UNLV basketball now 6-0 after routing Minnesota in SoCal Challenge

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022 | 11:02 p.m.

Southern California may be known for its beautiful weather, gorgeous beaches and lush palm trees, but that’s not what this UNLV basketball team is all about.

In Kevin Kruger’s second year as head coach, he has fostered a different aesthetic — something decidedly grittier. And it’s working, as evidenced by UNLV’s impressive 71-62 win over Minnesota in the final of the SoCal Challenge on Wednesday.

Kruger’s crew of tough-nosed veterans got down and dirty against Minnesota, holding them to 36.8% shooting on the night, and UNLV’s workmanlike approach on offense was effective enough to build the lead as high as 22 points in the second half before the Golden Gophers cut into it in garbage time.

The win, like all of UNLV’s this season, may not have been pretty, but it improved their overall record to 6-0, and the team earned a surfboard trophy for their triumph in the four-team SoCal event.

Kruger said the game plan on defense was to muck it up against the bigger Minnesota roster.

“The guys knew they had to be really disruptive,” Kruger said. “They had to get underneath them as much as possible and make those passes as difficult as they could.”

UNLV forced 17 turnovers on the night, the first time this year they’ve failed to collect at least 20, but deflections were plentiful and served a similar purpose.

After trailing at halftime against Southern Illinois and needing a comeback to win their first-round matchup on Monday, Kruger said he wanted his team to come out more focused from the tip against Minnesota. He got his wish, as sophomore guard Keshon Gilbert scored five quick points to help UNLV take an early 10-3 lead.

Minnesota worked its way in front, 20-19, with eight minutes left in the first half, and that’s when UNLV dropped the hammer. They held Minnesota scoreless for the next five minutes and closed the half on a 19-4 run, taking control by playing their brand of basketball at both ends of the floor.

Senior guard E.J. Harkless hit a pair of 3-pointers during the surge, while Gilbert and sophomore guard Jackie Johnson each made one.

When the halftime buzzer sounded, UNLV had a 38-24 lead, which must have seemed insurmountable to a stunned and staggered Minnesota squad.

“Everybody stayed together,” Harkless said of the run. “We kept the defensive intensity up and kept rebounding…I think we did a great job of sticking to the game plan and just not letting them do what they wanted to do.”

That 8-minute stretch provided a glimpse of what this Scarlet and Gray team can accomplish when firing at full capacity.

Gilbert played a near-flawless game and finished with 17 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. Senior forward Luis Rodriguez enjoyed his best outing of the year, as the California native posted 15 points and 9 rebounds in front of a vociferous friends-and-family section. Harkless scored 16 and Johnson chipped in 13.

UNLV ended up shooting a clanky 36.9% for the game, but again, looking good is not the priority.

Winning is, and UNLV is determined to keep grinding out victories, regardless of style points.

“Everybody puts the work in,” Rodriguez said. “We deserve it. It’s coming together. It’s everything for us.”

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