UNLV Runnin' Rebels Surge Past Air Force, Advance in Mountain West Tournament Behind Jalen Hill's Heroics

On Wednesday night, the UNLV Runnin' Rebels men's basketball team knocked off the Air Force Falcons and advanced to the second round of the Mountain West Conference Tournament. They won the game by a nine-point margin with a final score of 68 - 59.

Moving on pic.twitter.com/DyTp85po36
— UNLV Men's Basketball (@TheRunninRebels) March 13, 2025

It was a must-win game for the Rebels, and they stepped up and got the job done. While they were expected to win the game, the pressure always ramps up in elimination games. UNLV knows that they probably have to win the whole Mountain West Tourney and earn an automatic bid if they have any chance of making it to the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

The star of the night for the Rebels was Jalen Hill. The senior forward played all 40 minutes of the game and led the way with a team-high 18 points. That's only the beginning of his incredible performance. His 10 rebounds and seven assists were also team highs. What makes this big-game performance even more impressive is that his season averages are 8.8, 4.9, and 1.7, and he turned in a monster performance and double-double, posting 18, 10, and seven in the biggest game of the year so far. These are the kinds of performances the Rebels are going to have to get if they want to make a deep tournament run.

UNLV now turns its attention to the Utah State Aggies, whom it'll be taking on Thursday night at 11:30 PM EST at the Thomas & Mack Center. However, before looking ahead, Rebels Head Coach Kevin Kruger gave his thoughts on the game his team just won, saying, "It was a good game, obviously if you're watching it as a fan.

Both sides made a lot of good plays. But for our guys specifically, I am so proud of them and appreciative of them for continuing to fight over these last handful of weeks, no matter what comes their way. They did everything they could possibly do to be ready for this one.

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