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March 29, 2024

Live coverage: San Diego State bludgeons UNLV, 62-55

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Steve Marcus

San Diego State Aztecs forward Nathan Mensah (31) dunks against the UNLV Rebels during a NCAA basketball game at Thomas & Mack Center Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022.

Updated Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022 | 3:26 p.m.

UNLV Falls to San Diego State, 62-55

UNLV Rebels forward Victor Iwuakor (0) fouls San Diego State Aztecs guard Matt Bradley (3) during a NCAA basketball game at Thomas & Mack Center Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022. UNLV Rebels guard Keshon Gilbert (10) is at right. Launch slideshow »

UNLV had its chances today. San Diego State came into this game diminished by a couple late injuries and proceeded to shoot 33.8%, but it didn't make a difference in the end as the Aztecs persevered for a 62-55 win over UNLV in the Mountain West opener for both teams.

For UNLV it had to be a dispiriting defeat. Kevin Kruger's squad had no answers on offense as they connected on just 19-of-64 from the field, including shooting 26.7% in the second half. After Donovan Williams sank a free throw with 5:54 remaining to pull the scarlet and gray within 53-49, they went more than five minutes without scoring as SDSU pulled away.

San Diego State wasn't much better in terms of offensive efficiency, but the Aztecs simply overpowered UNLV on the boards. SDSU grabbed 19 offensive rebounds and racked up 16 second-chance points to bury UNLV.

Williams and Bryce Hamilton led UNLV with 16 and 15 points, respectively, but they combined to shoot just 11-of-32 from the floor. Royce Hamm totaled five points and 14 rebounds before fouling out in the final minute.

San Diego State was led Matt Bradley, who scored 17 points, and Chad Baker-Mazara, who chipped in 11 off the bench.

UNLV is now 8-6 on the season and 0-1 in Mountain West play. With Wednesday's scheduled game at San Jose State canceled due to COVID-19, their next contest will be Jan. 8 at Air Force.

UNLV trails San Diego State late in second half

San Diego State is trying to pull away, albeit gradually, and with 3:55 remaining the Aztecs have a 55-49 lead over UNLV. San Diego State will also get the ball after this timeout, as UNLV's last possession ended with Bryce Hamilton missing a 3-pointer and a teammate knocking the rebound out of bounds.

Scoring has been impossible for UNLV in the second half, as they've connected on just 6-of-22 from the field.

While the home team has been unable to put points on the board, SDSU reserve Chad Baker-Mazara has provided a spark by hitting 5-of-6 shots for 11 points in 15 minutes. His baseline floater a minute ago put the Aztecs up by six, which may well be an insurmountable margin with the way this game is playing out.

SDSU leads UNLV, 44-43

Offense continues to be a struggle for both teams, and with 11:52 remaining San Diego State is clinging to a 44-43 lead.

The Aztecs have shot 30.8% from the field so far, and UNLV hasn't been much better at 34.1%. Bryce Hamilton is leading the way for the home team with 13 points, and Jordan McCabe just made a big 3-pointer from the right wing to bring the scarlet and gray within a single point.

SDSU continues to capitalize on offensive rebounds. They've got 14 second-chance points, which has helped the Aztecs stay in front despite cold shooting from Matt Bradley (4-of-15) and Nathan Mensah (3-of-14).

San Diego State muscles way to 35-32 halftime lead over UNLV

Bryce Hamilton hit a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer, but San Diego State clearly seized control of this game and has a 35-32 lead at the break.

The Aztecs were simply unstoppable under the basket, bulldozing UNLV to the tune of 13 offensive rebounds on 26 missed shots. That led to SDSU racking up a 12-3 advantage in second-chance points and an 18-8 margin in points in the paint.

Hamilton only converted three field goals in the first half (3-of-8, eight points). As a team UNLV made just 32.4% from the field and 5-of-14 from 3-point range. Donovan Williams also has eight points.

UNLV has played well enough of defense, but they haven't been able to finish off possessions by securing the defensive rebound. Unless they can do that in the second half, San Diego State will continue to pound them into submission.

San Diego State hitting the glass, tied with UNLV

San Diego State's physicality is becoming a factor in this game, and with 4:31 left in the first half we are tied, 27-27.

The Aztecs have completely dominated the glass, grabbing 50% of all available offensive rebounds. They've got nine offensive boards for the game, and those second-chance opportunities have allowed SDSU to stay close despite shooting just 30% from the field.

UNLV has been buoyed by solid 3-point shooting so far, as four different players have connected from long range (4-of-10 overall).

UNLV jumps out to 16-12 lead vs. San Diego State

UNLV has opened this game with its best punch, and with 11:23 left in the first half the scarlet and gray have a 16-12 lead over San Diego State.

Long-range shooting has been on point for the home team so far, as Donovan Williams, Mike Nuga and Josh Baker have all hit 3-pointers. Freshman guard Keshon Gilbert just made a steal in the backcourt and drove in to draw contact; he'll shoot a pair of free throws for UNLV after the timeout.

San Diego State took a blow before tipoff, when guards Lamont Butler (injury) and Trey Pulliam (illness) were ruled out. The Aztecs have started the game 4-of-15 from the field.

UNLV basketball hosts San Diego State

While most people would probably prefer to roll out of bed late today, rub their bleary eyes and ease into the new year, UNLV basketball doesn’t have that luxury.

The scarlet and gray will open 2022 with a bang, as they host perennial Mountain West favorite San Diego State in a matinee at the Thomas & Mack Center (1 p.m., CBS).

Three keys to watch:

Points at a premium

As usual, San Diego State makes it a pain to score the basketball. The Aztecs rank No. 10 in the nation in KenPom’s adjusted defense ratings, and they’ve held opponents to 38.7% from the field this season.

For a UNLV team that is still developing its offensive identity — wings Bryce Hamilton and Donovan Williams have emerged as the preferred 1-2 punch — that could make for a lot of ugly trips down the court.

UNLV coach Kevin Kruger has spent the past week of practice trying to drill into his players that it’s going to take a full 30 seconds of determined offense in order to generate scoring chances against SDSU.

“You’ve got to be patient and tough,” Kruger said. “They do such a good job of keeping the ball in front and slowing you down. They do a really good job of disrupting you without chasing. It’s one of those things, it’s 20 years in the making.”

Perimeter defense

For as physically tough as San Diego State plays, the Aztecs don’t really work the ball inside very much. In nonconference play only 29.7% of their shots came around the rim, the lowest ratio among all MWC teams and 335th out of 358 Division-I teams.

Instead of muscling the ball to the basket, SDSU runs a perimeter-oriented attack led by guards Matt Bradley and Trey Pulliam, who combine to average 25.3 points per game. Bradley in particular is a difficult matchup; at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds he prefers to work in the mid-range, making 42.4% of his 2-point jumpers.

Look for junior guard Josh Baker to draw the defensive matchup on Bradley. Baker has been an unsung hero for UNLV this season, as his impact on the court exceeds his statistical output. He currently sports the best plus/minus rating among scarlet and gray regulars at +6.9 per 40, and his defensive contributions have been a big reason for that.

Kruger has taken note of Baker’s impact, which is why he moved the juco transfer into the starting lineup.

“While he may not have scored a ton this season he does have the ability to make 3’s and make shots,” Kruger said. “Defensively he’s in the right spots, his arms are always out, he’s always talking. He’s somebody that has proven he needs to be on the floor.”

Iwuakor in, Coleman out (?)

While junior forward Victor Iwuakor practiced in full on Friday and figures to play as many minutes as he can handle against San Diego State, UNLV may be a bit thinner in the backcourt as senior guard Marvin Coleman missed practice due to a non-COVID illness.

Coleman has played 14.3 minutes per game this season, chipping in 2.5 points and 2.7 rebounds as the backup point guard. If he is unable to suit up on Saturday, that could mean increased playing time for freshman guard Keshon Gilbert.

Gilbert is flashier, especially on the defensive end, as he has produced a team-high steal rate of 5.0% in his 12.5 minutes per game, but he is less steady with the ball in his hands. While Coleman protects the ball to the tune of 2.2 turnovers per 100 possessions, Gilbert commits 6.5 turnovers per 100, the highest rate on the team.

Relying on a turnover-prone freshman guard against this San Diego State defense may not be an ideal scenario, so it’s worth watching how Kruger handles his backcourt rotation today.

What: UNLV (8-5) vs. San Diego State (8-3)

When: Saturday, 1 p.m.

Where: Thomas & Mack Center

TV: CBS

Line: San Diego State -3.5

UNLV leaders

Bryce Hamilton, 18.6 points per game

Royce Hamm, 9.9 rebounds per game

Jordan McCabe, 5.0 assists per game

San Diego State leaders

Matt Bradley, 14.7 points per game

Nathan Mensah, 8.3 rebounds per game

Trey Pulliam, 3.9 assists per game

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

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