UNLV MEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS: Governor’s Series Game Against UNR Set For Wednesday At 8 PM At Thomas & Mack

After closing out the toughest stretch of schedule in UNLV men’s basketball history, playing three top-15 teams plus a trip to Laramie, Wyo., in a 16-day span, the Runnin’ Rebels will get back to Mountain West play on Wednesday, Jan. 7, against intrastate rival Nevada, Reno, at 8 p.m. at the Thomas & Mack Center. 

The game is part of the Governor’s Series, presented by NV Energy, which is a head-to-head athletic and academic challenge between UNLV and UNR. The winner of the season series in men’s basketball will earn three points toward the final score. UNLV, which has won each of the first two years of the competition, trails this year’s contest 7.5-4.5.

The Runnin’ Rebels have lost two straight games: their Mountain West opener at Wyoming on New Year’s Eve (76-71) and Sunday at then-No. 13 Kansas (76-61). Prior to the conference opener last week, UNLV had won two straight games and five of six.

UNLV’s best win of the non-conference season was over then-No. 3 Arizona on Dec. 23. It was the Runnin’ Rebels’ first victory over a team ranked as high as No. 3 at the Thomas & Mack Center since 1988 when they defeated No. 3 Temple. It was also UNLV’s eighth win over a ranked team in the Dave Rice Era, including the second against a top-5 team (No. 1 North Carolina in 2011) and it snapped Arizona’s 39-game regular-season non-conference win streak. In addition, it moved UNLV’s RPI from 80 to 36. The Runnin’ Rebels currently own a RPI of 43 and have a strength of schedule of No. 9 in the country.

UNLV, which had to replace all five starters from a year ago, has used a rotation this season that includes five freshmen, one sophomore and two seniors. Freshman guard Rashad Vaughn leads the team in scoring with an average of 17.3 ppg, which also ranks first in the Mountain West. Sophomore forward Christian Wood has eight double-doubles this year, which ranks 10th in the country, and has averages of 15.4 ppg (second on the team) and team highs of 9.6 rpg (1st in MW, 22nd in the country) and 2.9 bpg (1st in MW, 16th in the country). Freshman forward Goodluck Okonoboh is second on the team in blocks with 2.9 per game (2nd in MW, 17th in the country) and second among all freshmen in the country. Senior guard Cody Doolin leads the squad and MW with 4.8 apg and has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.2, which leads the conference and is 17th nationally.

As a team, the Runnin’ Rebels are fourth in the nation in blocked shots (7.3 bpg), fourth in defensive rebounds per game (29.14) and 36th in field-goal percentage defense (38.0).

Wednesday’s game vs. UNR will be televised on CBS Sports Network with Brent Stover and Bob Wenzel calling the action. Jon Sandler and Robert Smith will handle the UNLV radio call, which may be heard live on ESPN Radio 1100 AM/100.9 FM in Las Vegas. All internet links along with live stats will be available at UNLVRebels.com.

Nevada, Reno (5-8, 1-0 Mountain West) 

at

UNLV (9-5, 0-1 Mountain West)

DATE: Wednesday, January 7, 2015
TIME: 8 p.m.
SITE: Thomas & Mack Center (18,500), Las Vegas
TV: CBS Sports Network (Brent Stover, Bob Wenzel)

RADIO: ESPN Radio 1100 AM/100.9 FM (Jon Sandler, Robert Smith)
AUDIO: UNLV Gameday App & UNLVRebels.com