[jwplayer 18QegcJn-sNi3MVSU]
UNLV vs. Kansas State: Rebels Come Up Short In Overtime
Rebels had two players in double figures.
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A win over a Big 12 team comes up short.
UNLV went to battle against Kansas State today at the Thomas and Mack Arena. In what would be the Rebels first loss of the season in an overtime slugfest (60-56). The Rebels now move to (1-1) on the season after the 60-56 loss.
For T.J. Otzelberger, this was his first loss as Head Coach of the Runnin’ Rebels. Bruce Weber wildcat teams are going to be great defensively. Weber’s teams are known where to be on the defensive end and positioning in the right spots can lead to steals just as much as full-court pressure can. This was a defensive game for both teams, to say the least. Both teams shot under 30 percent from three.
Both teams had at least 20 turnovers so either great defensive play can be attributed to both teams or miscues and sloppy play on the offensive end. The halftime score was 23-16 with UNLV leading. The game ended in regulation 48-48.
On the Brightside for UNLV Junior guard Amauri Hardy asserted himself as the vocal point for the Rebels offensively, Hardy finished with 27 points on 11-23 shooting even making five shots from beyond the three.
Hardy did all he could to pull his team to victory. Elijah Mitrou-Long chipped in with 10 points and Bryce Hamilton had 8 points no other player had more than four points scored.
UNLV missing too many easy buckets will be the what-if story of this game. The Rebels missed 12 layups and you must convert on those opportunities to win games. Looking forward, UNLV can be proud of their defensive efforts in their first two games of the season. UNLV held Kansas State to 0.05 points per possession.
Next week the Rebels have to travel away from the Thomas and Mack as the team heads to California to take on Cal 11/12 and then onto UCLA on 11/15.
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