Rebel Report Card: UNLV vs. Oregon

Backcourt: A

On a night where the UNLV men's basketball team started off hot from 3-point range, it was only fitting that Ike Nwamu's 3-point dagger with a minute and 30 seconds left put the game way for the Rebels as they defeated No. 16 Oregon, 80-69, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday.

Nwamu, a senior guard, converted five of the Rebels' 10 3-pointers made, but none bigger than his wind-the-clock-down, pull-up 3, which put the UNLV fans on their feet.

"That was a Sportscenter top-10 play," Ben Carter muttered during the postgame press conference.

"It's what you dream of when you're playing college basketball," said Nwamu, who scored a team-high 19 points..

Jerome Seagears had an efficient outing, scoring 16 points on eight shots. The Rebels have yet to receive a performance from Seagears where he takes over the offense like a true point guard, but his poise bailed UNLV out multiple times during cold streaks. He would either hit a timely 3-pointer or drive to the rim for a layup.

Patrick McCaw had a quiet night offensively, by his standards, but still contributed 14 points. His defense on Dwayne Benjamin toward the end of the game made a difference in the outcome. Benjamin, who scored a game-high 21 points, got the Ducks back in the game before McCaw cooled him down.

Frontcourt: B

Stephen Zimmerman Jr. has a reputation for being a top scorer in the post. The Ducks found out he's also a solid rim protector. The freshman 7-footer controlled the paint by altering Oregon's shots and recording four blocks. He also scored 12 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Zimmerman's all-around performance was more impressive since he's nursing a sprained ankle. Coach Dave Rice admitted that Zimmerman probably shouldn't have played.

"It (ankle) hurts pretty bad right now," Zimmerman said after the game.

Dwayne Morgan had an off night with four points and three rebounds.

Bench: C-

The UNLV bench only scored 15 points compared to Oregon's 25. Ben Carter and Jalen Poyser were the only Rebels to score off the bench. Carter, who scored 10 points, and Poyser, who chipped in five, were a big reason why UNLV's lead ballooned to 20 in the first half. Carter also created space down low along with Zimmerman to open up lanes for Seagears. Derrick Jones Jr. usually has a big night on the stat sheet but he was held scoreless and had foul trouble.

Coach: B

Dave Rice gave his assistant coaches the credit for switching McCaw on to Benjamin during the final minutes. Rice has the final say so we'll give him the credit for that defensive switch. UNLV had a good game plan to slow down Dillon Brooks, one of Oregon's top scorers. Offensively, Rice deserves kudos for running plays for Zimmerman despite an off night from him on the floor. That opened up looks for the shooters in the first half, which helped push UNLV's lead to 20.