Passion on road elusive for UNLV basketball

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - True or false: Sophomore guard Bryce Dejean-Jones made a statement that he believes is a positive sign for a UNLV basketball team with two faces.

"We're starting to play with a lot more passion," he said.

For one game, on their home floor, that was true, as the Rebels played with high intensity in a high-stakes game Saturday. But when hitting the road, they too often forget to check those same game faces through airport security.

True or false: UNLV coach Dave Rice can coax a passionate effort from his team two games in a row?

A fourth-place tie in the Mountain West will be broken when the Rebels (18-6, 5-4) and Air Force (14-8, 5-4) get reacquainted at 6 p.m. today at Clune Arena, where the home team is looking for payback.

UNLV is riding an 11-game winning streak in the series, with two of the past three meetings decided in overtime. Dejean-Jones was the deciding factor Jan. 12, scoring 10 of his 18 points in OT as the Rebels escaped, 76-71.

Dejean-Jones' production has been as inconsistent as his team's results, but his coach never questions the consistency of his effort.

"We need more guys who bring the passion that he brings onto the court," said Rice, who is 3-9 in league road games, including 1-4 this season.

In a 64-55 victory over first-place New Mexico on Saturday, Dejean-Jones had 16 points and nine rebounds while playing a season-high 37 minutes. Another stat that stood out: one turnover.

Spinning into the lane with reckless abandon, Dejean-Jones does not always make something positive happen. His status, in terms of ball security and shot selection, is questionable. He has more turnovers (63) than assists (60) and runs the court like a wild horse.

But Rice is careful not to rein in a player who displays the type of toughness the Rebels need to be better in hostile environments.

In UNLV's most recent losses, at Fresno State and Boise State, Dejean-Jones totaled eight assists and three turnovers, and Rice is leaning on him more, moving him back into the starting lineup two weeks ago in place of junior forward Mike Moser.

"It's a huge key for Bryce and for our team when he takes care of the ball and lets the game come to him. For him to be able to limit his turnovers is a big deal," Rice said. "I love his competitiveness.

"He hates to lose. I know that's a little bit cliche, but he absolutely hates to lose. He's fearless, and yet sometimes that can be a weakness in that he's fearless and so he tries to make plays in transition and spin down the lane. We've got to take some of those high-risk plays out of his game without taking away his confidence."

Rice describes Dejean-Jones, fourth on the team in scoring at 9.5 points per game, as "always on the attack." While senior point guard Anthony Marshall is UNLV's most effective guard when attacking the basket, Dejean-Jones is improving by cutting down his mistakes.

"I've always believed it's easier to slow a guy down than to speed him up," Rice said. "It's easier to refine his motor than to try to create a motor. Bryce absolutely has got a motor, and the edge that he has is a huge deal."

The edge and passion the Rebels played with against New Mexico is something they have been lacking away from home.

"We've got to get that same swagger and same confidence on the road and come out with a sense of urgency," said Marshall, averaging 15.6 points in the past seven games.

Dejean-Jones said the victory over the Lobos could prove to be a "turning point" for UNLV. He's about to find out if that's true or false.

"We needed that win really bad," he said. "If we play tough for 40 minutes, good things will happen for us. We just have to play harder through adversity."

■ NOTES - Air Force is 10-1 at home, losing to Wichita State. ... The Falcons blew a 10-point lead with 5½ minutes left Saturday in a 74-69 loss at UNR.

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