UNLV Rebels guard Luis Rodriguez (15) and forward Rob Whaley Jr. (5) celebrate after a 74-56 win over the Hofstra Pride in an NCAA basketball game at the Thomas & Mack Center Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023.
Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023 | 9:38 p.m.
From the outside looking in, it appeared things were going terribly awry for the UNLV basketball team early in the second half against Hofstra.
After building a double-digit lead at the break, UNLV watched it slip away in a matter of minutes as Hofstra opened the second with a 14-2 run. When Darlinstone Dubar made a short hook shot to give the Pride a 40-38 advantage with 16 minutes remaining, Kevin Kruger called timeout.
The huddle was not consumed by panic, however. Kruger reaffirmed the game plan, and UNLV went out and quickly regained control, eventually pulling away for a 74-56 victory at the Thomas & Mack Center.
The win puts the Scarlet and Gray back at .500 with two games remaining in nonconference play.
Resiliency was the key to weathering Hofstra’s comeback attempt, according to senior wing Luis Rodriguez.
“It’s a game of runs,” Rodriguez said. “We knew they were going to come out of the gate and try to make a run. We just had to stay level-headed and trust what we do and believe in each other and get the game back in our hands.”
Rodriguez did his part by getting the ball in his hands. He pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds, and his steal and breakaway dunk capped a quick 6-0 spurt that restored UNLV’s double-digit lead at 55-44 with nine minutes remaining.
Jackie Johnson had a layup and an assist during that decisive run and finished with 10 points in 16 minutes off the bench. Rodriguez tallied 15 points, while Keylan Boone led the way with 16.
Hofstra came in as one of the nation’s best shooting teams, and the Pride showed it by making 6-of-7 to open the second half, including 2-of-3 from long range.
Kruger kept his team focused, however, and UNLV responded before the game could spiral out of control.
“They came out and made shots,” Kruger said. “They shoot it well, they’ve got a bunch of good scorers. We knew they were going to make a run.
“Guys banded together in the timeout,” he continued. “We came out and made some plays, made some shots and made some plays for each other.”
One way UNLV was able to stem the bleeding was on the defensive glass. After allowing Saint Mary’s to grab an astronomical 33 offensive rebounds on Saturday, the Scarlet and Gray did a much better job boxing out and securing boards, limiting Hofstra to nine offensive rebounds.
Junior forward Rob Whaley played a role under the rim, pulling down six rebounds (five defensive) in 20 minutes off the bench.
Kruger wants to see UNLV continue to improve in that area.
“Right now, our identity is, when [opponents] shoot it, you can crash the glass and we won’t put up a lot of resistance. Tonight we did a much better job. Nine [offensive rebounds] is still something we want to lower, as we get into Mountain West play especially, but it’s a step in the right direction.”
For the game, Hofstra made just 22-of-58 from the field (37.9%), while UNLV connected on 29-of-60 (48.3%).
UNLV will enjoy a holiday break before returning to the Mack to host Carroll College on Dec. 31.
Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.
