RUNNIN’ REBELS TO HOST INTRASTATE RIVAL UNR SATURDAY NIGHT
UNLV has won five straight games in Mountain West play for the first time in four years; Fans encouraged to wear red for 8:30 p.m. game at Thomas & Mack Center
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The UNLV men’s basketball team, which has won five straight Mountain West games for the first time in four years, will be back at home at the Thomas & Mack Center to host intrastate rival UNR on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 8:30 p.m. The game is part of the Silver State Series, presented by America First Credit Union.
PROMOTIONS: UNLV President Keith E. Whitfield will be behind the controls of the T-shirt cannon on Saturday night with a lucky recipient in the student section winning a scholarship worth up to $5,000 for the Fall 2024 semester (terms and conditions apply). Fans are encouraged to wear red as free red T-shirts will be given away during the day, which also includes the UNLV women’s basketball team hosting Air Force in the TMC at 5 p.m. Free Raising Cane’s will be available for students who arrive early. In addition, 10 gift cards each worth $100 will be dropped from the rafters and a pair of tickets (for students) to see David Blaine live will be given away.
TICKETS: Tickets to UNLV men’s basketball home games may be purchased at UNLVtickets.com, by calling 702-739-3267 or by visiting the Thomas & Mack Center Box Office.
LAST TIME OUT: UNLV (14-9, 7-4), which is in a tie for fourth place in the Mountain West – one game out of first in the loss column – won at Fresno State on Wednesday night, 67-65. All five Runnin’ Rebels scored in double figures as they recorded their second regular-season sweep of a Mountain West opponent this year. Rob Whaley Jr. led the way in points, scoring 17, while Keylan Boone contributed 15, Kalib Boone added 12, Dedan Thomas Jr. scored 11 and Luis Rodriguez had 10. UNLV shot 54.5% form the field, out-rebounded Fresno State 32-19 and outscored the Bulldogs in points in the paing 38-24. Fresno State had a chance to win the game, but Xavier DuSell missed a 3-point attempt as time was expiring.
RUNNIN’ REBEL LEADERS: Five UNLV players are averaging double figures in scoring this season in Dedan Thomas Jr. (12.4 ppg), Kalib Boone (12.3 ppg), Keylan Boone (11.9 ppg), Luis Rodriguez (11.7 ppg) and Jalen Hill (10.7 ppg). Rodriguez leads the team in rebounds (6.9 rpg, 8th in MW) and steals (1.7, 3rd in MW), Dedan Thomas Jr. is the assists leader (5.9 apg, 23rd in nation), and Boone leads in field-goal percentage (59.1, 23rd in nation) and blocks (1.6 bpg, 2nd in MW). Hill missed six games with a wrist injury and returned at San Diego State on Jan. 6, but left late in the first half in that game after suffering a knee injury, which an MRI later revealed to be a season-ending ACL tear.
ABOUT THE ROSTER: This season’s UNLV squad features seven returners from last year’s team along with seven newcomers. The newcomers are made up of three Division I transfers, a junior college transfer and three freshmen. UNLV has 10 upperclassmen, including five fifth-year seniors. A total of four players on the roster are playing in their hometown of Las Vegas. The Runnin’ Rebels return two starters in Luis Rodriguez and Justin Webster, who averaged 10.7 and 8.2 points per game last season, respectively. Rodriguez led last season’s team in rebounding (5.7 rpg).
ABOUT THE OPPONENT: UNR (19-6, 6-5), which is in seventh place in the Mountain West and just one game behind UNLV in the standings, is coming off a one-point home loss to New Mexico (83-82) on Tuesday. Prior to that game, the Wolf Pack had won three straight and four of five games, including wins over Colorado State (77-64), at Utah State (77-63) and San Diego State (70-66 in OT). UNR is 4-3 in true road games this season and 7-4 overall away from home. Jarod Lucas leads three Wolf Pack players in double-figure scoring with 17.0 ppg (4th in MW). Kenan Blackshear is averaging 16.0 ppg, while Nick Davidson is at 12.0 ppg and leads the team in rebounding (6.9 rpg, 7th in MW). Blackshear leads in assists (6.7 apg, 7th in MW), field-goal percentage (50.2, 9th in MW) and steals (1.4 spg, 10th in MW). UNR is 13th in the country in turnovers per game, averaging just 9.6 per contest and is 50th in scoring defense (66.8 ppg). The Wolf Pack went 22-11 overall last season, including 12-6 in MW play to finish fourth in the league standings. They lost in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament to Arizona State to conclude their season. Led by head coach Steve Alford, UNR has nine upperclassmen on its 16-man roster.
LAST TIME AGAINST UNR: This will be the first meeting of the season between UNLV and UNR. In their last meeting, which was last year on the final day of the regular season (March 4, 2023), UNLV won in overtime (69-67) in Reno. It marked the Runnin’ Rebels’ fourth straight win over the Wolf Pack, also handing UNR its only home loss of the season. EJ Harkless led all scorers with 24 points, while Luis Rodriguez added 14 points with 13 rebounds for a double-double. Jackie Johnson III contributed 12 points and Justin Webster scored 10.
BROADCAST INFO: Saturday’s game will be televised nationally on FS1 with Derek Clark and Terrence Oglesby calling the action. Jon Sandler, former Runnin’ Rebel Curtis Terry and Steve Cofield will handle the UNLV radio call, which may be heard live on ESPN Radio 1100 in Las Vegas and worldwide on SiriusXM 391. All streaming links and live stats are available at UNLVRebels.com and through the UNLV Rebels App.