UNLV Rebels @ Colorado State Rams Basketball Recap

UNLV 68, Colorado State 61

Lon Kruger knew his squad needed this one. The UNLV head coach was aware that his team was squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble. He was also cognizant of the fact that the team the Rebels were facing on Saturday had beaten them in Vegas by fifteen points earlier in the year and was also fighting for a chance to go to the NCAA Tournament. Kruger’s Rebels answered the call, dominating the second half and securing an impressive road victory in front of a sold-out Moby Arena in Fort Collins, Colorado, on Saturday night.                        

UNLV guard Oscar Bellfield had his best game of the season, scoring 16 of his 18 points in the second stanza as the Rebels overcame a five-point halftime deficit to secure the victory. Despite shooting just 37 percent from the field, UNLV made all the big shots down the stretch. With the score at 49-47 with just under six minutes left in the contest, Bellfield hit a three-pointer to put the Rebels up five. Anthony Marshall and Chace Stanback hit back-to-back three-pointers a few possessions later to keep the pressure on Colorado State. With the clock running under a minute to play and his team leading by three, Bellfield found Marshall for a layup to put the Rebels up five with just 42 seconds remaining. UNLV capitalized at the free-throw line down the stretch to seal the victory.

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The first half, much like the two squads’ first meeting in Las Vegas, was all Colorado State. The pace was at an optimum level for the Rams and the crowd was into the contest. Unfortunately for head coach Tim Miles’s squad, the Rams simply couldn’t capitalize on the poor shooting of the Rebels and allowed a great chance to secure an important victory slip through their fingers. There’s no question that the Rams have improved this season, and Miles must be commended for bringing a program from the cellar to the NCAA bubble. However, Ram faithful have to be disappointed with their squad’s inability to beat the top tier of the Mountain West. Colorado State was unable to finish a strong effort against BYU, had its heart broken with a buzzer-beating loss to Colorado State, and wilted on Saturday night against UNLV.

The Rebels were able to overcome a poor shooting effort by hitting timely three-pointers, dominating the offensive glass, and limiting their turnovers. Bellfield finished with a team-high 18. Marshall had 16 points while Stanback had 12 points to go along with 11 rebounds. On Saturday night in the midst of the Rocky Mountains, the UNLV Rebels found it within themselves to lift their game to a higher level. Performances like this are a great indicator that UNLV isn’t done winning big games.

By: Zach Bloxham
DFN Sports Staff Writer