5 takeaways from UNLV’s loss at New Mexico

Five takeaways from the UNLV basketball team's 87-83 loss on Tuesday at New Mexico:

1. Stephen Zimmerman Jr. is going to carry a big load with fellow forward Ben Carter out for the season with a knee injury. Zimmerman played 38 minutes for the second game in a row, and he tired down the stretch. That's going to be a challenge for Zimmerman and his coaches going forward.

2. The transition game is more important than ever. UNLV used some four-guard sets against the Lobos, and the Rebels will have to continue to go with that kind of lineup. If getting stuck in a halfcourt game was bad news before Carter's injury, it would be even worse now.

3. Interim coach Todd Simon made sense by explaining why he didn't call timeout with 23.2 seconds left and UNLV down by two points, that it would have given the Lobos a chance to set their defense. But Jerome Seagears rushed down the lane like he was trying to beat the clock, and 16 seconds remained when he put up a layup that had little chance of going in. Even if Seagears had scored there, New Mexico would have had plenty of time to win the game. It was an odd play to run at that time.

4. The Rebels have dealt with a lot of adversity lately, and they've handled it well. UNLV came out energized at New Mexico and sustained it until the end, and had every chance to win that game. But there is the danger of an emotional toll catching up to UNLV at some point.

5. Which leads to Saturday's game at Fresno State. UNLV has lost three of four games, and the Rebels need to get back on the winning track to take some kind of momentum into March. If the season continues to go south, keeping the players emotionally invested will be difficult, if not close to impossible.

Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow him on Twitter: @markanderson65