UNLV Rebels

UNLV's Late Rally Falls Short in 63-61 Loss to Wyoming

Doug Vazquez|
Rebels head coach Kevin Kruger
Rebels head coach Kevin Kruger | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

In this story:

UNLV Runnin' Rebels

The UNLV Runnin’ Rebels had a late rally but could not overcome earlier mistakes in a 63-61 loss to Wyoming on Tuesday night at the Thomas & Mack Center. A baseline fadeaway by Dedan Thomas Jr. in the final seconds missed, preventing the game from going to overtime.

UNLV (11-8, 5-3) had four players score in double figures, led by Thomas Jr. with 17 points and four assists. Jaden Henley contributed 15 points, while Bear Cherry added 10 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks. Jalen Hill also scored 10 points.

Wyoming (10-9, 3-5) relied heavily on three-point shooting, making 14 total, including 9 of 14 (64.3%) in the second half. Obi Agbim led all scorers with 19 points, hitting five three-pointers, while Jordan Nesbitt recorded a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds.

The game featured eight lead changes and three ties. Wyoming led by one point at halftime (25-24) and used a 14-4 run in the second half to build a nine-point lead with under six minutes remaining. They extended their advantage to 11 points with 2:30 left, but UNLV closed the gap with an 8-0 run in the final minute.

Head coach Kevin Kruger highlighted the team’s struggles: “We just didn’t come out with the same kind of punch and fight as Wyoming did, and more times than not in this league, the team that plays harder for 40 minutes is going to end up winning, and that’s what happened tonight.”

Wyoming shot 45.8% from the field and 50% from three-point range, while UNLV shot 39.7% overall and 26.3% from deep. Wyoming held a 37-30 edge in rebounds, while UNLV forced 16 turnovers and recorded 10 steals. The Rebels led in points off turnovers (18-5), points in the paint (34-14), and fast-break points (11-2).

UNLV will look to rebound on Saturday, Jan. 25, when they host New Mexico at 12 p.m.

Read More:

Dedan Thomas Jr. Named Mountain West Player of the Week After Leading UNLV to Key Wins

UNLV Rebels Achieve Historic First with Top 25 Season Ranking

Former Penn State RB Keyvonne Lee Transfers to UNLV From Mississippi State

Red-Hot UNLV Lady Rebels Look for Ninth Straight Victory at Fresno State

UNLV vs. UCLA: A Potential Big Ten Audition for the Rebels

Published
Doug Vazquez
DOUG VAZQUEZ

Doug Vazquez is a senior producer on the SI video team and has been with SI since 2019. Based in Las Vegas, Doug is a combat sports enthusiast and attends as many bouts as he can in the fight capital of the world.

Home/Basketball