Air Force travels to Thomas & Mack Center to challenge UNLV Tuesday night.
Stream the game at 8:00 PM MT on the Mountain West Network via the Mountain West app or through your browser.
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Falcons and Runnin’ Rebels Faceoff for Second Time this Season
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UNLV is looking to get back to their winning ways with a game against Air Force at home on Tuesday night. Air Force, on a 3 game losing streak, will be coming in off a disappointing loss to UNM over the weekend; a game that proved Air Force still has a long way to go to consistently mark wins over struggling conference opponents. In fact, since the Falcons’ and Rebels’ last meeting, Air Force has logged a record of 1-4 while UNLV fared 3-2 in the same span. Tuesday night’s matchup will prove to be a litmus test of sorts for the conference, as two teams meet who seem to be trending in opposite directions.
Air Force’s struggles seem to be a combination of inexperience and injury, as Joe Scott’s squad deals with injury and virus-related ailments alike. Against UNM on Saturday, only 8 players saw any time on the court. The Falcons fell 91-77 against the Lobos, clearly missing the impact of star freshman, Ethan Taylor. Air Force’s youth has been their heel as they return to matchups against teams they played earlier in the season; it seems the NCAA’s 3rd youngest team in the Falcons has had difficulty finding success in their second looks so far.
UNLV sits a middling team in the Mountain West with an even record of 5-5. Most notable for the Rebels has been stellar play from guard Bryce Hamilton, who led the team with an impressive 33 points in their 90-75 fall to Utah State on Saturday. But a win over Air Force Tuesday positions the Rebels for retribution against the Aggies, as they pull within half a game of USU’s 6th place in the conference.
Prediction: Air Force 50 – UNLV 62
Air Force last met the Rebels with success in a 69-62 win on the 20th of last month, but question marks surrounding the team’s health bode dimly for the Falcons. Expect strong play from Hamilton to lead UNLV over Air Force, as the Rebels experience lends them an advantage in the rematch.
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Hunter Zaniewski is a rookie reporter for MW Wire. He covers Air Force Hoops and is an avid champion of Mountain West Athletics.