UNLV takes second game in Canadian tour, beats Ottawa 89-76

OTTAWA, Ontario - During practice, Bryce Dejean-Jones attacks his UNLV teammates as he would the enemy, with hard drives to the basket and defensive harassment. His intensity never takes a day off.

But for 19 months, all he could do was practice. Finally, his enemies are real opponents, and it's unlikely he will take any too lightly.

The Rebels' exhibition tour in Canada is not just a summer vacation for Dejean-Jones, a sophomore transfer from Southern California. This is the 6-foot-5-inch guard's first shot to play in game situations since January 2011.

"It has definitely been great to be out there," he said. "I'm kind of feeling my way through, because I haven't played in a year and a half. Everybody has their days. I happened to have mine."

Dejean-Jones' day arrived Sunday, when he totaled 18 points and eight rebounds in UNLV's 89-76 victory over the University of Ottawa before about 250 fans at Montpetit Hall.

Savon Goodman, a 6-6 freshman forward from Philadelphia, made a similar impact by recording 17 points and six rebounds for the Rebels, who improved to 2-0 on their four-game trip.

UNLV coach Dave Rice said he could see a lack of intensity from his team in the first half. Goodman and Dejean-Jones were not implicated in that observation, however.

"We talked about the importance of taking every opponent seriously and trying to sustain an effort for the entire game, and we're not there yet," Rice said.

"One thing about Bryce is he always plays hard, so you never have to coach effort. Savon is a lot like Bryce in that he's got a great motor, and so he gets a lot of things done just based on effort."

The Rebels' efforts in the early stages left something to be desired as they fell behind 16-8. Goodman, who worked the paint for 11 first-half points, and Dejean-Jones sparked a 17-2 run.

But the Gee-Gees had a red-hot shooter, Johnny Berhanemeskel, and he was often left open. Berhanemeskel made four 3-pointers and scored 22 points to carry Ottawa to a 45-42 halftime edge.

"We definitely had a good start. Our key thing that we were doing was just being scrappy out there," Berhanemeskel said. "I think that caught them off guard maybe a little bit. But trying to do that for 40 minutes is the hardest part of the game. They came out in the second half and played their kind of basketball. They are a great team, and it's going to be exciting to see them in March."

Berhanemeskel watches the NCAA Tournament and was familiar with the Rebels' status. He said the UNLV team that emerged from the locker room after halftime was more aggressive on both ends. Berhanemeskel was held scoreless in the second half.

"We just didn't give the kind of defensive effort that we need to give on him," Rice said. "In the second half, we challenged our guys. That was one of the themes for us coming to Canada - playing like the Runnin' Rebels - and that starts on the defensive end. At times, we looked good."

Goodman, who had two points in UNLV's opening game Saturday, was better around the basket. He showed a quick first step and the strength to finish.

"It's a big difference from high school, but I'm starting to catch up and get it," said Goodman, who shot 7-for-11 from the field. "I just try to be a team player. When we win, it's going to be a team effort."

Dejean-Jones also shot 7-for-11, hitting two 3s. In two games, three of the five newcomers have led the Rebels. On Saturday, it was freshman guard Katin Reinhardt scoring 19 points. Less than 24 hours later, Goodman and Dejean-Jones had their day.

"It's important for Bryce to get minutes and get comfortable. He was great for us last year in practice, but there's no substitute for game experience," Rice said.

"One of the many things that excited us about Savon in the recruiting process was that he played so hard. Like every freshman, he's got a lot of things to learn. It was good for him to have some positive things happen."

Senior guard Justin Hawkins hit two 3s and finished with 12 points as all 10 UNLV players scored.

■ NOTES - Reinhardt landed awkwardly on his left knee while crashing to the court, but was able to walk off and sat out the final 5:46. He said he wants to play today, when the Rebels bus back to Montreal for their final games today and Tuesday. Sophomore center Khem Birch, who is from Montreal, attended the game with his family. The transfer from Pittsburgh is ineligible to play on the tour.

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