Runnin’ Rebels Host Pepperdine Wednesday Night

The UNLV men’s basketball team (2-1) will continue its season-opening five-game homestand on Wednesday, Nov. 20, hosting Pepperdine (1-2) at 7 p.m. at the Thomas & Mack Center.

The Runnin’ Rebels have opened the season with a 93-79 win over Alabama State on Nov. 4, a close 80-74 loss to Memphis on Nov. 9 and an 80-69 win against Omaha on Thursday.

Jeremiah “Bear” Cherry led all players in the opener with a double-double of 24 points and 11 rebounds on 10 of 11 shooting. Dedan Thomas Jr. added 17 points and seven assists, while two other Runnin’ Rebels scored in double figures (Julian Rishwain, 13 points on 4 of 8 3-pointers, and Brooklyn Hicks, 11 points). UNLV shot 56.9% from the field and 45.0% on 3-pointers.

Against Memphis, Thomas Jr. led the Runnin’ Rebels with 22 points, while Jalen Hill added 14 with five rebounds, five assists and four steals. Jailen Bedford scored 10 points, while Cherry tallied nine points with team highs of seven rebounds and two blocks.

UNLV shot 96% from the free-throw line against Omaha, with Hill leading the way with 17 points, eight rebounds and a career-high five assists. Cherry also scored 17 points with four rebounds. Thomas Jr. scored 15 and Jaden Henley contributed 10.

Over the first three games of the season, Thomas Jr. leads the team in scoring with 18.0 ppg, while Cherry is second at 16.7 ppg and leads in rebounding at 7.3 rpg and field-goal percentage with 91.3% (second in the country). The Runnin’ Rebels are averaging 82.3 ppg.

UNLV is in its fourth season under head coach Kevin Kruger. He has a career record of 60-41.

WEDNESDAY’S PROMOTIONS: The game vs. Pepperdine is Native American Heritage Night, which will include local Powwow Dancers performing at halftime in addition to honoring Native American student and alumni groups on campus. The Runnin’ Rebel Family 4-Pack will also be available, which includes four tickets to the game, plus four chicken finger baskets starting at just $52 per package. The deadline to purchase is Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 11:59 p.m. Visit UNLVtickets.com to purchase.

TICKETS: Tickets to UNLV men’s basketball home games are on sale at UNLVtickets.com, by calling 702-739-FANS (3267) or by visiting the Thomas & Mack Center Box Office.

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 return two starters 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. Forward Jalen Hill is also back for a sixth year of college after suffering a season-ending knee injury in January. 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.

ABOUT THE OPPONENT: Pepperdine (1-2) opened the season with a 77-64 home win over Western Illinois on Nov. 6, but lost at UC San Diego, 94-76, on Nov. 9 and at UC Irvine, 80-62, on Saturday. The Waves held a halftime lead against the Anteaters, but were outscored by 20 points in the game’s final 20 minutes. Stefan Todorovic led Pepperdine in that game with 17 points, while Boubacar Coulibaly added 14 points with six rebounds and a career-high five blocks. Moe Odum added 12 points, four rebounds and had a team-high eight assists. Over the team’s first three games, Todorovic has averaged 25.0 ppg, while Odum is at 13.3 ppg. Dovydas Butka has a team-leading 7.3 rpg, while Odum leads in assists with 7.7 apg. Pepperdine is the midst of four straight road games. The Waves were predicted to finish 11th in the West Coast Conference this season. The team went 13-20 overall last season, finishing sixth in the WCC with a 5-11 mark. Pepperdine, who has seven upperclassmen on their roster, are coached by Ed Schilling, who is in his first season at the school. He had previously been the head coach at Wright State from 1997-03 and has a career record of 76-95. In all, the Waves have 12 newcomers and just two returners (Coulibaly and David Mager).

BROADCAST INFO: Wednesday’s game will be broadcast on the Silver State Sports & Entertainment Network (digital channel 5.2 & 125 on Cox in Las Vegas, also available on YouTube TV) and the Mountain West Network with Matt Neverett, former Runnin’ Rebel Curtis Terry and Steve Cofield calling the action. The trio will also provide the call on radio via simulcast, which may be heard on ESPN Radio 1100 in Las Vegas. All streaming links and live stats are available at UNLVRebels.com and through the UNLV Rebels App.

LAST SEASON: The Runnin’ Rebels are coming off their best season in over a decade as they were invited to the postseason for the first time since 2013, advancing to the NIT quarterfinals, winning a postseason game for the first time in  16 years. In his third season at the helm, Kruger led the squad to 21 wins for the first time since the 2012-13 campaign and guided the team to a 12-4 record over its final 16 games.

UNLV recorded its first win over a top-10 team in four years, its first in non-conference play in nine seasons and beat a total of four ranked teams in a single season for the first time in 11 years. 2023-24 Mountain West Co-Freshman of the Year Dedan Thomas Jr. set the Mountain West’s assists record with 174, also leading the nation in assists among freshmen.