Rice’s fate as UNLV coach in question after 0-3 MW start

LARAMIE, Wyo. — Patrick McCaw banked in a meaningless 3-pointer at the buzzer, finishing off another head-scratching UNLV loss and kick-starting serious speculation about whether time has expired on coach Dave Rice.

With his back to a wall, Rice responded by saying, "I fully expect to be coach" Tuesday against New Mexico.

What happened Saturday might have spelled doom for his five-year tenure. The Rebels squandered a 17-point first-half lead in a 59-57 defeat to Wyoming at the Arena-Auditorium and fell to 0-3 in the Mountain West.

In a down year throughout the conference, UNLV was expected to contend for a title. Instead, the Rebels are 10th in the 11-team league — above lowly San Jose State (0-4) — and their 9-7 overall record includes a 7-7 mark against Division I opponents.

Asked if he was worried about his job security, amid rumors that he could be fired by Monday, Rice said, "No. I'm just worried about getting ready for New Mexico. That's my whole focus."

Rice said he has had no recent discussions about his job status with UNLV athletic director Tina Kunzer-Murphy, who certainly is feeling pressure from Rice's supporters and his angry mob of detractors.

In March 2014, Kunzer-Murphy recommended Rice's contract be extended two years through the 2018-19 season. Since receiving the extension, Rice has a 27-22 record, including 8-13 in the Mountain West.

When the Rebels host the Lobos at the Thomas & Mack Center, will it be Rice or an interim coach leading the team? Senior guard Ike Nwamu said he hopes Rice remains in charge.

"He's our coach, and we're behind him 100 percent," Nwamu said. "We're going to figure this thing out."

No UNLV administrators made the trip to Colorado and Wyoming. Reached by phone, Kunzer-Murphy said: "I share the disappointment that many of our fans feel right now. I'm certain the players and coaches feel the same way. We need to get this turned around."

What's obvious is UNLV lacks strong leadership on the bench and on the floor. For the third consecutive game, the Rebels gave away a lead down the stretch. In a 66-65 loss at Colorado State on Wednesday, a 10-point lead with 5½ minutes remaining disappeared.

Early in Saturday's game, Wyoming (9-8, 2-2) appeared to be a long shot to be hanging around late. The Rebels ran out to a 22-5 lead after Ben Carter's jumper just past the midpoint of the half. The Cowboys were comically incompetent on the offensive end in the first 14 minutes, shooting 2-for-17 with six turnovers.

But a 3-pointer by Jason McManamen triggered an unlikely rally. Wyoming went on a 22-7 run while UNLV's players lost focus and launched a series of bad shots. After a layup by Josh Adams and two free throws from McManamen, the Cowboys tied the score one minute into the second half.

"It's the same thing. It has been missed free throws and turnovers, that's what let them back in the game," Rice said. "We started the game off well. I thought what really turned the game around were McManamen's 3s in the first half."

The Rebels went ahead 49-48 on Nwamu's 17-foot jumper with 4:32 remaining. McManamen answered with a 3 to put the Cowboys back on top 51-49, and Alexander Aka Gorski stole the ball from Stephen Zimmerman Jr. and made one free throw to give Wyoming a 55-52 edge with 1:07 to go.

Nwamu and Jerome Seagears each missed 3-point attempts, and after a lengthy review by the officials, the Rebels were awarded possession on the rebound. But Carter missed a shot in the lane, and Zimmerman fouled Jordan Naughton, who made one free throw with 32 seconds on the clock.

Nwamu's layup, which followed McCaw's air-ball from 3-point range, pulled the Rebels within 56-54 with 17.5 seconds to play. But Adams hit a free throw with 14 seconds left, and Seagears misfired on a 3 on the other end.

Zimmerman's play in the low post was mostly soft. The 7-foot freshman finished with nine points and 12 rebounds, but he committed five of the team's 18 turnovers.

In three league games, UNLV has totaled 57 turnovers. McCaw and Seagears, the starting guards, continued their poor play by combining for nine points, three assists and two turnovers Saturday. Seagears shot 0-for-6 and scored one point in 28 minutes. McCaw was 0-for-6 on 3s until his bank shot at the buzzer.

"The pace of the game in the second half was incredible for us," Wyoming coach Larry Shyatt said. "I will have a couple of glasses of wine tonight when somebody scores 57 points against us."

The Cowboys won despite an ugly offensive showing and an off game by Adams, their leading scorer at 25.7 points per game. Adams had 12 points on 3-for-14 shooting. McManamen hit five 3s and led the way with 17 points.

Nwamu and freshman forward Derrick Jones Jr. each scored 10 points for the Rebels, who shot 12 of 21 on free throws and had only seven assists.

"We're only three games through the conference season, but it's getting late, obviously," Rice said. "I was hoping for a win. I thought a win would give us a lot of confidence moving forward.

"I'm very dejected. I'm disappointed. I'm pissed."

— Contact reporter Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907. Follow him on Twitter: @mattyoumans247.