Live coverage: UNLV loses third straight at Boise State

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Published Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023 | 2 a.m.

Updated Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023 | 8:20 p.m.

UNLV made a late run, but Boise State hit its free throws down the stretch to close out a 73-69 victory over the Scarlet and Gray.

UNLV pulled within two points on a couple different occasions in the closing minutes, including an alley-oop dunk by David Muoka with two minutes remaining, but they could not get the key stop-and-score sequence necessary to get over the hump.

Max Rice scored the biggest bucket for Boise, driving and making a floater to extend the Broncos' lead to 67-63 with 1:30 to play. UNLV cut the lead to 71-69 with 7.9 seconds left on a corner 3 by Shane Nowell (14 points in his first career start), but Marcus Shaver made two clutch free throws with four seconds left to close the door; Shaver finished with a game-high 19 points.

E.J. Harkless tried to heat up late, but Boise State's elite defense did a good job getting the ball out of his hands. Harkless finished with 14 points. Muoka posted six points, five rebounds and five blocks.

The Scarlet and Gray have lost three in a row and now sit at 16-11 overall and 5-10 in Mountain West play. They'll have four days off before hosting Air Force on Friday.

Boise State trying to hold off UNLV basketball

Boise State's top-10 defense is really starting to take control. UNLV has managed just two field goals in the last 8:25, and Boise has extended its lead to 57-50 with 6:30 remaining.

Jordan McCabe made a transition 3 with 11 and change to play, and Jackie Johnson nailed another long three a few minutes later. Other than that, UNLV's offense has completely ground to a halt.

For the game, the Scarlet and Gray are shooting 41.3%, but they are below 35% since halftime.

This might be time for E.J. Harkless to assert himself. He's got just eight points so far on 3-of-8 shooting, but UNLV could really use one of his patented red-hot shooting stretches right about now. 

UNLV tight with Boise State in second half

UNLV is trying to hang around, but Boise State's smothering defense is making it difficult. With 11:14 remaining, the Broncos are protecting a 46-45 lead.

The Scarlet and Gray went nearly four minutes without scoring until Jordan McCabe just swished a 3-pointer in transition to slice the lead to one. That prompted Boise coach Leon Rice to call timeout.

No UNLV player has cracked double figures in scoring yet, but a balanced attack has kept them in the game. Eight players have notched at least one field goal, though no one has made more than three buckets.

Boise State is leaning on forward Naje Smith on the other end of the floor; a minute ago he cut through the lane and received a pass that led to a loud dunk, giving him 11 points on the night.

Can UNLV generate enough offense to keep close down the stretch, and maybe even pull this one out?

Boise State surges ahead of UNLV at half, 38-32

UNLV squandered 18 minutes of good play by falling apart in the final moments of the half, allowing Boise State to close on a 7-0 run and take a 38-32 lead into the locker room.

Boise State only made 11-of-31 from the field (35.5%), but UNLV kept making things easy for the Broncos by committing turnovers and loose-ball fouls. UNLV committed 11 turnovers in the half (five by Keshon Gilbert) and sent the Broncos to the free-throw line for 15 attempts (11-of-15).

Max Rice leads Boise State with 12 points, while Shane Nowell has a team-high seven for UNLV. David Muoka continues to play well, with four blocks in his 10 minutes of action.

UNLV is stretched thin on the perimeter due to injuries to senior wings Luis Rodriguez and Eli Parquet, and it was evident as the half went on, as ball-handling became a big issue. Let's see if Kevin Kruger has any solutions for the next 20 minutes.

UNLV hot early, leads Boise State 26-19

Offensive contributions are coming from everywhere for UNLV, and with 6:43 left in the first half the visitors have a surprising 26-19 lead at Boise State.

UNLV has gotten field goals from eight different players already and is shooting 10-of-20 as a team. Shane Nowell has made a pair of 3's (2-of-4), and Jackie Johnson checked in for the first time since Jan. 21 and scored two quick buckets.

Defensively, the Scarlet and Gray have held Boise State to 7-of-21 shooting, mostly thanks to David Muoka. The senior center has four blocks in eight minutes and is a +7 in the plus/minus column.

Short-handed UNLV off to good start at Boise State

UNLV has gotten off to a nice start, taking a 9-4 lead over Boise State with 15:24 left in the first half.

David Muoka has been the star in the early going with a pair of blocks, and he also scored the first basket of the game. Justin Webster also drilled a catch-and-shoot 3 in the first minute to help UNLV get going.

We'll see how long they can keep it up, however, as the Scarlet and Gray are severely short-handed tonight. Starting wings Luis Rodriguez and Eli Parquet are both out due to injury, which has shifted Webster and sophomore Shane Nowell into starting roles. It's Nowell's first career start; he is 0-of-2 on the night (both 3-point attempts).

Scuffling UNLV basketball facing tough test at Boise State

Is the season slipping away from UNLV?

Kevin Kruger’s squad has lost two in a row and now sits in seventh place in the Mountain West standings (16-10 overall, 5-9 MWC), but the team remains talented and dangerous — if they can figure things out over the final four games.

That effort will have to start on Sunday, when the Scarlet and Gray head to Boise State for one of the toughest games on the schedule (6 p.m., FS1).

Three keys to watch:

One tough potato

Boise State has already won 20 games (10-3 MWC) and appears set for another trip to the NCAA Tournament, and the Broncos are doing it on the strength of their defense.

By any measure it’s an elite unit. Boise ranks No. 10 in KenPom’s adjusted defense metric, and they are No. 12 in points per possession allowed (0.907). It grades out as the best defense in the conference, even ahead of San Diego State.

UNLV has struggled to score consistently since the start of league play, with no true No. 2 scorer to support E.J. Harkless. Kruger pointed to confidence as a vital component that the Scarlet and Gray are lacking on the offensive end.

UNLV is going to have to make shots early — always a difficult prospect on the road — or Boise could seize momentum and really clamp down.

“We just want to go up there and fight, compete, and put ourselves in a chance to win at the end of the game,” Kruger said.

Injury concerns

Even at full strength, UNLV would have a really hard time matching up with Boise State on the road. As it stands, that task may be even more difficult on Sunday, as the Scarlet and Gray could be without two key rotation players in Luis Rodriguez and Eli Parquet.

Rodriguez and Parquet are UNLV’s best wing defenders, but the two seniors sat out Thursday’s practice due to injury. Rodriguez has missed the last two games, but Parquet was a surprise absence.

Kruger did not disclose the nature of Parquet’s injury or the status of either player for Sunday.

If one or both can’t go, look for increased minutes for sophomore wing Shane Nowell and freshman forward Keyshawn Hall. It wouldn’t be an ideal situation; Nowell and Hall have only received spot minutes to this point in the season, so Boise State would probably salivate at the thought of attacking two inexperienced ballhandlers.

Harkless stays hot

UNLV’s best chance to win, as alluded to by Kruger, will probably be keeping the score close and letting E.J. Harkless take over down the stretch. And given the way he’s played of late, Harkless may be capable of doing it.

Harkless has been on fire over the last seven games, pouring in 23.7 points per game while shooting 47.9% from the field. He has topped 20 points on four occasions during that stretch, including a 33-point performance in UNLV’s win at Wyoming on Feb. 8.

Boise State presents a steep challenge, however. In the first meeting between the teams (an 84-66 win for the Broncos on Jan. 11), Harkless was held to 12 points on 5-of-18 shooting, including 0-of-4 from 3-point range. It was one of Harkless’s least efficient outings of the year.

Boise coach Leon Rice will likely turn to senior guard Marcus Shaver, his best defender, as the primary matchup on Harkless. It should be a marquee 1-on-1 battle between two All-MWC caliber guards.

Who: UNLV (16-10, 5-9 MWC) vs. Boise State (20-6, 10-3 MWC)

When: Sunday, 6 p.m. at ExtraMile Arena

TV: FS1

UNLV leaders

Scoring: E.J. Harkless — 18.3 points

Rebounding: Luis Rodriguez — 5.5 rebounds

Assists: Keshon Gilbert — 3.5 assists

Boise State leaders

Scoring: Tyson Degenhart — 14.6 points

Rebounding: Marcus Shaver — 6.1 rebounds

Assists: Marcus Shaver — 4.0 assists

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