Thomas delivers late, UNLV knocks off No. 22 Utah State

1 month ago 14

Published Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025 | noon

Updated Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025 | 10:13 p.m.

D.J. Thomas came done erstwhile it mattered and UNLV conscionable landed its archetypal large triumph of the season, knocking disconnected No. 22 Utah State, 65-62.

Utah State led by arsenic galore arsenic 7 points, but UNLV chopped into the shortage with a 3-pointer from Julian Rishwain and a reverse layup by Brooklyn Hicks. Rishwain deed different 3 a infinitesimal aboriginal to bring UNLV wrong 62-61, and Thomas made a spectacular modulation layup to enactment the Scarlet and Gray ahead, 63-62, with 1:56 remaining.

The teams traded bare possessions, and a escaped shot retired of bounds gave Utah State the shot with 55 seconds remaining. The Aggies inbounded to Karson Templin, who drove and missed; a tip-in besides missed and Brooklyn Hicks corralled the rebound for UNLV. Kevin Kruger called timeout with 32 seconds connected the clock.

Up by 1 constituent with the ball, Thomas dribbled down the timepiece and nailed a fadeaway jumper with 16 seconds to play. Utah State's Mason Falslev missed a 3 astatine the buzzer and UNLV celebrated its archetypal triumph implicit a bully squad this year.

Thomas was 4-of-14 connected the nighttime but made his last 2 attempts to adjacent retired the victory. Jalen Hill scored a team-high 15 points and Rishwain tallied 13.

UNLV is present 10-7 connected the play and 4-2 successful Mountain West play heading into Saturday's showdown astatine San Diego State.

No. 22 Utah State surges up of UNLV

UNLV picked a pugnacious clip to spell cold, and Utah State has surged up 56-51 with 6:20 remaining.

The Scarlet and Gray haven't scored successful astir 4 minutes and person missed 7 of their past 8 shots, including a back-to-back overgarment attempts from D.J. Thomas and Jaden Henley connected the past 2 possessions. Utah State converted astatine the different extremity some times, including a country 3-pointer from Mason Falslev that conscionable prompted Kevin Kruger to telephone timeout.

UNLV is present 7-of-18 shooting successful the 2nd half, portion Utah State has made 5-of-9 from 3-point scope since the break. If Kruger can't fig retired a mode to make immoderate discourtesy soon, the Aggies could propulsion distant down the stretch.

UNLV leads No. 22 Utah State successful 2nd half

Brooklyn Hicks is everyplace and UNLV has extended its pb to 47-42 with 11:15 remaining.

UNLV has fixed the sophomore defender a greenish airy to onslaught the violative solid against Utah State's portion defense, and helium has responded by pulling down 3 violative boards successful his 15 minutes, not including different carom that helium got his hands connected to gain a tie-up and springiness UNLV possession. Hicks conscionable flew into a assemblage to propulsion down different committee and was fouled successful the process, which volition springiness UNLV different effort connected the violative end.

Hicks has 7 points, 5 full rebounds, 1 assistance and a steal.

UNLV halfway to upset, leads Utah State

Don't inquire how, but UNLV has taken a 32-30 pb into the locker country astatine halftime.

The Scarlet and Gray person the pb contempt shooting 11-of-30 from the tract and an unconscionable 2-of-16 from 3-point range. The quality has been violative rebounding; UNLV usually takes a beating connected the boards, but contiguous Kevin Kruger's squad has an 8-0 vantage successful second-chance points acknowledgment to immoderate energetic enactment from defender Brooklyn Hicks and guardant Jalen Hill, who person combined for 5 violative rebounds.

Utah State has made 10-of-23 from the field, which isn't great, and the No. 22 Aggies person near points connected the level owed to turnovers (six, treble UNLV's 3 giveaways) and missed escaped throws (5-of-10).

It's tenable to expect Utah State to play amended implicit the adjacent 20 minutes; tin UNLV find different cogwheel and support up? If so, we could beryllium connected upset alert tonight.

UNLV hoops tied with No. 22 Utah State

Neither squad tin marque a changeable astatine the moment, but that's conscionable good with UNLV arsenic the Scarlet and Gray find themselves tied with No. 22 Utah State, 22-22, with 4:56 near successful the archetypal half.

Utah State possesses 1 of the astir businesslike offenses successful the country, but the Aggies are 7-of-17 from the tract and haven't scored successful much than 2 minutes. UNLV has been adjacent worse connected the violative end, shooting 7-of-23 and 1-of-12 from 3-point range.

Jaden Henley conscionable deed 2 escaped throws to necktie the score; he's got a team-high six points, portion Jailen Bedford has chipped successful five.

UNLV takes aboriginal pb implicit No. 22 Utah State

UNLV is connected a tally and, situation we say, upset-minded? With 11:31 near successful the archetypal half, the Scarlet and Gray person a 13-12 pb implicit No. 22 Utah State.

Brooklyn Hicks conscionable got a bargain and turned it into a breakaway dunk, giving UNLV a 7-0 tally and prompting Utah State manager Jerrod Calhoun to telephone timeout.

Utah State started hot, utilizing its ain 7-0 tally to involvement a 12-6 pb successful the opening minutes. Jailen Bedford checked successful for UNLV and provided a spark with a agelong 3-pointer and a driving layup, and the Hicks dunk has UNLV successful front.

There's a agelong mode to spell yet, but for present the location squad looks energized.

UNLV hoops takes its changeable astatine No. 22 Utah State

UNLV hoops continues its Mountain West gauntlet connected Wednesday arsenic first-place Utah State visits the Thomas & Mack Center (8 p.m., CBS Sports Network).

Do the Scarlet and Gray person immoderate accidental of scoring a Top-25 upset? Three keys to watch:

Defending the Aggies

Utah State is connected its 4th caput manager successful 5 years, but that’s really a bully happening for the Aggies, arsenic the 3 erstwhile coaches got them to the NCAA Tournament. And it looks similar existent caput antheral Jerrod Calhoun is successful the process of making it 4-for-4 — Utah State is presently 16-1 overall, undefeated successful league play and ranked No. 22 in the AP Top 25.

One changeless for Utah State done each the coaching changes has been an discourtesy that revolves astir question and passing the ball. The 2024-25 Aggies are doing it again nether Calhoun, ranking No. 13 successful some assists per crippled (17.9) and assists per possession (25.2%).

“They stock it incredibly well,” UNLV caput manager Kevin Kruger said.

And erstwhile it comes to crunch time, Utah State has a subordinate it trusts successful elder defender Ian Martinez.

Martinez is averaging 16.8 points per game, and helium has deed a fig of clutch shots — including a game-winning four-point play successful the last seconds of the Aggies’ comeback triumph against Boise State connected Saturday.

That makes defending the Aggies an incredibly hard task, and 1 Kruger has spent the past fewer days preparing his players to tackle.

“Martinez is idiosyncratic that takes and makes large shots for them,” Kruger said. “He’s nary alien to large shots. He’s deed a clump of them successful his clip astatine Utah State. We’ve got to admit that. We’ve struggled the past 2 games with (opponents’) starring scorers and champion players getting bully numbers; we’ve got to instrumentality connected that situation a small better.”

Protect the ball

While Utah State operates efficiently connected offense, Kruger is much acrophobic astir the mode the Aggies use unit defensively.

Utah State forces turnovers connected 20.6% of opponents’ possessions, which ranks No. 37 successful the nation. So UNLV ballhandlers similar elder D.J. Thomas, inferior Jaden Henley and elder Jalen Hill volition person to beryllium other vigilant astir keeping the shot retired of harm’s way.

Get the large win

After back-to-back blowout losses connected the road, UNLV could really, truly usage a momentum-swinging victory. A triumph implicit No. 23 Utah State would qualify, arsenic it would not lone springiness the fans immoderate hope, but besides supply immoderate interior assurance for a Scarlet and Gray squad that is struggling to judge successful itself close now.

Team leaders

UNLV (9-7, 3-2 MWC)

Scoring

D.J. Thomas: 16.1 points

Rebounds

Jeremiah “Bear” Cherry: 5.6 rebounds

Assists

D.J. Thomas: 4.4 assists

Utah State (16-1, 6-0 MWC)

Scoring

Ian Martinez: 16.8 points

Rebounds