The Utah State Aggies held on to defeat UNLV 76-71 on Wednesday night despite the multiple runs from the Runnin’ Rebels in the second half.
Deyton Albury’s 16 points and Drake Allen’s 15 points off the bench propelled the Aggies’ offense to the win in Logan, Utah.
The first-half deficit the Aggies forced was too much for UNLV to overcome as Utah State head coach Jerrod Calhoun put the Aggies into a zone defense that threw off the UNLV offense.
A central point of emphasis was how UNLV struggled to defend one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the conference. Halfway through the first, the Aggies knocked down six 3-point shots, taking a commanding 22-7 lead.
Late in the first half, the UNLV offense started to get going, and as he’s done all season, Dedan “DJ” Thomas Jr. sparked the offense. Jaden Henley found Thomas, who connected from 3-point range.
UNLV ended the first half on a 10-6 run to trail by nine going into halftime. The Runnin’ Rebels held Utah State senior Ian Martinez to five points in the first half, limiting the Aggie offense.
Utah State’s bench outscored the UNLV bench 19-0 in the first half. The bench outscored the starters for the Aggies, giving them the production to hold the lead.
The second half started physically, but the UNLV offense started getting into their stride, playing the ball into the interior of big man Jeremiah “Bear” Cherry.
Cherry was so physical inside the paint that, at one point, his jersey was ripped, forcing the forward to wear the No. 44 jersey instead for the remainder of the game.
This style of play pushed them to a 7-2 run to open the second half, bringing them within four points.
However, the Aggies, sparked by Allen, scored the following eight points, pushing their lead back to 43-34.
Despite this, UNLV stayed in this game, and the Runnin’ Rebels forced turnovers as the Aggies took some tough shots.
The Rebels emphasized this point as the team went on a 9-0 run around the six-minute mark to tie the game 56-56, capped off by a Jalen Hill finish under the rim followed by the free-throw shot.
Despite tying, UNLV never took the lead. Utah State capped off the game by shooting free throws, solidifying the 76-71 win.
Thomas was the highlight of the UNLV offense. The sophomore guard scored 22 points, which gave UNLV the spark it needed at crucial moments throughout the game.
Henley and Hill scored 16 points each to support the offense. Aside from the starting lineup, the Runnin’ Rebels didn’t get much production from the bench.
The loss marks the third consecutive defeat for UNLV as the team hits the halfway point of conference play.
During a postgame interview, head coach Kevin Kruger mentioned that he was not one for moral victories.
“I’m not a moral victory guy; I won’t eat, I won’t sleep, I won’t feel good about it,” Kruger said. “When we watch the film, I’m going to take the positive side of the things we did well.”
UNLV found some success out of halftime against the zone. One puzzling observation is Utah State giving UNLV space at the free-throw line during transition.
Often, Henley had a 15-foot look for a mid-range jump shot but opted to pass or drive. Given Henley’s 46.9% field goal percentage, it was a head-scratcher to see the junior transfer opt of shooting.
Cherry had a solid performance that was almost nonexistent in the first matchup against the Aggies. Cherry’s seven points and rebounds may not please one reading the stat sheet, but the situation he produced was key to keeping UNLV in the game for so long.
Thomas continues to shine in the Mountain West. The sophomore guard took over during the game’s crucial moments, not letting things get out of hand in hostile territory.
Thomas, time after time, settles the UNLV offense and hits big shots. Thomas scored 22 points on 8 of 13 shooting. The sophomore entered the game, averaging 16 points per game on the season.
UNLV (11-10, 5-5 Mountain West) gears up for another road trip. The Runnin’ Rebels prepare to travel north for another edition of the Silver State Series against the Nevada Wolf Pack. Nevada will host UNLV at 10 p.m. EST Saturday at Lawlor Events Center, with the game broadcasted on CBSSN.
