Blog: Utah State beats UNLV to split series

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Published Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021 | 7 p.m.

Updated Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021 | 10:12 p.m.

David Jenkins did what he could in the final minutes, hitting a series of circus shots to keep UNLV on the fringe of striking distance, but Utah State ultimately closed out an 83-74 win to earn a series split.

Jenkins finished with a season-high 33 points on 12-of-21 shooting, but Utah State connected on six second-half 3-pointers to put UNLV in the rearview mirror. Rollie Worster led the Aggies with 19 points, nine assists and nine rebounds.

UNLV guard Bryce Hamilton struggled mightily and finished with two points on 1-of-12 shooting.

UNLV's five-game winning streak is finished, and the scarlet and gray fall to 3-3 in Mountain West play (6-7 overall). They'll head to Reno on Sunday to begin a two-game series at UNR.

UNLV trails Utah State by 14 in final minutes

Mbacke Diong just ran over a Utah State defender while trying to lead a fast break, which is the very definition of trying to do too much. With 3:55 remaining, Utah State leads 72-58 and it looks like UNLV's five-game winning streak is about to come to an end.

Diong can be excused for trying to make something happen, because UNLV's offense has been unable to get much going against Utah State in the halfcourt. For the game, UNLV is shooting 38.3 percent with 10 turnovers.

Utah State opens 59-47 lead over UNLV

Utah State is flexing its defensive muscles and the Aggies have surged ahead, 59-47, with 11:09 remaining.

UNLV has had serious trouble creating open looks against USU's halfcourt defense, having to grind out long possessions just to get a contested look at the rim. Devin Tillis and David Jenkins just made tough shots on the last two possessions, upping the scarlet and gray's output to 5-of-12 from the field since the break.

At the other end, Utah State has found its rhythm. The Aggies are 8-of-14 from long distance on the night and 4-of-5 in the second half, with Justin Bean (11 points) and Rollie Worster (12 points) doing most of the damage.

Bryce Hamilton continues to struggle, as he's still scoreless in his 22 minutes of action. It's almost impossible for UNLV to beat a good team like Utah State without any offensive contribution from its 20-point scorer.

UNLV trails Utah State at half

UNLV is having trouble running its offense, but hot outside shooting is keeping this game close. At halftime, Utah State has a 37-34 lead.

Utah State has clamped down on the defensive end, forcing seven turnovers and many more deflected passes and broken plays, but UNLV has hit 7-of-15 from beyond the arc to make up for it. Junior guard David Jenkins has done the heavy lifting, scoring 13 points while making all three of his 3-point attempts. Moses Wood also enjoyed a strong half, chipping in nine points on 3-of-3 shooting.

Utah State center Neemias Queta is determined on the offensive end, and his teammates have worked to get him the ball in the post. Queta has eight points on 4-of-10 shooting, but UNLV has focused so much defensive attention on the big man that it has opened up the floor for the rest of USU's shooters. After starting the game 4-of-14 from the field as a team, the Aggies closed the half making 10 of their final 18 shots.

One development to watch for UNLV will be Bryce Hamilton. The scarlet and gray's leading scorer missed all five of his shots and has yet to score; he'll have to be much more of a factor in the second half if UNLV is to have any chance of finishing off a sweep of Utah State.

UNLV takes early lead over Utah State

Offense has been hard to come by so far, and if you saw any of Monday's game between these two teams that isn't so hard to believe. With 11:20 remaining in the first half, UNLV has a 14-11 lead over Utah State.

UNLV would be in an early hole if it weren't for Moses Wood, who got his second straight start tonight. He has nailed a couple 3's already (one of them a 4-point play), recorded a steal and blocked a shot, and his seven points are the most for either team.

Turnovers have been an issue for the scarlet and gray, as they've given away the ball four times in 13 possessions, but the defense has been solid once again. Utah State has made just 4-of-14 from the field (28.6 percent).

UNLV basketball going for sixth straight win

Can UNLV add to its current five-game winning streak with another victory over Utah State tonight (8 p.m., FS1)?

The scarlet and gray pulled off an impressive upset over USU on Monday, 59-56, and tonight’s return matchup figures to be another grinder.

Three keys to watch:

Wing start

UNLV was able to survive and pull out a win on Monday despite its two top scorers, wings Bryce Hamilton and David Jenkins, combining to shoot just 8-of-29 from the field. It wasn’t all their fault — easy baskets are nonexistent against Utah State due to the presence of shot-blocking center Neemias Queta, so Hamilton and Jenkins had to earn their points via tough shots.

If Hamilton and Jenkins can connect at a higher rate tonight, that will at least give UNLV a bigger margin for error at the other end of the court.

Defensive adjustments

Utah State is likely to tweak its offensive sets after UNLV held them to 32.8 percent shooting in the first meeting, including a 6-of-28 showing in the second half. It will be up to head coach T.J. Otzelberger to anticipate those adjustments and have UNLV ready to defend against them.

Fortunately for the scarlet and gray, Otzelberger is very familiar with Utah State coach Craig Smith, as the two coached against each other previously in the Summit League. Otzelberger is now 2-1 against Smith in the Mountain West, so it looks like UNLV will be in good hands in tonight’s rematch.

Stick with Blake

Freshman Nick Blake made two big mistakes in trying to close out Utah State on Monday. Despite those high-profile miscues, UNLV can’t afford to let Blake sulk because he is an integral part of the team’s game plan.

Blake posted a plus/minus of +9 in Game 1, scoring eight points in 25 minutes. UNLV will need him to bounce back from the errors and produce like a future star again.

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