Utes fizzle after torrid start

Handling success, particularly on the road, is a critical element in the development of a young team.

Consider Utah still learning.

The Utes were dominant for 18-plus minutes while building a 35-24 lead over UNLV on Saturday, and they appeared poised to steal a Mountain West Conference victory at the Thomas & Mack Center.

But the other 22 minutes belonged to the Rebels, who made the necessary adjustments, shut down 7-foot-2-inch center Luke Nevill and pulled away to beat the Utes, 75-65.

“There’s no shame in losing on the road in this league,” Utah coach Jim Boylen said after his team fell to 12-7, 3-2 in the MWC. “But do I like the way we lost? Absolutely not. I don’t think we handled adversity as well as we needed to. We had too many breakdowns and can’t do that here and expect to win.”

When guards Wink Adams and Tre’Von Willis led UNLV’s second-half rally, Boylen could only watch as his team floundered, particularly on offense.

The Utes stumbled badly after shooting 63 percent during a first half in which they made 6 of 9 3-point attempts. They shot 34 percent on field goals after halftime and were held scoreless for a span of 5:05 midway through the half.

“We didn’t react well to what (the Rebels) were doing,” Boylen said. “Instead of saying, ‘We’re solid, we’re solid,’ we didn’t finish plays.”

Utah also was careless, committing 18 turnovers, but what really foiled the Utes was their inability to counter two crucial adjustments by UNLV coach Lon Kruger.

First, Utah had no answer for Rebels senior forward Mareceo Rutledge, who came off the bench with less than 13 minutes remaining to hit two big 3-pointers. He also made two critical steals in a nine-point, seven-rebound effort.

Utah also didn’t adjust when Kruger moved Joe Darger from small forward to defend Nevill with 11 minutes left. Darger was giving up five inches and 40 pounds to the Australian senior but was familiar with his task, having guarded Nevill last season.

Though Nevill had 14 points Saturday, he managed only two against Darger. With Utah playing catch-up in the final three minutes, Boylen finally parked Nevill on the bench.

“It’s always fun to battle (Nevill),” Darger said. “I try to push him away from the basket and not let him go to his right where he can hit that hook shot.”

Boylen credited Rutledge more than Darger for beating his team.

“With (UNLV), you have to make the support guys beat you,” Boylen said. “When Rutledge went in and made those two 3s, that was the key.”