The Rebels came close to notching their first quality win under T.J. Otzelberger, but offensive struggles doomed the Rebels late in a 60-56 overtime loss to Kansas State.
Xavier Sneed hit a mid-range jumper from the baseline to give Kansas State a 56-54 lead with 28 seconds left in OT, and Amauri Hardy's drive was denied on the other end. Kansas State then sealed the game from the free-throw line in the final seconds.
UNLV ended up shooting just 34.527 percent from the field for the game, and if it wasn't for an outstanding individual effort from Hardy (27 points, 11-of-23 FGs), the Rebels never would have been in position to steal the game.
The loss drops UNLV to 1-1 on the season. The Rebels have a big week ahead, as they prepare to travel for road games at Cal (Tuesday) and UCLA (Friday).
UNLV and Kansas State heading to overtime
UNLV had a chance to win on the final possession of regulation, but Amauri Hardy missed a jump shot and this game is heading to overtime, tied 48-48.
T.J. Otzelberger put the ball in Hardy's hands on the final play and let him create, but the junior was unable to find any space to operate. Hardy has 23 points on the day.
Interestingly, junior sharpshooter Jonah Antonio did not play in the final eight minutes, including the last possession. Otzelberger may not like the way Antonio matches up with Kansas State on the defensive end, because the Rebels could certainly use his outside shooting to loosen up the K-State defense in OT.
UNLV, Kansas State tied in defensive battle
This has been a defensive game since the opening tip, but both teams have really tightened up on their own end in the second half, and with 7:41 to play we've got a 35-35 tie.
UNLV has made just 4-of-13 from the field in the second half (30.8 percent), and each team has turned it over eight times since the start of the period.
Amauri Hardy remains UNLV's best offensive threat, as he's got a game-high 18 points. Nick Blair will head to the free-throw line for a 1-and-1 after the timeout.
UNLV leads Kansas State at halftime, 23-16
Amauri Hardy closed the first half as strong as he started it, and UNLV leads 23-16 at halftime.
The junior guard swished a long 3 in the with a minute to play to extend the Rebels' lead to 21-16, and he now has a game-high 15 points at the break. Hardy has connected on 6-of-10 from the field.
Defensively, UNLV has put together another impressive showing, holding Kansas State to 27.6 percent from the field and 0-of-10 from 3-point range.
Hot start for Hardy and Rebels against Kansas State
Amauri Hardy is carrying UNLV in the first half, and with 7:50 left before the break the Rebels have a 16-12 lead over Kansas State.
Kansas State took an early 4-0 lead, but Hardy scored the game's next 10 points to put UNLV on top. The Rebels have struggled a bit with turnovers since then, but their intensity on the defensive end has kept K-State in check. The Wildcats have made just 6-of-17 field goals.
Hardy has 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting, including 2-of-2 from 3-point range.
Competition stiffens as UNLV takes on Big 12's Kansas State
UNLV did what it was supposed to do on opening night, overwhelming Purdue Fort Wayne in an 86-71 victory on Tuesday. Now if the Rebels want to improve to 2-0, they'll have to take down a tougher opponent in Kansas State (1-0).
Three keys for UNLV:
Big production
UNLV's offense is perimeter-based under T.J. Otzelberger, but the team got big production out of junior center Mbacke Diong against Purdue Fort Wayne's undersized frontcourt. He probably won't post 17 points, 17 rebounds and four blocks against the much sturdier Kansas State duo of forward Makol Mawien (6-foot-9, 245 pounds) and Montavious Murphy (6-foot-9, 215 pounds), but if he can chip in somewhere around double figures, that would be a big boost for UNLV.
Spread out shooting
Just like in the exhibition game, the Rebels' only dangerous shooter in the opener was junior guard Jonah Antonio. He made 5-of-9 from 3-point range while the rest of the team shot 2-of-10. That can work against West Coast Baptist College and Purdue Fort Wayne, but a similarly tepid showing will cost UNLV when the schedule gets tougher — like against Kansas State. Someone besides Antonio has to hit shots Saturday.
Offensive execution
Most observers think this is going to be a rebuilding year for Kansas State, but the team's defense was stifling in the Wildcats' first game, as they strangled North Dakota State, 67-54. This looks like it's going to be a good early test for Otzelberger's offense. Can the Rebels execute? Namely, can lead guards Amauri Hardy and Elijah Mitrou-Long continue running the offense and finding the open man? Otzelberger praised both players after the opener, when they combined for 12 assists and four turnovers; it will take an even better game from that duo in order to crack the K-State defense.
TV: ESPN3
Radio: ESPN1100 AM
Betting line: Kansas State minus-4.5
Kansas State (1-0)
Coach: Bruce Weber
Scoring leader: Cartier Diarra, 23.0 points per game
Rebounding leader: Makol Mawien, 10.0 rebounds per game
Assist leader: Cartier Diarra, 6.0 assists per game
UNLV (1-0)
Coach: T.J. Otzelberger
Scoring leader: Jonah Antonio & Mbacke Diong, 17.0 points per game
Rebounding leader: Mbacke Diong, 17.0 rebounds per game
Assist leader: Amauri Hardy & Elijah Mitrou-Long, 6.0 assists per game