UNLV Rebels guard Amauri Hardy (3) takes the ball upcourt against the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons at the Thomas & Mack Center Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019.
Monday, Nov. 18, 2019 | 9:46 p.m.
Ball movement, timing and execution are all part of the ideal, egalitarian offense that T.J. Otzelberger wants to install at UNLV.
Eventually. But sometimes it's just better to have a go-to guy.
That was the main difference between UNLV and Abilene Christian on Monday, and thanks to Amauri Hardy's offensive heroics the Rebels were able to secure a much-needed 72-58 win.
UNLV took a double-digit lead into the locker room at halftime, but a 14-2 run by Abilene Christian trimmed the Rebels' lead to 48-47 midway through the second half. That's when Hardy went into star mode and changed the game in favor of the Rebels.
The junior guard drove through the ACU defense for a layup to make it 50-47. Two possessions later Hardy again penetrated the lane and finished, this time drawing a whistle as well. The 3-point play extended UNLV's lead to 57-50. It was 60-56 with four minutes remaining when Hardy went inside for another scoop shot to make it a six-point margin. After an Abilene score, Hardy went right back at it, attacking the interior again for another layup.
When the final buzzer sounded, Hardy had accumulated 25 points on 9-of-10 shooting. He went 4-of-4 in the second half and made 4-of-5 from the free throw line.
Otzelberger said that's the kind of play the Rebels expect from Hardy on a consistent basis now.
"He's been the heart and soul of our team," Otzelberger said. "I think he's come in every day focused. He wants to win. I've seen his leadership continue to grow every day and I think he has prepared himself for that moment. So when we needed big baskets tonight, he was able to step up and do that. And we need him to continue doing it moving forward."
Hardy's second 20-point outing of the season raised his scoring average to 19.0 points per game.
Though Otzelberger stresses the need for quick passing and a team-oriented offense, Hardy said he feels he has a green light to make something happen when the team needs a basket.
"I think it happens pretty naturally for me," Hardy said. "Sometimes I'm like, 'Ah, let's try to make something shake right now.' So I either try to get an assist or get a bucket going downhill."
Abilene Christian was able to hang around due to the Rebels' poor 3-point shooting (Hardy was 3-of-4 from deep; the rest of the team was 3-of-18) and 12 turnovers. Three Wildcats finished in double figures, led by Joe Pleasant and Trey Lenox with 11 points apiece.
Elijah Mitrou-Long scored 13 in support of Hardy, while Donnie Tillman chipped in 10. The Rebels also got some solid play from reserve forward Vitaliy Shibel, who played his first extended minutes of the season and contributed four points and a rebound on 2-of-2 shooting in 15 minutes.
Most important, UNLV snapped a three-game losing streak. With three more home games scheduled over the next eight days, the Rebels have a chance to get back above .500 if they can defend their turf against Texas State (Wednesday), SMU (Saturday) and Jackson State (Nov. 26).
"Winning solves a lot of problems," Hardy said. "We did that tonight. We got the win, and guys are happy."
Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.
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