Live coverage: UNLV loses OT heartbreaker to Colorado State

UNLV players will see Isaiah Stevens in their nightmares after this.

Stevens hit two 3-pointers in the final 20 seconds to erase a four-point Scarlet and Gray lead — including a go-ahead dagger with four seconds left — to lead Colorado State to an unbelievable 82-81 win at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Stevens finished with 33 points on 12-of-22 shooting, including 8-of-16 from 3-point range.

E.J. Harkless tallied 33 for UNLV and had a chance to make a miracle shot of his own, but his halfcourt heave at the buzzer glanced off the rim to end the game.

UNLV is now 12-5 overall and 1-4 in Mountain West play. They'll hit the road next week for consecutive games at Utah State (Tuesday) and at Fresno State (Saturday). 

UNLV, CSU going to overtime on miracle shot

Incredibly, this game is heading to overtime.

Isaiah Stevens just banked in a two-handed, overhead 3-pointer from the logo to beat the buzzer and tie this game, 70-70.

UNLV has to be stunned. The Scarlet and Gray did everything right down the stretch, including going 4-of-4 from the free throw line in the final minute, but Stevens hit two 3-pointers in the last 10 seconds to make up the ground.

Stevens heads into OT with 27 points, while E.J. Harkless has 25 for UNLV.

UNLV trails Colorado State, 62-58

Kevin Kruger said yesterday that UNLV has to get back to winning loose balls and ricochets on defense. They didn't on Colorado State's last possession, and the ball eventually ended up in Isaiah Stevens' hands at the top of the arc.

The senior calmly drained a 3-pointer, and now CSU has a 62-58 lead with 3:51 remaining.

UNLV will have possession after the timeout.

Stevens is up to 21 points on the night on 4-of-9 shooting from long distance.

Look for UNLV to call plays for E.J. Harkless down the stretch; he's got 14 points in the second half and 21 total.

Harkless heating up, UNLV leads CSU 49-46

E.J. Harkless is trying to take over, and with 11:51 remaining he has given UNLV a 49-46 lead.

After notching seven points in the first half on 3-of-8 shooting, the senior guard has already tallied 10 since halftime while connecting on 4-of-5 attempts. He just trailed the ball in transition and swished a 3-pointer, punctuating an 8-2 mini-run for the Scarlet and Gray.

Isaiah Stevens is trying to counter for Colorado State, as he's got 15 points on the night.

This game might be decided by which closer does the best job down the stretch.

UNLV trails Colorado State at half

It was an uphill battle for UNLV over the first 20 minutes, but they're somehow hanging around, trailing Colorado State 35-34 at the break.

UNLV struggled offensively, managing to make just 35.5% from the field and 5-of-14 from 3-point range. At one point, the Scarlet and Gray missed 10 of 11 attempts. Jordan McCabe bailed them out with a couple of long 3's, and Justin Webster added another long-range bomb just before the halftime buzzer to close the gap.

Keshon Gilbert has just two points on 1-of-4 shooting. E.J. Harkless has scored seven on 3-of-8 from the field. Webster is leading the way for UNLV with eight points.

At the other end, UNLV has struggled to contain shooters for the second straight game. Colorado State has made 6-of-12 from 3-point range and is shooting 56.5% overall, led by Isaiah Stevens' 10 points.

Kevin Kruger has 20 minutes to straight it out, or UNLV could fall to 1-4 in Mountain West play. That would put the Scarlet and Gray in 10th place — or even last place, pending the result of Wyoming vs. Boise State later tonight.

UNLV goes cold as Colorado State pulls ahead

So much for the hot start. UNLV just went through a stretch where it missed 10 of 11 shots from the field, allowing Colorado State to pull ahead, 24-19, with seven minutes left in the first half.

Victor Iwuakor ended the drought with a turnaround jumper in the lane, but UNLV has to get the rest of its offense on track. Keshon Gibert and E.J. Harkless have just two points apiece; the Scarlet and Gray are shooting 30.0% (6-of-20) and 2-of-8 from 3-point range.

Isaiah Stevens is leading CSU with six points. The Rams are still at 57.1% from the floor.

UNLV basketball starts hot vs. Colorado State

UNLV is responding to Saturday's loss in the right way, jumping out to an 11-4 lead over Colorado State less than five minutes into tonight's contest.

E.J. Harkless got things going with a short jumper, and Luis Rodriguez converted an and-1 in the paint. Then Justin Webster and Rodriguez stroked back to back 3-pointers.

Kevin Kruger said he wanted his team to play with more intensity at the beginning of games and halves, and so far tonight he's getting it.

UNLV basketball rallying around defense against Colorado State

It’s been a rocky start to Mountain West play for the Scarlet and Gray, as they’ve lost three of four against league opponents — including a defensive collapse in an 84-66 loss to Boise State on Wednesday.

Can UNLV bounce back Saturday, when Colorado State visits the Thomas & Mack Center? Three keys to watch:

Kruger staying the course on defense

UNLV has built a top-50 defense this season, and Kevin Kruger’s pressure-based system has the Scarlet and Gray ranked No. 2 in the nation in forcing turnovers. But Boise State had little problem using dribble-penetration and ball movement to generate open shots every time down the court.

After practice on Friday, Kruger said UNLV’s defensive strategy is still sound, and he doesn’t expect to tweak the gameplan.

What he wants to see is better execution.

“That was one of two, maybe three games where our offense was good enough to win the game and it was our defense that hurt us,” Kruger said. “We haven’t said that very much this year. So, I don’t think we change a whole lot. I think we go back to what we’ve been working on the last few days, getting that swagger, getting that edge back.”

Boise State was the first team to pick apart the UNLV defense, but other Mountain West squads are sure to study that tape and employ similar tactics.

Kruger said the players have to dig deeper now that they’re not taking opponents by surprise.

“We’ve got to understand, the guys have done an unbelievable job becoming an elite defensive team, and when you do that, teams are going to come in prepared,” Kruger said.

50/50 proposition

UNLV only forced 15 turnovers against Boise State, which was well below the team’s average of 19.6 per game. Kruger thought that number could have been higher if the Scarlet and Gray had been quicker to loose balls.

On several possessions they were able to get a deflection or force Boise State to mishandle the ball, but too often the Broncos were able to regain control and eventually score.

Kruger wants his players to go full-bore when they smell an opportunity to take the ball away.

“When we were the aggressor, when we were more physical, most of those 50/50 balls, most of those loose balls guys were diving for, we ended up with them,” Kruger said. “We had two plays in a two-minute stretch where it went fumble-fumble-fumble-layup Boise. We haven’t dealt with that a lot. It comes back to getting back to our DNA, which is flying around and guarding.”

Dick Calvert night

For more than 50 years, Dick Calvert was the voice of UNLV basketball, providing PA announcements for some of the most memorable moments in program history. He retired prior to this season, and on Saturday he’ll be recognized for those decades of service.

UNLV will hold a halftime ceremony in Calvert’s honor and commemorate his career by raising a banner to the rafters.

“If you’re going to sit around and talk Runnin’ Rebel hoops, the voice for 52 years, that’s pretty historic,” Kruger said. “Extremely excited, proud, happy for him and his family that he’s going to get some well-deserved attention.”

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