Marvin Coleman and Jonah Antonio heated up at exactly the right time, and UNLV is heading home with a most unlikely win after outlasting Wyoming in overtime, 78-69.
Coleman opened OT with a 3-pointer from the corner, and Antonio followed seconds later to give the Rebels a 6-point lead
Wyoming trimmed the deficit to 71-68 with 1:30 to play, but Antonio stepped up by knocking in another 3 to give the Rebels a comfortable cushion. Coleman then made 4-of-6 free throws down the stretch to help ice the game.
Antonio scored 15 for the game and six in overtime; Coleman scored 14 on the night and seven in OT.
UNLV avoids a bad loss and improves to 4-1 in Mountain West play (9-9 overall). The Rebels should have a great opportunity to get to 5-1 on Wednesday when they host San Jose State at the Thomas & Mack Center.
UNLV heading to OT at Wyoming
The Rebels scored the final seven points of regulation and we are heading to overtime, tied 63-63.
Marvin Coleman hit a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to four with a minute to play, and after a pair of Wyoming misses from the free-throw line, Nick Blair got a tip-in to cut it to two.
After two more Wyoming misses from the line, Donnie Tillman was fouled in the post and made both free throws with 12.9 seconds left to knot the score.
Wyoming's Jake Hendricks missed a 3 in the closing seconds, and Amauri Hardy's halfcourt heave came up empty.
After playing 40 minutes of rough offensive basketball, UNLV only needs a handful of good possessions in OT to steal a win it probably doesn't deserve.
Rebels trail at Wyoming late, 59-55
UNLV took the lead on a Nick Blair floater, but Wyoming has responded by scoring the next six points to regain a 59-55 advantage with 3:35 remaining.
The Rebels had a chance to cut into the lead when Mbacke Diong came up with a steal and had an uncontested breakaway, but the junior center tried to go for an unnecessary windmill dunk and hit the front of the rim. Luckily, UNLV got the rebound and Diong ended up getting fouled later in the possession. He'll shoot two free throws after the timeout, and if he doesn't make both, that botched dunk could turn out to be a pivotal play.
Rebels trail Wyoming in second half
T.J. Otzelberger was forced to call timeout after a Wyoming layup increased the Cowboys' lead to 43-37 with 11:49 left in the second half.
UNLV started the second half hot, as Amauri Hardy scored seven straight points to give the Rebels a 29-27 lead, but offense has been hard to come by since then. Wyoming has gone back to its zone defense and UNLV simply cannot create open looks.
On the other end of the court, Wyoming has made 3-of-7 from 3-point range since halftime. Jake Hendricks has been the main threat, with 15 points on 5-of-12 shooting from beyond the arc.
UNLV trails Wyoming at half, 27-22
After an extremely ugly half of basketball, Wyoming has a 27-22 lead over visiting UNLV.
The Rebels were bad, bad, bad on offense through the first 20 minutes. Wyoming played the entire half in their customary zone defense, and UNLV responded by passing up open shots, driving into traffic and committing turnovers at a high rate. For the half, UNLV made 5-of-23 from the field and 3-of-13 from beyond the arc; the Rebels committed six turnovers.
The lone bright spot was sophomore Bryce Hamilton. Late in the half, T.J. Otzelberger made an adjustment by putting Hamilton in the high post, and he responded with a couple nice drives and a few trips to the free-throw line. Hamilton leads UNLV with 12 points on 3-of-7 shoooting.
UNLV has managed to stay in the game by defending well at the other end, holding Wyoming to 6-of-21 from the field.
Offensive rebounding could be a factor in the second half; the Rebels have grabbed five offensive boards so far, but they've resulted in only two second-chance points. If those numbers even out and UNLV keeps hitting the glass, it could help them produce just enough offense to win.
UNLV, Wyoming locked in low-scoring battle
UNLV is struggling mightily to create shots against Wyoming's zone defense, and with 7:36 left in the first half the Rebels trail, 14-11.
Jonah Antonio and Bryce Hamilton have each made a 3-pointer, and those account for UNLV's only made field goals. For the game, the Rebels are 2-of-14 as a team, with five turnovers.
Wyoming hasn't been much better, making 4-of-12 from the field.
We expected a low-scoring battle today, and so far it looks like both teams are delivering.
Otzelberger sticking with hot lineup at Wyoming
T.J. Otzelberger is sticking with the same starting lineup he has used for the last two games: Amauri Hardy and Marvin Coleman in the backcourt, Jonah Antonio and Nick Blair on the wings and Mbacke Diong in the middle.
That five-man combination has produced great results so far this season. In the 26 minutes they've shared the court together, they have outscored the opposition, 56-32. Over the last two games, they've played 16 minutes and outscored the opposition by 16.
With those kind of numbers, it makes sense for Otzelberger to ride the hot lineup and try to get off to a good start today at Wyoming.
Previewing UNLV basketball at Wyoming with reader questions
Coming off a disappointing missed opportunity at Boise State on Wednesday, the Runnin' Rebels are right back on the road today as they'll try to notch a win at Wyoming.
Let's get ready for the game by answering some reader questions:
Are you surprised that the defense for UNLV seems to be really good and the offense struggles a bit? I think with the T.J. hire we thought there be more motion in offense and quicker shots into the shot clock. Any surprises here for you? I do think T.J. is doing good with the talent he has.
@MikeGrimala
I have been surprised by how the team's identity has changed. Throughout the offseason, it seemed like all the talk was about T.J. Otzelberger's offense, but once he realized the Rebels didn't quite possess the overall skill level to pull off it, he shifted gears and has gotten the team to buy into a defense-first mentality. That's not easy to do, especially with a roster full of players who were expecting to run-and-gun all year. Regardless of the hot start to conference play or where UNLV ends up finishing, you've got to give Otzelberger credit for being flexible and adjusting on the fly.
What penalty should be given to anyone in the Las Vegas media market who doesn't use "UNR" when referring to the other in-state university? (Seriously, they should be removed from whatever platform they are on.)
@MikeGrimala
As a non-native Nevadan with no stake in the fight, I simply follow the Las Vegas Sun's internal style by referring to "UNR." I wouldn't denigrate any other outlet for calling it Nevada or UNR or whatever. I know this ticks off Reno-area media every year, but it's a non-issue to me. That being said, I do enjoy a good media feud, so I give the fans my blessing to torch writers for their usage of "UNR/Nevada."
How was the ice-cream sundae baked potato?? Also, will we win Saturday?
@MikeGrimala
There's a diner in Boise that makes an ice-cream sundae presented to look like a baked potato, and once you get past the sight of it, it's actually pretty good (if you like vanilla ice cream as much as I do). As for UNLV's chances today at Wyoming, I've got to think they'll be able to take care of the Cowboys, who look especially bad this year (5-12, 0-5 Mountain West). It's not often that conference road games are gimmes, but this one is. The Rebels have to take advantage.
Talk to me about why the staff isn't interested in pursuing 4- or 5-star recruits? I know the ratings are somewhat arbitrary but let's go.
@MikeGrimala
It's not that the staff doesn't want to go after talented players — their top target in 2021 is 4-star Bishop Gorman guard Zaon Collins and their headline commit in 2020 is top-100 guard Nick Blake — but I think they're limiting themselves to the players they think they have a chance of getting. If Otzelberger can turn UNLV into a winning program with yearly NCAA Tournament runs, you'll see higher-ranked recruits wanting to join the train and the staff will recruit them vigorously. For now, the coaches seem to be focusing on gettable players with upside who fit the system.
What are you more optimistic about, the future of men's basketball or football?
@MikeGrimala
At UNLV, the answer to this question is always going to be men's basketball. It's just a hoops town. The fan base is deeper and the Runnin' Rebels program still has some national cachet; football is way behind in that regard.
And it's just easier to turn around a basketball program. It only takes one good coach and one good recruiting class — maybe even just one or two players — to turn a bottom dweller into a March Madness qualifier. T.J. Otzelberger could realistically have the Rebels in the tourney next year. Football, however, requires a bunch of good coaches on the staff and at least 30 or 40 good players spread over multiple recruiting classes. It's a longer process, and given the football program's inherent disadvantages — fewer fans, bad facilities (until now), thin recruiting base, etc. — it's more likely the basketball program returns to glory before the football team starts winning double-digit games.
Crystal ball: Who's staying/going for the 2020-21 season with all the signees and lack of schollies to offer?
@MikeGrimala
UNLV currently has seven recruits coming in the Class of 2020 and only three seniors set to graduate, so obviously there is some math that needs to be done to make the 2020-21 roster work.
Elijah Mitrou-Long, Vitaliy Shibel and Nick Blair will graduate, giving UNLV three open scholarships. Donnie Tillman declaring for the NBA would open up a fourth; that means the Rebels will need three players to transfer, either by choice or by force, in order to accommodate the incoming recruits.
I'm not going to speculate here as to which players are going to get swept out the door, but I will say that a month ago, Marvin Coleman would have been on that list. But the sophomore has been a revelation since taking over for the injured Mitrou-Long, and no matter how the math works out in the offseason, I expect Coleman to have a secure spot waiting for him.
Where does prime rib fall within your cut of meat rankings?
@MikeGrimala
I've never had prime rib, so I'm not qualified to answer that question. But in other meat-related news, I had barbecue ribs on Friday and I enjoyed it. I've now had ribs a handful of times since trying it for the first time (in Memphis, when I traveled to cover UNLV football at Arkansas State) and I can now say it's part of my food repertoire. For a picky eater like me, that's a big deal.
Anyway, here's my meat rankings:
1. Hamburger
2. Polish loaf
3. Chicken
4. Steak
5. Turkey
6. Ribs
7. Pork
Should we concerned that Coach Arroyo has hired 8 position coaches & has a limited budget left to hire the 2 most important coaches, the Offensive & defensive coordinators?
@MikeGrimala
I actually don't think the offensive coordinator is that important. Marcus Arroyo is going to design the plays, write the playbook, install the game plans and call the plays on game day, so the offensive coordinator will be there to facilitate Arroyo.
The defensive coordinator, however, is definitely going to be a vital cog in the coaching staff. If the Rebels are going to spend anywhere, it should be at that spot. I believe Desiree Reed-Francois when she says there is going to be money available to pay the assistants the going rate for the top of the Mountain West conference. If I were a fan, I wouldn't freak out or worry about the hire until after we find out who the DC is going to be.
Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.
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