Live coverage: Boise State holds off UNLV, 69-63

UNLV just couldn't get a key stop in the final minute, and Boise State was able to hold on for a 69-63 win.

Bryce Hamilton finished with 32 points, his fifth 30-point performance in the last eight games, but it wasn't enough as the rest of the team combined to shoot 13-of-31 from the field.

Boise was led by Abu Kigab, who scored 18 points, and Marcus Shaver, who scored 13 and seemed to make all the key plays down the stretch.

UNLV led by as many as seven points in the second half but Boise's relentless, physical offensive attack proved to be too much. The Broncos shot 41.2% for the game but forced their way to the free-throw line for almost 30 attempts (23-of-29).

UNLV is now 14-11 overall and 6-6 in Mountain West play.

Boise State leads UNLV, 60-56

Boise State continues to pound UNLV inside, and with 3:52 left the Broncos have a 60-56 lead.

Bryce Hamilton is doing what he can to keep UNLV close, as his last pull-up jumper gave him an even 30 points on the night. While Hamilton is 11-of-21 from the field, the rest of the team is 11-of-28. No other UNLV scorers are in double figures.

Boise State will have the ball after the timeout. Marcus Shaver has taken over for the Broncos in the second half with nine points and two assists. He's got 13 points on the night.

UNLV is probably going to need Hamilton to make some magic in the final minutes if they want to have a chance of stealing this one.

UNLV leads at Boise State, 47-46

It's getting physical in Boise, and with 11:44 remaining UNLV is fighting to hold on to a 47-46 lead.

The second half has been filled with whistles. Bryce Hamilton picked up three quick fouls in the first two minutes (his first three of the game) and had to head to the bench for a minute, but he returned and hit a big 3-pointer to quell a Boise run. Hamilton now has 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting, but he'll have to watch his foul situation.

That goes for the entire UNLV team. Boise State is already in the bonus, so every reach and grab will send the Broncos to the free-throw line the rest of the way. Mladen Armus has been a physical presence under the rim with 10 points and six rebounds.

Hamilton in the zone, UNLV leads Boise State at half

Is this going to be a Bryce Hamilton game?

The senior guard just scored the last nine points of the half for UNLV, including a driving layup just ahead of the buzzer to give the Scarlet and Gray a 36-29 lead at the break.

Hamilton now has 18 points on the night on 7-of-11 shooting. He's 3-of-3 from beyond the arc, including a long shot in the final minute of the half that hit the rim, bounced high off the glass and dropped through.

While Hamilton is carrying the UNLV offense, Boise State is struggling to find the range. The Broncos are 1-of-9 from 3-point territory and scored just three points in the final 4:31.

If Hamilton can keep up this pace — something that's not completely out of the realm of possibility with the way he's been playing — UNLV could be in position to score an upset tonight.

Boise takes 23-22 lead over UNLV

This game has gotten extremely physical, and with 5:24 left in the first half Boise State has taken a 23-22 lead.

Boise State center Mladen Armus has been a beast under the basket, scoring three post buckets against Royce Hamm to help the Broncos erase an early deficit. UNLV has committed seven fouls, putting Boise in the bonus. Armus has seven points and two rebounds.

Offense has been hard to come by for UNLV since the opening minutes. Justin Webster provided some pop off the bench with a driving layup and a 3-pointer, but UNLV has only managed two baskets in the last four minutes. Mike Nuga leads the team with seven points.

Nuga, UNLV start hot at Boise State

Boise State is living up to its defensive reputation, but with 11:33 left in the first half UNLV has managed to claw its way to a 13-10 lead.

UNLV could not have hoped for a better start. Mike Nuga scored a pair of driving layups in the opening minutes, then Bryce Hamilton nailed a 3-pointer (plus a foul to make it a 4-point play). Nuga followed that up by popping a 3 on the next trip down the court to give UNLV a 13-4 lead with 15 minutes left in the half.

Boise State's defense is ranked in the Top 10 nationally for a reason, however, and they've started to show why. UNLV has missed its last six shots and has not scored in four minutes, though Justin Webster can snap that skid when he heads to the free-throw line after the timeout.

UNLV basketball enters stretch run at Boise State

UNLV will travel north to face one of the Mountain West’s best teams on Friday, as they’ll square off against Boise State (8 p.m., FS1).

Three keys as UNLV looks to build on its 78-44 win over Air Force earlier this week:

Boise is toughest test

Kevin Kruger’s first season at the helm has gone pretty well, all things considered. At the three-quarters mark UNLV sits at 14-10 overall and 6-5 in the Mountain West, both reasonable records for a coach in his debut season with a patched-together roster.

Now things get serious.

Starting with Friday’s game at Boise State, the final seven-game stretch for UNLV is going to be brutal, with stiff competition almost every night. Boise State is No. 30 in the KenPom ratings and pretty much a lock for the NCAA Tournament; UNLV will play them again on Feb. 26.

They’ve also got one remaining contest apiece against Fresno State, Colorado State, Wyoming and UNR. Fresno, CSU and Wyoming are all Top 50 in KenPom, while UNR figures to be healthier and more dangerous than the first time UNLV squared up with them. The only gimme on the remaining schedule appears to be the March 5 finale at New Mexico.

Can UNLV peak at the right time, finish the season strong and give the fans some hope heading into the Mountain West tournament? If that’s the plan, they’re going to have to do it against the best the league has to offer.

Injury updates

In order to finish strong UNLV is going to have to get healthy in a hurry, with the biggest question marks being forward Victor Iwuakor and wing Donovan Williams.

Iwuakor practiced in full on Thursday and will play against Boise State, so his presence will provide a boost to the frontcourt. Williams was a limited participant, meaning we’ll have to wait until pregame warmups or maybe even tipoff before we find out if he’s available.

Freshman not playing nice

Keshon Gilbert may be the only true freshman on the team, but he isn’t afraid to mix it up.

Gilbert’s hard-boiled attitude was on display in the second half of UNLV’s win over Air Force on Tuesday. UNLV center Royce Hamm committed a foul while going for a defensive rebound and sent an AFA player to the floor. Hamm extended his hand to help the player to his feet, but Gilbert quickly scuttled that kind gesture.

The teenager stepped in and pulled Hamm’s arm away before any goodwill had been exchanged.

Gilbert explained his noirish approach to the game after Thursday’s practice.

“It wasn’t nothing personal,” Gilbert said with a smile. “How I play, it’s only us. It’s us against the world. I don’t do that helping [opponents] up. It’s only us. Ain’t nobody gonna help us up when we’re down.”

That explains just about everything about Gilbert’s game, as he has emerged as a tough, defensive-minded point guard with a knack for playing with physicality.

Don’t expect Gilbert to assist any fallen opponents at Boise State on Friday. Don’t expect him to be in awe of the Broncos, either. Though BSU is the highest-rated team UNLV has played during the conference schedule, Gilbert wasn’t ready to concede anything before the game.

Asked for his thoughts on Boise State, which is 18-5 overall and 9-1 in the Mountain West, Gilbert didn’t budge.

“They put their pants on the same way as us.”

Enough said.

What: UNLV (14-10, 6-5 MWC) at Boise State (18-5, 9-1 MWC)

When: Friday, 8 p.m.

TV: FS1

Line: Boise State -8.5

UNLV leaders

Scoring: Bryce Hamilton, 21.4 points

Rebounding: Royce Hamm, 9.5 rebounds

Assists: Jordan McCabe, 5.0 assists

Boise State leaders

Scoring: Abu Kigab, 14.0 points

Rebounding: Mladen Armus, 8.3 rebounds

Assists: Emmanuel Akot, 3.0 assists

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