UNLV basketball preview: Rebels look for revenge vs. Air Force

By Alex Wright Las Vegas Review-Journal

9 months ago

UNLV Rebels forward Rob Whaley Jr. (5) dunks the ball as UNR forward K.J. Hymes (42) looks on d ... — UNLV Rebels forward Rob Whaley Jr. (5) dunks the ball as UNR forward K.J. Hymes (42) looks on during the first half of their NCAA men’s basketball game at the Thomas & Mack Center on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

UNLV Rebels forward Kalib Boone (10) yells as things gets tight against UNR during the second half of their NCAA men’s basketball game at the Thomas & Mack Center on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

UNLV Rebels guard Luis Rodriguez (15) is counseled by a coach against UNR during the second half of their NCAA men’s basketball game at the Thomas & Mack Center on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

UNLV Capsule

Who: UNLV at Air Force

When: 8 p.m. Wednesday

Where: Clune Arena, Colorado Springs, Colo.

TV: FS1

Radio: KWWN (1100 AM/100.9 FM)

About the Rebels (14-10, 7-5 Mountain West): UNLV’s five-game winning streak was snapped Saturday with a 69-66 home loss to UNR. The Rebels squandered an 11-point second-half lead and were outscored 16-4 the final five minutes.

The loss also snapped UNLV’s four-game winning streak against its in-state rival. Freshman point guard Dedan Thomas Jr. scored 19 points and had eight assists against the Wolf Pack, but missed a pair of late free throws that would have given the Rebels the lead.

Thomas is UNLV’s leading scorer and averages 12.7 points per game. The Rebels will need more offensive help from Kalib Boone, who is scoring 12 points per game, after he was held to six points against UNR.

The Rebels are tied for sixth in the Mountain West standings with UNR. The Wolf Pack hold the head-to-head tiebreaker.

About the Falcons (8-16, 1-11): Air Force has lost its last six games. Its most recent defeat was a 73-66 loss at San Jose State on Saturday.

Air Force’s lone Mountain West win — and only victory in its last 15 games — was a 90-58 rout of UNLV at the Thomas & Mack Center on Jan. 23. The Falcons made half of their 3-point attempts to down the Rebels.

Rytis Petraitis leads Air Force by averaging 15.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Beau Becker is averaging 15.1 points per game for the Falcons. Ethan Taylor is third on the team in scoring with 14.7 points per game.

Air Force is shooting 37.3 percent from 3 this season. That was the 27th-best mark in the country entering Tuesday.

Alex Wright/Las Vegas Review-Journal