Big block gives UNLV big win at Fresno State

UNLV forward Pape N'Diaye (22) celebrates after making a 3-point basket during the second half of an NCAA basketball game against Pepperdine at the Thomas & Mack Center Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. Photo by Steve Marcus

FRESNO, Calif. — The only thing standing between UNLV and a soul-crushing loss at Fresno State on Saturday was Pape N’Diaye.

Fortunately for the Scarlet and Gray, the freshman big man was up to the challenge, blocking a potential go-ahead shot in the closing seconds to help UNLV secure a so-ugly-it-hurts 52-51 victory.

Holding a one-point lead with 20 seconds to play, UNLV set its defense against a Fresno State team that shot 30.4% on the day. N’Diaye was on the floor as an offense-defense substitution for starting center Jeremiah “Bear” Cherry, and Fresno point guard Zaon Collins went right at him.

Collins drove the left side and appeared to have a good look at the rim, but N’Diaye elevated and used his entire 7-foot frame to swat the shot.

UNLV recovered the loose ball with 11 seconds left. D.J. Thomas missed the front end of a 1-and-1, giving Fresno State one final attempt, but a Jalen Weaver corner 3 missed at the buzzer.

N’Diaye was on the floor for the last possession and deflected the pass to the corner, but it was his authoritative rejection that really saved the day.

N’Diaye called it the best block of his young career and described the process as “magic.”

“I was on the block and I saw him dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble,” N’Diaye said. “I saw him coming and I chase him and do the magic and block it.”

UNLV is now 14-12 on the season and 8-7 in Mountain West play. Kevin Kruger’s squad will have a six-day break before returning to action by hosting Colorado State on Saturday.

UNLV probably shouldn’t have needed N’Diaye’s heroics on an afternoon when Fresno State lived up to its billing as one of the worst offensive teams in the country. The Scarlet and Gray pushed their lead to 11 points on back-to-back 3-pointers by Jalen Bedford with 8:06 remaining, and the game appeared to be over — except the visitors went on a seven-minute scoring drought that allowed Fresno to claw back and take a 51-50 lead with 1:02 on the clock.

Junior wing Jaden Henley got UNLV back in the scoring column and back ahead on the scoreboard with a driving bucket with 41 seconds to play, and he drew a foul in the process; Henley missed the and-1 free throw and Fresno State put the ball in the hands of Collins, the team’s leading scorer.

N’Diaye denied him with the big block, and after sweating out the final shot, UNLV walked away with its third straight win.

“Pape’s pick-and-roll coverage is elite,” Kruger said. “We knew the pick-and-roll was coming, we were very confident they were going to put us in that situation and Pape’s length and activity and mobility, especially being fresh, just gave us a new look.”

Henley scored 13 points, tied with Bedford for a team high on a day when UNLV struggled to shoot 33.8% as a team. The Scarlet and Gray committed 13 turnovers, with nine coming in the second half, so the game had to be won on the defensive end.

N’Diaye played 15 minutes off the bench and finished with four points, five rebounds and two blocks.

N’Diaye came into the game with a block rate of 9.8%, best on the team and a number that would rank him second in the Mountain West behind San Diego State’s Magoon Gwath if N’Diaye had enough minutes to qualify.

On Saturday, that skill was the difference between winning and losing.

“I was like, we have to win this game no matter what happens,” N’Diaye said. “I chased the block and I was like, ‘I got that one,’ and I went and blocked it.”

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.