RUNNIN’ REBELS BACK HOME TO HOST SAN JOSE STATE TUESDAY NIGHT
Contest set for 7 p.m.; UNLV has won four of its last six overall and two of last its last three at home
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The UNLV men’s basketball team (16-9 overall, 5-8 Mountain West) will be back at home in the Thomas & Mack Center to host San Jose State on Tuesday, Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. The Runnin’ Rebels enter the contest having won four of their last six contests overall and two of their last three at home.
PROMOTIONS: Another lucky UNLV student will win free tuition for a semester at Tuesday’s game, 500 free water bottles will be given away by Toyota, it will be Taco Tuesday on the plaza pregame with free Taco Bell for students and it will be another $2 Beer Night.
LAST TIME OUT: In their last game, which was Saturday afternoon in San Diego, the Runnin’ Rebels lost to then-No. 25/23 San Diego State 82-71. EJ Harkless led three Runnin’ Rebels in double-figure scoring with 24 points to mark his third straight game with at least 20. Keshon Gilbert had 19 and David Muoka added a season-high-tying 12.
THIS SEASON: Harkless leads the team in scoring with 18.3 ppg (2nd in MW) and is contributing 5.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game (7th in MW). Gilbert is second in scoring at 12.6 ppg with a team-leading 3.6 apg (10th in MW) and 2.0 spg (2nd in MW). Luis Rodriguez is third in scoring with 11.2 ppg, while leading the team in rebounding (5.5 rpg). He is second on the squad in steals (1.9 spg, 3rd in MW). Muoka is third on the team in rebounding (4.6 rpg) and leads the squad in blocks with 1.3 bpg (4th in MW).
This season’s Runnin’ Rebel squad features six returners and nine newcomers, including six transfers from the Division I level. The 15-man roster is made up of 10 upperclassmen.
ABOUT THE OPPONENT: San Jose State (15-10, 6-6) enters Tuesday’s game having won three of its last five games, including Saturday at home against Utah State (69-64). Omari Moore leads the Spartans in scoring this season with 17.1 ppg (5th in MW), while Alvaro Cardenas is second at 10.1 ppg. Sage Tolbert, who is averaging 8.9 ppg, is the team’s leading rebounder at 7.4 rpg (3rd in the MW). Moore also leads the team in assists with 4.9 apg (1st in MW) and steals with 0.7 spg, while Ibrahima Diallo is the team’s leading shot blocker with 1.8 bpg (1st in MW). SJSU is the MW’s leader in rebounding margin at +7.96 per game (8th in the country) and offensive rebounds per game at 11.36. The Spartans finished the 2021-22 season with an overall record of 8-23, finishing last in the MW’s standings with a 1-17 league mark. This season’s team was picked to finish 10th out of 11 in the MW’s preseason poll. The Spartans’ 16-man roster includes just six upperclassmen. SJSU is coached by Tim Miles, who is in his second season at the school with a record of 23-33 (.411) and is in his 26th season overall as a head coach with a career mark of 422-367 (.535).
LAST MEETING: The last meeting between the two teams was this season’s Mountain West opener on Dec. 28. SJSU won in overtime, 75-72, in San Jose. Harkless scored all of his game-high 20 points after halftime, while Justin Webster added 11. The Spartans were led by Moore’s 15 points and game-high seven assists.
TICKETS: UNLV men’s basketball ticket pricing has been adjusted for the 2022-23 season, with affordability and family-friendly value at the forefront of the changes. Tickets may be purchased online at UNLVtickets.com, on the phone by calling 702-739-FANS (3267) or in person at the Thomas & Mack Center Box Office.
BROADCAST INFO: Tuesday’s game will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network in addition to the Silver State Sports and Entertainment Network (Cox 125 and over the air digital 5.2) with Matt Neverett and Steve Cofield calling the action. Jon Sandler and former Runnin’ Rebel Curtis Terry will handle the UNLV radio call, which may be heard live on ESPN Radio 1100 in Las Vegas. All streaming links and live stats will be available at UNLVRebels.com and through the UNLV Rebels App.