UNLV Rebels vs Utah Utes Basketball Recap

UNLV 67, Utah 54

In the city where Frank Sinatra’s song “luck be a lady tonight” carries an extra degree of resonance, the UNLV basketball team hit the jackpot in two key respects. First, a rival took a tumble, and second, it gained a great result that will look so much better than the actual 40-minute canvas it took to achieve it.

The Nevada-Las Vegas Rebels defeated the Utah Utes in Mountain West Conference action from the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Wednesday night. The Rebels improved to 5-3 after the first half of conference play, two games behind MWC leaders San Diego State and BYU. Utah fell to 3-5 in the league.

The first thing to appreciate about this no-frills victory is that the Rebels triumphed on a night when Colorado State, the team battling UNLV for third place in the conference, lost at home to San Diego State. Colorado State had already dropped a home game to Brigham Young this season, so it’s quite fair to say that Colorado State’s chances of snagging a major resume-enhancing victory within the Mountain West are rapidly deteriorating. CSU has already endured bad losses to Sam Houston State, Colorado, Hampton and New Mexico, meaning that it had to make up the difference by beating one of the MWC’s big boys, BYU or SDSU. The Rams will still have a shot to do so, but they’re going to have to break through in Provo or San Diego. That’s a big ask for Colorado State. UNLV hasn’t toppled the Cougars or the Aztecs either, but the Rebels’ non-conference victories make them a more NCAA-worthy team than Colorado State if the two schools finish tied in the league standings. Therefore, this victory over Utah is so important because it lifts UNLV into a tie with CSU for third place in the Mountain West. In one night, the Rebels’ NCAA hopes improved considerably.

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Vegas won what was a sloppy and poorly played basketball game. Both teams were unable to find a shooting stroke all evening long. UNLV shot just 36 percent from the field, including a paltry 2-of-12 from 3-point range, but were able to score the victory by imposing its defensive will on the Utes. Utah shot just 29 percent from the field and, despite cutting the Rebel lead to as little as 11 on a few occasions in the second half, could never put the game's outcome in jeopardy.

Head coach Lon Kruger's Rebels forced 17 Utah turnovers and posted a 3-to-1 assist advantage. Quintrell Thomas had a monster night for Vegas, scoring 15 points and grabbing 16 rebounds with signature blue-collar energy within 10 feet of the tin. Carlos Lopez added 14 points and 9 rebounds in a similarly muscular effort to aid UNLV's efforts in the paint. Will Clyburn had 17 points and 12 rebounds to lead head coach Jim Boylen's Utes, who were steadily marching toward the .500 mark in conference play but were rebuffed in Sin City by an opponent that has designs on yet another March Madness appearance.

By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer