Mack Center (7:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network).
Three keys to watch:
Juiston officially out
Marvin Menzies announced on Tuesday that senior forward Shakur Juiston will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury. That is going to have a huge impact on how the Rebels approach conference play, but as Juiston hasn't played since Dec. 8 at Illinois, the Rebels have had some time to figure out their rotation without the big man.
Look for freshman Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua to continue starting at power forward, though Menzies has taken a liking to playing smaller with freshman Joel Ntambwe at power forward for extended stretches. How Menzies handles his rotation against Colorado State could give an idea of how he wants to play it long-term.
Keep shooting
UNLV is not typically a team that relies on 3-point shots to produce the bulk of its offense, but that changed while the Rebels were in Hawaii for the Diamond Head Classic. In those three games, UNLV attempted 24, 24 and 25 3-pointers, perhaps signaling that the offense is adapting to life without Juiston.
Though the results were bad — UNLV made just 27.4 percent from deep and went 1-2 in Hawaii — the Rebels shouldn't abandon the 3-point shot. Colorado State struggles to defend the arc, allowing 25.8 attempts per game (289th in the nation), so UNLV will have chances. The key will be making those open shots.
Push the pace
Colorado State is bad at defending 3-pointers, and the Rams are even worse at getting back in transition. The Rams allow opponents to score 1.179 points per possession in the open court, which ranks 340th out of 351 Division I teams. That should be a green light for UNLV, which is averaging 1.00 points per possession in transition.
Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.
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