UNLV can't solve 3-point problem in loss to Wyoming

UNLV Rebels head coach Kevin Kruger calls out to players during the first half of an NCAA basketball game against the Wyoming Cowboys at Thomas & Mack Center Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. Photo by Steve Marcus

UNLV ran into a math problem Tuesday, and despite a frenzied final minute, the Scarlet and Gray were unable to solve it.

The arithmetic issue? Wyoming made 14 3-pointers and UNLV only made five, and when the final numbers were tallied those long-range shots made the difference in a shocking 63-61 Cowboys victory.

The rest of the equation just didn’t add up. UNLV forced 16 Wyoming turnovers and committed only five. Kevin Kruger’s squad enjoyed a dominant 34-14 advantage in points in the paint, and also doubled up the Cowboys, 14-7, in second-chance points. Despite all that, Wyoming’s 14-of-28 showing from beyond the arc was just too much to overcome.

It was a stunning loss for UNLV, which was coming off its two biggest wins of the season and hoping to make a move as the team heads into the heart of the Mountain West schedule. But instead of building on that momentum, the Scarlet and Gray came out flat and got buried by Wyoming’s barrage out outside shots.

UNLV falls to 11-8 overall and 5-3 in league play after losing to Wyoming at home for the first time since 2003.

The first half saw UNLV make just nine field goals over 20 listless minutes, shooting 31.0% as a team and 2-of-10 from 3-point range. That allowed Wyoming, the No. 219 team in the KenPom ratings, to take a 25-24 lead into the locker room at halftime.

UNLV wing Jaden Henley said he and his teammates failed to meet Wyoming’s level of intensity.

“Honestly it was just our effort. We didn’t come out with the same effort as we did last week, and obviously we are going to be hurt by this game.

“Just energy,” Henley continued. “Energy on the court. Life. We didn’t have hands, we weren’t listening, talking, so we deserve the results.”

The second half saw Wyoming continue to rain 3’s while UNLV scrambled to play catch-up. Wyoming pushed its lead to double digits with 4:06 remaining following four consecutive 3-pointers from Jordan Nesbitt and Obi Agbim. Two possessions later Kobe Newton swished another 3 to make it 60-49.

UNLV finally came to life in the final minute. Down 63-53, D.J. Thomas drew a foul and made two free throws to make it an eight-point deficit. Brooklyn Hicks followed with a steal in the backcourt, and though Hicks missed two free throws, UNLV got the offensive rebound and Henley converted a layup to get the Scarlet and Gray within 63-57.

Wyoming’s Cole Henry missed the front end of a 1-and-1, leading to a Henley dunk with 19 seconds left. Then it was Jailen Bedford creating a turnover in the backcourt and Thomas scoring a layup to cut the deficit to 63-61 with 10 seconds to play. UNLV fouled on the inbounds and Agbim missed another front end with seven seconds on the clock.

Down by two and out of timeouts, UNLV got the ball to Thomas and the sophomore drove to the left baseline before rising for a turnaround fadeaway. The shot bounced off the rim as time expired.

Had UNLV played with that type of urgency for the first 39 minutes the result may have been different, but Kruger had no explanation for why his team showed such little life.

“Yesterday was one of our best practices of the year. It was crisp, it was sharp, guys were talking, we knew exactly what we wanted to do,” Kruger said. “Coming out flat was a little bit of a surprise.

“Wyoming kind of came out and punched us in the mouth early and was playing really hard and it seemed to stun us a little bit.”

UNLV will have to figure out how to generate some energy internally before Saturday, when the Scarlet and Gray host New Mexico. The Mack isn’t going to provide an electric atmosphere — Tuesday’s game drew an announced attendance of 4,685, and the actual total was closer to half that figure.

Kruger wants his players to come out with max intensity regardless of how quiet the home crowd may be.

“You don’t want to rely on anything,” Kruger said. “We’ve got to bring our energy regardless of the venue. Whether it’s home or road, it’s one of those things just control what you can control.”

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