UNLV Rebels guard Bryce Hamilton (13) goes for a lay up during a game against the Air Force Falcons at the Thomas & Mack Center, Monday, Feb. 8, 2021.
Published Monday, Feb. 8, 2021 | 5 p.m.
Updated 1 hour, 38 minutes ago
It was like pulling teeth for a second straight game, but once again UNLV was able to outlast Air Force, pulling away late for a 69-64 win.
David Jenkins was the star for the scarlet and gray. The junior guard came off the bench for the second consecutive game and poured in 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including 23 points in the second half. He was especially key after Bryce Hamilton exited early in the second half with foul trouble; Jenkins’ barrage of 3-pointers and mid-range buckets kept UNLV’s offense afloat and eventually helped them surge ahead.
Hamilton finished with 14 points in just 26 minutes. Mbacke Diong had eight points, nine rebounds and four blocks.
It wasn’t impressive, but it was a win, and UNLV is now 8-9 on the season and an even 5-5 in Mountain West play. T.J. Otzelberger will next take his squad to Boise State for a series on Thursday and Saturday.
David Jenkins puts UNLV ahead of Air Force
David Jenkins has come alive at the right time. The junior guard has hit three 3-pointer since Bryce Hamilton left the game due to foul trouble, and with 5:46 remaining UNLV has a 54-47 lead.
Jenkins came off the bench tonight for the second game in a row, but UNLV has needed his offense desperately. On the last possession, Mbacke Diong got a post touch and kicked it out to Jenkins on the right wing, and the junior guard knocked in the 3 without hesitation. Jenkins now has a team-high 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting from deep.
Six minutes of competent defense should be enough for UNLV to secure a win here, but that is by no means assured.
UNLV struggling to shake Air Force (again)
UNLV is seriously playing with fire again tonight, as the scarlet and gray find themselves tied with Air Force, 41-41, with 11:28 remaining.
Air Force is one of the 20 worst teams in the country, according to most advanced metrics, so it’s a bad sign that UNLV has struggled to put them away in both games of this series. And T.J. Otzelberger’s squad is in real danger tonight, as Bryce Hamilton just picked up his fourth foul and had to go to the bench with 13 minutes left.
Without Hamilton (14 points, four assists), the offense will have to rely on David Jenkins to make some shots. Jenkins just canned a 3 to tie the game on UNLV’s last possession, so maybe that will spark the team. Jenkins has nine points in 19 minutes off the bench.
UNLV trails Air Force at half
Just two days after struggling mightily to put away a vastly inferior Air Force team, UNLV is once again having issues against one of the worst teams in the country, as the Falcons have a 34-28 lead at halftime.
UNLV has been picked apart on the defensive end. Air Force relied on hot 3-point shooting to stay in the game on Saturday, but tonight they’re working UNLV’s defense at every level, shooting 55.0 percent from the field (12-of-21) and 54.5 percent from long distance (6-of-11). AJ Walker has been the biggest thorn in UNLV’s side, as the AFA guard has tallied 13 points on an array of deep jumpers.
Offensively the scarlet and gray are doing an okay job of scoring, but the pace is playing to Air Force’s favor and Bryce Hamilton isn’t picking them apart like he did on Saturday. At the break Hamilton has eight points and three assists.
It looks like UNLV is going to have to play another good second half in order to secure this one. That’s hard to believe, but it’s happening.
UNLV extends 3-point streak early against Air Force
David Jenkins hit a 3-pointer about four minutes into the game, so UNLV fans can relax about the streak tonight.
With 11:50 left in the first half, Air Force has a 16-15 lead, however, so you’ll have to sweat out the overall outcome for a least a little while longer. Jenkins has provided most of the offense for UNLV, coming off the bench to score six quick points on a pair of 3’s, while Air Force has continued its hot shooting from Saturday, connecting on 4-of-5 from deep so far.
I’d expect AFA’s percentage to come back to earth, but that’s what I thought on Saturday, too, and the Falcons stayed hot for almost 40 minutes. So let’s see.
UNLV going for sweep of Air Force
UNLV will be looking for its second sweep of a Mountain West opponent when the scarlet and gray host Air Force on Monday (6 p.m., CBS Sports Network).
Three keys to watch as UNLV (7-9, 4-5 Mountain West) attempts to get back to .500 in league play:
Stick with new rotation
T.J. Otzelberger tweaked his starting and closing lineups on Saturday, and both groups played well in a 68-58 win over Air Force. Freshman Nick Blake (11 points, five assists) looked comfortable as a starter and freshman Devin Tillis (four points, two assists, two steals) did a fine job as part of the finishing lineup, so there’s no reason to turn back.
With only six games remaining in the regular season after today, it’s time to lock in the rotation as much as possible and make it work. It looks like Otzelberger is doing that by elevating his most experienced and trusted freshmen.
Figure out Jenkins’ role
On the flip side, Otzelberger still has yet to figure out the best way to utilize David Jenkins. The junior guard is shooting the ball well but he brings little else to the table, which is why he was moved to the bench on Saturday. Unfortunately that didn’t seem to help Jenkins; in 17 minutes as a reserve, he scored two points on 1-of-4 shooting and UNLV was outscored, 34-26, while he was on the floor.
What is Jenkins going to provide the rest of the season? How can Otzelberger coax as much production out of him as possible? These are questions that need to be answered, and fast. Today against Air Force is a good opportunity to continue to define Jenkins’ role, whatever that may be.
Put it away
UNLV pulled away late on Saturday, but that game was way too close for comfort. Air Force is really bad and should not be making UNLV sweat.
The good news is that it took an unreal shooting performance from both teams — good in Air Force’s case (15-of-32 from 3-point range) and terrible for UNLV (2-of-14 from 3-point range) — in order to keep the score close. A little less variance on long-distance shots today should allow the scarlet and gray to finish this one off early and focus on getting better via live game reps, which is what UNLV really needs right now.
Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.
