Bellfield thriving on efficiency

Some nights Oscar Bellfield plays like Oscar Robertson, making smart decisions and making his teammates look good.

Other nights he plays like Oscar Madison, being sloppy with the ball and getting into trouble with his coach.

On Saturday night, the UNLV freshman point guard was more Robertson than Madison, playing a solid first half to help his team build a 17-point lead that culminated with an 89-70 win over Colorado State at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Bellfield finished with 13 points, six assists, four rebounds and, most important, no turnovers in 35 minutes as the Rebels raised their record to 7-4 in the Mountain West Conference and 19-6 overall.

“That’s real good,” Bellfield said after hearing his stat line. “But there’s always room for improvement.”

Coach Lon Kruger will take performances like that from Bellfield every night.

“He’s continuing to grow,” Kruger said. “He’s a little more focused on each possession, and he’s playing with a little more of an edge, which you want to see.”

Bellfield said his steadiness is all about growing comfortable with his teammates, knowing where they like to get the ball and learning how to adjust to the game tempo.

“I was used to playing at one speed — fast,” he said. “I have had to learn to slow down. It’s a different game at this level. You have to play under control.”

Bellfield played under control in the first half Saturday, making good decisions and helping UNLV expand its lead from 15-14 to 40-30. By halftime, the Rebels were comfortably ahead 51-34, and Bellfield had nine points, five assists and three rebounds.

He didn’t get near a double-double in the second half. But with his teammates contributing, Bellfield continued to play well, and that was good enough for him. And Kruger.

Through 11 conference games, Bellfield has 37 assists against only 16 turnovers. He had 29 turnovers during the 14-game preseason schedule.

“We seem to have a good chemistry on the floor right now,” he said. “I knew it would take time, but I’m definitely more comfortable with my teammates than I was a few weeks ago.”

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913.