Rubber match against Utah State set after UNLV eliminates Air Force

In a late shift, UNLV’s Runnin’ Rebels pulled away in order to set up a rubber match in the quarterfinals with a huge opportunity awaiting.

In a first round meeting of 6 vs. 11, UNLV booted Air Force, 68-59, Wednesday, March 12 from the Thomas & Mack Center as part of the Mountain West Championships. It counts as the fourth win in the last five outings from its home building for the Rebels.

“A good game obviously if you’re watching it as a fan,” head coach Kevin Kruger said. “Again, how proud I am of them and how appreciative I am of them for continuing to fight over these last handful of weeks no matter what comes their way.”

The win improved the UNLV overall record to 18-14 as it awaits a third meeting with Utah State in the quarterfinals. Earlier this season, the Rebels beat Utah State when it was the No. 22 team in the country inside the Thomas & Mack Center.

“We’re going to enjoy this one a little bit,” Kruger said. “At least until we leave the arena because I can’t put into words how proud I am of them. So I want to make sure they feel that from our staff and the appreciation of how they continue to fight and compete no matter what’s thrown their way.”

UNLV trailed by six with 10:46 left before an 11-0 run shifted the entire game. That 11-0 run would be stretched to 19-0 as the team took a stranglehold of the game ultimately going up by 13 points.

Air Force would go without a point for close to eight minutes in that second half.

“I think we went into [the] break and I think we just figured out we need to feed [junior forward Bear Cherry] and just get the shots that we want,” fifth-year forward Jalen Hill said. “And the second half, I think we showed that by shooting I think above 60%.”

Playing once again without sophomore star Dedan Thomas Jr. in addition to wing Julian Rishwain, Air Force threw the kitchen sink at the opposing team on the defensive end. Those defensive variations included a 1-3-1 zone, half court traps and several full court defenses.

It took UNLV more than four minutes into the game to score its first points of the contest.

“I think it definitely was different,” Cherry said. “We haven’t seen it before and definitely not having DJ and Julian and people like that. Our main ball handler, DJ, really does hurt but we prepare for it.”

Not long after, the Rebels’ defense kicked in and held their opponents without a point for more than five minutes while going on a 9-0 run. In total, it was a rough shooting night for both sides with them combining to shoot 16-for-57 from the field in the first half.

Hill played the entire game and would flirt with a triple-double. He finished the night with 18 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

“He’s just been so good over the last couple of weeks,” Kruger said. “You don’t want to play anybody 40 minutes if you don’t have to but just his versatility in terms of guarding [Air Force’s Ethan] Taylor, guarding [Air Force’s Luke] Kearney and then also on the offensive side. Being able to put pressure on the rim, rebounding it the way he does.”

Usual reserve guard Jailen Bedford was inserted into the starting lineup in place of Rishwain but would endure an eye injury that would take him away from the team for a good chunk of the first half. Upon his return, he scored 11 of his 13 points in the second 20-minute session while sporting a huge bandage over his right eye.

Bedford cashed in on back-to-back threes to begin the comeback trail.

“It was about the size of a golf ball when [referee] Amy Bonner saw it,” Kruger said. “She stopped play, even though the ball was coming down the court because she saw — I mean, it was the size of a golf ball and there was no way he could see out of it at that point.”

Cherry added 13 points of his own on a very efficient 4-for-8 from the field with five made free throws. Through three games played against the Falcons, he shot 15-for-19 from the floor.

“I think it feels good because they have trust in me,” Cherry said. “Jalen came into a meeting and was telling the whole team, like, ‘We gotta get him the ball, we gotta give him the ball.’ Yeah, it really makes me feel good and confident.”

Junior guard Jaden Henley was the final UNLV player in double-figures with 12 points after not scoring his first basket until more than 10 minutes into the game.

The aforementioned Taylor was limited to 20 points combined in the two regular season meetings against UNLV this year. He erupted for 11 quick ones in the first half on his way to 14 before halftime on his way to 23 for the game.

”He’s a great, great player,” Hill said. “I just think that what he does for their team, you can’t replicate that in practice and he had a great game. He had 20 points and he was hitting shots. So just tip my hat to him.”