UNLV prepares for ‘grueling game’ against Mountain West foe

UNLV coach Kevin Kruger said his team’s recent play “warrants some confidence” despite the results not coming.

The Rebels opened Mountain West play with a difficult stretch. They played five games against teams projected to make the NCAA tournament or be on the bubble by most bracketologists.

UNLV went 2-3, defeating New Mexico and Boise State while losing to San Diego State, Utah State and Colorado State. The last two losses were both one-possession games.

The Rebels lost 87-86 to the Aggies and 78-75 to the Rams.

UNLV can hang its head high after how it played in those games. But Kruger knows that doesn’t guarantee wins moving forward.

“Just because you play well against those teams, that doesn’t mean you win the next one because you played the last one well,” Kruger said. “We need to prepare for each game like it’s the most important one and understand how hard it is to win basketball games in the Mountain West.”

UNLV’s next test is a home game against Air Force at 8 p.m. Tuesday.

The Rebels (9-8, 2-3 Mountain West) will need to rebound from their loss to Colorado State on Friday, where they let a double-digit lead slip away in the second half.

“Our biggest thing is executing down the stretch,” fifth-year guard Justin Webster said. “We didn’t execute down the stretch against Colorado State and it got us at the end. As long as we are confident and execute, we’ll be in a great position.”

Air Force (7-10, 0-5) has lost eight straight games.

Sophomore forward Rytis Petraitis leads the Falcons by averaging 17.6 points per game. Junior guard Ethan Taylor is second on Air Force in scoring with 16.3 points per game.

Webster said he’s stressed to teammates that Tuesday is “going to be a grueling game.”

“This game is probably going to wear on your body the most. It’s just about being solid,” Webster said. “When you play Air Force, no backdoor cuts, keeping everything in front of you, rebound the ball, and push in transition. As long as we do that, we’ll be fine.”

UNLV has been given a boost in recent games by the ascension of junior forward Rob Whaley Jr. and the addition of fifth-year forward Keylan Boone.

Boone, who didn’t play until Dec. 13 while waiting for an immediate eligibility letter from the NCAA, scored 21 points in the loss to Colorado State. Whaley is averaging 13 points the last three games off the bench.

“(Boone and Whaley are) playing confident and we need them to play like that for us the rest of the season,” Webster said.

Kruger said the team has gotten more “comfortable” playing with Whaley and Boone. He said having two more scoring options inside against Air Force’s zone defense is a “huge advantage.”

“Whoever it is down there, if they can get the defense to collapse and make plays, it’ll be a really good thing for us,” Kruger said.

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.