Game day: UNLV basketball falls to Florida State, 83-75

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Published Monday, Nov. 20, 2023 | 2 a.m.

Updated Monday, Nov. 20, 2023 | 4:26 p.m.

UNLV is headed to the runner-up bracket of the Sunshine Slam after falling to Florida State, 83-75 on Monday.

Kevin Kruger's squad started slow, fell behind by double digits in the opening minutes and spent the rest of the afternoon trying to make up ground. They came close on a few occasions, trimming the deficit to five points late in the second half, but Florida State managed to come up with a key bucket whenever the pressure was really on.

The Seminoles shot 62.7% for the game, led by Jamir Watkins's 19 points.

Five UNLV players finished in double figures, paced by Kalib Boone's 15 points. Defense was the main issue for the Scarlet and Gray, as they allowed Florida State to make more than 60% from the field in each half.

UNLV drops to 2-2 on the season and will face the loser of the Richmond-Colorado game on Tuesday afternoon.

Florida State leads UNLV late, 77-65

UNLV just can't seem to get over the hump in this one.

Every time the Scarlet and Gray get with five or six, Florida State converts at the other end, like the 6-0 run the Seminoles just used to extend their lead to 77-65 with 3:18 remaining.

It's been a frustrating afternoon for UNLV which can't get any closer despite shooting 59.1% from the field and 66.7% in the second half. One issue has been free-throw shooting, as Kevin Kruger's squad is just 11-of-20; another issue has been outside shooting (2-of-8 from 3-point range).

The biggest hindrance has been at the defensive end, however. Florida State is shooting 63.3% on the day, and it feels like the Noles have upped that to 100% whenever UNLV creeps within striking distance.

UNLV trims Florida State lead to 57-52

The Scarlet and Gray are on the comeback trail, using a 6-0 run to trim Florida State's lead to 57-52 with 12:26 remaining.

Jackie Johnson got the run started by driving and banking in a scoop shot. Jalen Hill then stole the inbound pass and made a layup; that bucket got the entire UNLV bench on their feet, coaches included.

UNLV got a defensive stop at the other end, and Kalib Boone threw down a two-handed dunk, forcing Florida State to call timeout.

UNLV is shooting 70.0% in the second half (7-of-10). Interior buckets have been particularly easy to come by. The question is, can the Scarlet and Gray defend well enough over the final 12 minutes to come all the way back?

UNLV trails Florida State at half, 42-35

UNLV came so very close to finishing the half on a 7-0 run, but Florida State guard Jamir Watkins banked in a long 3-pointer at the buzzer to extend the Seminoles' lead to 42-35 at the break.

UNLV fell behind by double digits in the opening minutes and spent the rest of the half trying to climb out of the hole. The biggest issue was Florida State's full-court pressure defense, which Kevin Kruger seemed to solve by playing more ballhandlers together.

Then Kruger played more double-big lineups, with Kalib Boone and Isaiah Cottrell sharing the floor. Boone took advantage, scoring a team-high eight points in the half, while Cottrell converted a nice 3-point play during the comeback.

Florida State has made 5-of-9 from 3-point range, led by Darin Greene, who has a game-high 12 points while making 2-of-4 from deep.

UNLV ended up scoring 26 points in the paint in the half and shooting 55.6% as a team. If they can sustain that production while getting some stops at the other end, they can make the next 20 minutes very interesting.

Florida State jumps on UNLV early

Florida State has come out swinging, putting UNLV in a 19-10 hole with 11:50 left in the first half.

The Seminoles have used their length to hassle UNLV the length of the court, using a press defense to force three turnovers in the backcourt already. Two led directly to layups.

The only bright spot for the Scarlet and Gray has been Jackie Johnson. He just checked in and hit his first two shots, driving into the lane for short floaters. Without his instant offense, UNLV's deficit would be even greater.

Let's see if Kevin Kruger decides to play Johnson alongside D.J. Thomas to give the team a little added ball-handling against FSU's press.

UNLV meets Florida State in Sunshine Slam

UNLV recorded its first road win on Friday, and now Kevin Kruger and his crew are heading to the Sunshine State for a pair of neutral-site contests that should tell us a lot about this team.

The four-team Sunshine Slam tips off Monday, with UNLV facing off against Florida State (2:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network) in a key non-conference matchup for the Scarlet and Gray.

Three keys to watch:

Protect the ball

Turnovers were a big problem in UNLV’s season-opening loss to Southern University, and many of those 13 giveaways were unforced.

With Kruger stressing ball security, UNLV has slashed its turnovers over the past two games, committing just 15 in the last 80 minutes of action. Freshman point guard D.J. Thomas has been the biggest factor, dishing out 14 assists with zero turnovers during that span.

Look for UNLV to put the ball in Thomas’s hands against Florida State as he continues to assume more control of the offense.

Big man tandem

Kruger is still tinkering with the rotation in these early games, and so far he appears to like the combined production he’s getting from the center position.

Junior Isaiah Cottrell has started all three games so far, with senior Kalib Boone subbing in (after serving a one-game suspension against Southern). Their skill sets are complementary; Cottrell is an outside shooter, making 4-of-10 from 3-point range, while Boone is a post threat, averaging 14.0 points on 72.2% shooting.

Boone has played more minutes than Cottrell in each of the past two games; we’ll have to see if Kruger promotes him to the starting lineup against Florida State, or if he prefers Cottrell’s floor-stretching talents among the starting five.

Win one

If the Scarlet and Gray want to climb the rankings, it would behoove them to beat Florida State. Though the Seminoles are a modest 83^rd in the KenPom ratings, a victory on Monday would likely earn UNLV a shot at Colorado on Tuesday, and that’s the real prize of the Sunshine Slam.

Colorado is ranked 23^rd, which would give UNLV the kind of strength-of-schedule boost that it needs after the loss to Southern. The Scarlet and Gray enter Monday's game at No. 93 in KenPom. 

What: UNLV (2-1) vs. Florida State (2-1)

When: Monday, 2:30 p.m.

Where: Ocean Center (Daytona Beach, Fla.)

TV: CBS Sports Network

UNLV leaders

Scoring

Jalen Hill/Luis Rodriguez: 13.3 points

Assists

D.J. Thomas: 6.3 assists

Rebounds

Jalen Hill: 8.7 rebounds

Florida State leaders

Scoring

Cameron Corhen/Darin Green: 12.7 points

Assists

Jamir Watkins: 3.3 assists

Rebounds

Cameron Corhen: 5.0 rebounds

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