D.J. Thomas spearheads team effort as UNLV takes down San Diego State

UNLV Rebels guardant Jalen Hill (1) and defender D.J. Thomas (11) observe aft forcing a turnover during the archetypal fractional of an NCAA hoops crippled against the Utah State Aggies astatine Thomas & Mack Center Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. Photo by Steve Marcus

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — The past clip UNLV played San Diego State, D.J. Thomas enactment connected a one-man show.

In the quarterfinals of the 2024 Mountain West tournament, Thomas played 43 minutes and scored oregon assisted connected much than fractional of UNLV’s points, including a clutch bucket successful the closing seconds to nonstop the crippled into overtime. The eventual result, however, was a 74-71 nonaccomplishment to the Aztecs.

This clip astir Thomas didn’t person to bash it all, arsenic UNLV enactment distant a squad effort to travel distant with an upset win, 76-68, astatine Viejas Arena.

Thomas led UNLV with 19 points and 5 assists, but helium was acold from the lone 1 making interaction plays.

Brooklyn Hicks and Jailen Bedford combined for 21 points disconnected the bench. Pape N’Diaye posterized San Diego State defenders. Jaden Henley swished a clutch, crowd-silencing 3-pointer successful the closing minutes. And the Scarlet and Gray played smothering squad defense, holding SDSU to 40.0% shooting and 0.95 points per possession.

Add up the sum of each those parts and UNLV has present won 2 consecutive games against the pick of the Mountain West, improving to 11-7 wide and 5-2 successful league play portion proving it tin vie with anyone successful the conference.

Thomas credited his teammates for coming done each clip San Diego State tried to marque a run, peculiarly pointing to 1 scoring play successful which helium ne'er touched the ball.

With 2:30 remaining and UNLV clinging to a 63-57 lead, inferior halfway Jeremiah “Bear” Cherry posted up connected the near block. As San Diego State sent a treble team, Cherry recovered sophomore defender Brooklyn Hicks cutting on the baseline from the other country and fed him for a layup.

That handbasket pushed the UNLV pb to 8 points and, possibly much importantly, proved the Scarlet and Gray don’t person to beryllium carried by Thomas successful bid to win.

“Brooklyn doing the small things similar helium ever does,” Thomas said. “I consciousness similar everyone contributed.”

UNLV leaned connected its defence successful the archetypal half, matching oregon adjacent exceeding San Diego State’s trademark physicality done the archetypal 20 minutes to instrumentality a astonishing 31-23 pb into the break. Thomas canned a abbreviated jumper aboriginal successful the 2nd to widen the pb to treble digits.

San Diego State made respective runs but ne'er got wrong a azygous possession implicit the last 9 minutes. Every clip the Aztecs deed a large changeable to nonstop the assemblage into a frenzy, UNLV had an answer.

After San Diego State helping Miles Byrd made a immense 3 to bring his squad wrong 67-63 with 1:53 to play, Thomas drove and recovered Cherry for an alley-oop dunk to quell their momentum. Byrd drove wrong for a handbasket connected the pursuing possession, truthful Thomas isolated him connected defence astatine the different extremity and deed a fadeaway dagger to marque it 71-65 with 52 seconds remaining.

From determination it was a substance of making escaped throws — Thomas went 10-of-10 from the enactment connected the nighttime — and UNLV celebrated its 2nd consecutive upset win.

Head manager Kevin Kruger cited the alley-oop to Cherry and a Jaden Henley 3-pointer with 5 minutes near arsenic cardinal plays that helped UNLV decorativeness disconnected a precise pugnacious opponent.

“Between the Henley 3 astatine the apical of the cardinal and the lob to Bear, I though some those shots were run-ending shots,” Kruger said. “It was truly large to see, due to the fact that erstwhile things enactment and they execute and marque plays for each other, the assurance builds.”

Hicks has been a revelation of late, and helium erstwhile again served arsenic portion of UNLV’s closing lineup down the stretch, posting 13 points connected 5-of-7 shooting. In summation to his cutting layup helium besides scored connected a brace of breakaway jams, 1 successful each half, that hyped up the UNLV bench.

Henley posted 12 points and 8 rebounds portion N’Diaye gave UNLV 4 points and 7 rebounds successful 12 productive minutes disconnected the bench.

Defensively UNLV held San Diego State to 40% shooting for the game. Byrd finished with a game-high 21 points but needed 20 shots to get determination (7-of-20).

A week ago, UNLV had been near for dormant aft suffering consecutive 22-point losses astatine Boise State and Colorado State. Now aft vanquishing league favorites Utah State and San Diego State, Thomas is definite his squad is connected a large upward trajectory.

“Those 2 roadworthy losses we had, they were large losses,” Thomas said. “But I consciousness similar these past 2 wins, these 2 truly large wins were large assurance boosters for us.”

Mike Grimala tin beryllium reached astatine 702-948-7844 oregon [email protected]. Follow Mike connected Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.