Kruger’s bench gets thinner as Cherry exits loss versus Mississippi State

A brutal non-conference schedule has taken its toll on the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels.

The program lost another key piece to its lineup in a, 80-58, loss to the No. 25 Mississippi State Bulldogs. It was the first-ever meeting between the two schools as part of the Arizona Tip-off from the campus of Arizona State.

UNLV’s three-game win streak is now over as the team falls to 4-2. It also missed another chance to add a resume-building win to its ledger. Both losses this season have come against Memphis and Mississippi State while the wins have been stacked against Alabama State, Omaha, Pepperdine and New Mexico State.

While the winning Bulldogs will move on for a date with the Butler Bulldogs, the Rebels will now turn to the Northwestern Wildcats to close the quick regular season tournament in the desert. That game is scheduled for 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 29 from Mullett Arena.

UNLV led for just over three minutes of the eventual loss. It all came in the first three and a half minutes of the ball game. The team connected on each of its first four field goal attempts as it took an 8-2 lead over its SEC opponent.

During the under-16 timeout in the first half, referees reviewed a made two-point field goal for Mississippi State that would later be ruled a three. That change gave the Bulldogs the lead, one that they wouldn’t lose again.

Not long after the Rebels would go without a point for more than three minutes as their opponent built on its lead. Mississippi State would lead by as many as 19 points in the first half and 28 points in total on the heels of another scoreless drought in the second half for UNLV.

The Rebs opened the second half cold from the field and would not score their first points until the 17:25-mark of the frame. They wouldn’t score their second until nearly six minutes later.

In total, UNLV made just seven field goals in the second half with three coming in the final 3:47 of regulation.

Junior forward Bear Cherry left the game in the second half with a back injury, leaving the team without a dominant paint presence. Cherry would leave the contest with eight points on 4-of-5 shooting to maintain his season shooting percentage of around 81%.

Coming into the game, the program was already without fellow big Rob Whaley and guards Jaden Henley and Jace Whiting.

With Cherry out of action, UNLV’s offense just wasn’t the same.

It would be led in scoring by first-year Rebel Jailen Bedford’s 13 points with eight coming in the second half. It was his first time leading the team in scoring as the team recorded its lowest leading scorer of the season.

Fellow starters Jalen Hill and Dedan Thomas Jr. also reached double-figures with 11 and 10 points respectively.

Leaving the gym with only eight healthy players, Kruger’s bench was outscored 48-13 in the loss.