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Story by Alan Snel Photos by J. Tyge O’Donnell
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Well, UNLV’s men’s basketball team fought and clawed in the second half and the Runnin’ Rebels eventually cut Boise State’s double-digit lead to four points at a 56-52 score.
But UNLV could not get closer.
Final: Boise State 71 UNLV 62 .
UNLV now has lost more games this season than it has won as the Runnin’ Rebels habe won 11 of 23 games, including losing their last five Mountain West Conference games.
It’s reaching the point that UNLV’s football program has eclipsed the university’s once-proud basketball program in prominence after the Rebels football team finished the season with 11 win in 14 games, including a bowl game win at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
As has become the norm, the bottom bowl at the Thomas and Mack Center had lots of empty read seats for the UNLV-Boise State matchup tonight.
UNLV has good basketball ticket deals. A league game costs as low as 16 bucks to get in. There are family four-pack deals that include chicken fingers and fries.
The team just has not been winning lately. And Las Vegas being a front-runner city, the Rebs are not exactly packing them in at the spacious Thomas & Mack.
Attendance was reported at 5,081. At least it was VGK night at the arena with the Knights’ Drumbots and cheerleaders on hand along with UNLV grad Carnell “Golden Pipes” Johnson singing the national anthem.
Dedan Thomas, Jr. scored 20, while Bear Cherry added 19. Jailen Bedford chipped in with 11.
Kruger, after the game, “Obviously, not the result we wanted.”
It’ s a Kruger quote that has led off his recent postgame pressers.
The Rebs made only a single three-point shot, finishing the game at one for 16 from three point land. UNLV made 38 percent of its shots.
Boise State is 16-7 on the season, including 8-4 in the league. UNLV is 5-7 in the Mountain West.
The MWC tournament returns to the Thomas & Mack Center in March. UNLV will need to step it up if it wants to play more than a day or two in the tourney.