UNLV defeated the Nevada Wolf Pack 68-55, splitting the regular-season series and snapping the three-game losing streak against Nevada.
Jaden Henley led the Runnin’ Rebels in scoring with a career-high 23 points and eight rebounds on the night. Henley was also perfect from the free-throw line, shooting 5 of 5.
In the absence of Dedan “DJ” Thomas Jr., Henley is the team’s main ball handler. Henley put the ball handling on full display in the three-game absence of Thomas.
In the early stage of the first half, Henley took the ball as the shot clock was winding down. The guard moved around before going behind the back and driving to the basket for the two-hand dunk that erupted the Thomas and Mack Center.
The Wolf Pack had no answer for the guard. Henley shot 57% from the field and made all five of his free-throw attempts.
UNLV had four of its five starters in double-digit scoring. Jalen Hill, Jeremiah “Bear” Cherry, Julian Rishwain and Henley scored in double figures, propelling UNLV to the 13-point victory.
The Runnin’ Rebels are still without their star point guard, Thomas, who is still ruled out due to a shoulder injury and has no known return date.
In the absence of Thomas, UNLV is 2-1, and sophomore guard Brooklyn Hicks has been inserted into the starting lineup.
The Runnin’ Rebels have struggled recently in free-throw shooting. UNLV went 7 of 17 in their outing against Colorado State but shot 20 of 21 from the line in the win against Nevada, finding their stride.
The Rebels made their presence felt by rebounding. UNLV outrebounded the Wolf Pack commandingly, 48-27 and scored 19 points on second-chance efforts.
Amid all the excitement inside the Thomas and Mack Center, head coach Kevin Kruger picked up his first-ever technical foul in his four-year tenure as a head coach.
“I think I startled him. He said I was too far on the floor,” Kruger said jokingly postgame.
“I wish I could tell you some story about how I really got my two cents in and made him feel terrible, but hey, if that’s what it takes to get the guys going to win, I’ll take that trade.”
Henley records back-to-back game-high performances after scoring 22 points in UNLV’s last matchup against San Jose State and a 23-point performance against Nevada.
“It’s fun,” Henley said postgame. “I love Las Vegas, and I’m here for the rivalry.”
Kobe Sanders scored 30 points for Nevada, the team’s leading scorer on the night. UNLV held Nick Davidson to only four points and Xavier DuSell to three points.
With the win, UNLV improves to 65-36 all-time against the Wolf Pack and 36-14 at home. The Runnin’ Rebels improve to 16-13 overall and 10-8 in Mountain West Conference play.
“Could not be more proud of this group,” Kruger said postgame. “The way they continue to fight and figure things out, and obviously, we’re in a pretty good rhythm now.”
This second-round matchup between Nevada and UNLV impacted positioning in the Mountain West Conference standings.
The team currently sits firmly in sixth place in the Mountain West with two regular-season games left, a home game second matchup with San Diego State, and one final road trip to The Pit to take on New Mexico.
UNLV hosts San Diego State on Tuesday inside the Thomas and Mack Center. Before the game, UNLV will recognize its seniors. Tipoff is set for 10:00 PM ET and will be broadcast live on CBSSN.
