Fresno State’s Terrell Carter II has his best games against UNLV

Most nights, Fresno State senior forward Terrell Carter II handles the less glamorous but vital job of serving as a role player the Bulldogs need for key minutes off the bench.

The kind of basketball player who is mostly an afterthought compared with his more high-profile teammates.

Except against UNLV. In those games, Carter transforms from overshadowed to almost unstoppable.

And now the Rebels (19-8, 8-6 Mountain West) face him again, perhaps for the final time, when the Bulldogs (19-8, 9-5) visit the Thomas &Mack Center at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The game, in which UNLV is a 1-point favorite, will be streamed online by ESPN3.

“Against us, he’s very efficient and skilled around the basket,” UNLV coach Marvin Menzies said. “When you look at his overall numbers, you go (shakes his head). When he’s played us, I wouldn’t think those would be his numbers. He’s an all-conference player when you look at how he’s performed against us. So I think it really comes down to trying to identify what we’re going to do differently to try to be more efficient at guarding him and maybe take him out of his rhythm a little bit.”

This is what Carter, who is averaging a career-high 6.0 points this season, has done against UNLV:

■ Made 8 of 12 shots and finished with 18 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots in a 69-63 victory Jan. 23.

■ Scored 15 points in last year’s regular-season finale, a 72-59 Fresno State win.

■ Had 13 points in a 95-82 Mountain West tournament win in 2016.

■ Totaled 14 points and eight rebounds in a 111-104 double-overtime victory in 2016.

All from a player with 15 career starts and an average of 12.6 minutes and 4.9 points per game.

“Coach (Rodney Terry) always told me to stay ready,” Carter said. “Everything is based on matchups, so he told me to be ready and keep working. As a senior, it is hard (not playing much), but I kept my focus and stayed there, and the opportunities presented themselves.”

The matchup, going up against someone listed at 6 feet 10 inches and 290 pounds, has been especially difficult for the Rebels.

“He’s very active, high energy, real rugged and tough,” UNLV forward Shakur Juiston said. “When you’ve got those combinations in a person that plays basketball, and he’s athletic, he’s a nice player.”

Menzies said the Rebels can’t be overly concerned with just one player given the talent on the Bulldogs’ roster. Bryson Williams, a 6-8, 230-pound forward, also is a force inside, averaging 13.1 points and 6.0 rebounds. He figures to occupy more of the Rebels’ pregame focus.

Williams is one of four Fresno State players who average double-figure scoring, including guard Deshon Taylor with a team-leading 18.4.

“They have a lot of depth,” Menzies said. “So I don’t think there is any one particular player that you say, ‘Hey, we’ve got to stop this one guy.’ We have to collectively be really connected on defense and know your personnel and what their strengths and weaknesses are and try to do our best job guarding them collectively.”

Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.