RUNNIN’ REBELS AT FRESNO STATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON
UNLV is looking for its third straight win; 4 p.m. game will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network and ESPN Radio Las Vegas
The UNLV men’s basketball team will be looking for its third straight win on Saturday, Feb. 15 as it travels to play at Fresno State at 4 p.m. at the Save Mart Center. The game will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network and ESPN Radio Las Vegas.
The Runnin’ Rebels (13-12, 7-7) are coming off a 68-57 road win at Wyoming last Saturday afternoon, which snapped a five-game losing streak, and a 77-52 home win over Air Force on Tuesday night. The Bulldogs (5-20, 1-13) have lost seven straight games since defeating Air Force on Jan. 17, but two of those losses were in overtime and four were decided by single digits.
UNLV has two players averaging double figures in scoring: Dedan Thomas Jr. with 15.9 points per game (8th in MW) and Jaden Henley with 11.4 ppg. Jailen Bedford, Jeremiah “Bear” Cherry. Julian Rishwain and Jalen Hill are all averaging between 9.8 ppg and 7.6 ppg. Cherry leads in rebounding with 5.1 rpg and blocks with 1.4 bpg (4th in MW), while Thomas Jr. is the team’s assist leader with 4.6 apg (4th in MW) and Henley leads in steals with 1.5 spg.
UNLV is in its fourth season under head coach Kevin Kruger. He has a career record of 71-52 (.577).
ABOUT THE ROSTER: This season’s UNLV squad features six returners from last year’s team along with 10 newcomers. The newcomers are made up of four Division I transfers, a junior college transfer and five freshmen. UNLV has eight upperclassmen, including two sixth-year players. A total of six players on the roster are playing in their hometown of Las Vegas. The Runnin’ Rebels returned two starters from last year’s team in sophomore guard Dedan Thomas Jr., who was the Mountain West Co-Freshman of the Year last season and was named to this season’s preseason all-conference team, and senior forward Rob Whaley Jr. (currently injured) Forward Jalen Hill is also back for a sixth year of college after suffering a season-ending knee injury in January of 2024 (in the MW opener at San Diego State). Thomas Jr. led UNLV in scoring and assists last year with 13.6 and 5.1 per game, respectively, Whaley Jr. had averages of 7.6 ppg and 3.6 rpg, while Hill averaged 10.7 ppg and 6.1 rpg in seven contests.
LAST TIME OUT: Tuesday’s win over Air Force gave the Runnin’ Rebels the regular-season sweep over the Falcons. Five UNLV players scored in double figures, led by Bear Cherry’s 15 points on a perfect 6 of 6 from the field. Julian Rishwain scored 13 points, while Jailen Bedford, Brooklyn Hicks and Jaden Henley all had 11. After the game was tied 10-10 with 12:34 to play in the first half, UNLV pushed its lead to 14 (29-15) with 6:27 until halftime and led by 22 (44-22) at the break. UNLV shot 60.7% (17 of 28) from the field in the first half and held Air Force to just 32.1% (18 of 56) for the game.
ABOUT FRESNO STATE: The Bulldogs enter Saturday’s contest having lost seven straight, most recently at UNR on Monday night, 94-69. Fresno State’s last win was over Air Force on Jan. 17, but two of its losses during its current streak were in overtime and four were decided by single digits. Fresno State’s top scorer in points per game (Amar Augillard, 13.3 ppg) left the team in late December. Of the current players on the roster, Zaon Collins is the leading scorer with 12.6 ppg and is tops in assists with 4.6 apg (3rd in MW) and steals with 2.0 spg (2nd in MW). Elijah Price is the team’s leading rebounder at 7.8 rpg (3rd in the MW) and also leads in blocks with 1.2 bpg (5th in MW). Collins is 42nd nationally in steals per game. Fresno State has a home record this season of 4-7. The Bulldogs were predicted to finish 10th in the Mountain West this season in the preseason coaches’ poll. Fresno State had an overall record of 12-21 last season, finishing ninth in the MW with a league mark of 4-14. Fresno State has six upperclassmen on its 15-man roster. Head coach Vance Walberg is in his first year at the school and third overall as a head coach at the NCAA Division I level (2006-08 at Pepperdine). He has coached at all levels of the game, including in the NBA with the Denver Nuggets, Philadelphia 76ers and Sacramento Kings from 2012-16.
LAST TIME VS. FRESNO STATE: In UNLV’s Mountain West opener on Dec. 28, the Runnin’ Rebels defeated Fresno State, 87-77, at the Thomas & Mack Center. Dedan Thomas Jr. led four UNLV players in double figures in scoring with a game-high 21 points and six assists. Jailen Bedford added 18 points, while Jaden Henley scored 15 and Pape N’Diaye added a career-high 11. UNLV led by as many as 23 points with four minutes left in the first half (40-17) thanks to a three-plus minute, 12-0 run. The Runnin’ Rebels held a 48-30 advantage at the break, but Fresno State made it a seven-point game with 16:19 to go and eventually trailed by just four with 13 minutes left. However, UNLV used a 7-0 spurt from there and increased its lead back to 18 on a couple of occasions with less than five minutes remaining. UNLV shot 64.5% in the first half (20 of 31), including 53.8% on 3-pointers (7 of 13). The Runnin’ Rebels finished the game at 53.8% from the field (35 of 65). UNLV out-rebounded Fresno State 39-27 and allowed the Bulldogs to grab just six offensive rebounds.
BROADCAST INFO: Saturday’s game will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network with Paul Loeffler and Marc Q. Jones calling the action. The radio call will be handled by Matt Neverett and former Runnin’ Rebel Curtis Terry, which may be heard on ESPN Radio 1100 in Las Vegas and worldwide on SiriusXM 388. All streaming links and live stats are available at UNLVRebels.com and through the UNLV Rebels App.
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Runnin' Rebels At Fresno State Saturday Afternoon
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Runnin' Rebels At Fresno State Saturday Afternoon