Williams leads UNLV to first win over UNR since 2018
UNLV senior Bryce Hamilton couldn’t stop smiling.
“It feels amazing,” he said. “It’s my first time getting this win.”
Playing UNR for the seventh time in his UNLV career, Hamilton had never beaten his in-state rivals – until Tuesday.
Facing the Wolf Pack at the Thomas & Mack Center, Hamilton’s 17 points helped lead UNLV to a 69-58 win against UNR, the Rebels first win since Feb. 7, 2018 when Jovan Mooring’s 31-point performance carried the day. The Wolf Pack had won eight consecutive games heading into Tuesday’s matchup.
“Bryce had a smile as big as I’ve ever seen on his face after the win,” UNLV coach Kevin Kruger said.
With so many transfers and new faces around the program, Kruger said the coaching staff tried to explain the rivalry but didn’t know if the players had fully understood it. However, the coach believes seeing the crowd at the Thomas & Mack Center gave them the right impression.
Despite the crowd and the anticipation, Tuesday’s game was a bit strange from the jump. Neither team’s offense found much rhythm through the first ten minutes. Coming off his 42-point masterpiece against Colorado State, Hamilton struggled early. Finally healthy for the first time in weeks though, the Rebels (13-9, 5-4 Mountain West) got him some help.
Senior point guard Jordan McCabe went 3 for 6 from beyond the arc to start the game, and junior Donovan Williams – playing his first game since a limited outing against San Diego State Jan. 24 – poured in three more three-pointers of his own. The Texas transfer didn’t even know if he was going to play Tuesday, as he was a gametime decision.
“He’s a great player, a great scorer,” Hamilton said. “It helps a whole lot. Defenses can’t key in on me the whole time and I have someone I trust to pass it to.”
Williams capped his first half performance with a dagger from the left corner, right in front of the UNR bench, but received a technical for turning and saying something as he jogged back down the court. It was UNLV’s second technical of the half, as junior center David Muoka also received one for hanging on the rim while manipulating a shot earlier in the half.
Missing leading scorer Grant Sherfield, UNR simply didn’t have the firepower to keep up, and once Hamilton and fifth-year guard David Nuga got hot near the end of the first half, UNLV opened up a 42-26 lead at halftime. Muoka also had his second solid performance in consecutive games off the bench.
But UNR came out hot to start the second half. Playing through sophomore center Will Baker, the Wolf Pack (9-10, 3-5) opened the period on a 9-2 run. The Rebel defense lacked its intensity, and the offense stagnated. Three-pointers from McCabe and Williams bailed out poor possessions and kept UNLV ahead, but UNR stayed in striking distance.
“We got a little timid,” Kruger said.
The Rebels hung on though. Hamilton, who never quite found his stroke from deep, focused on driving to the rim, and hit the turnaround jumper which effectively sealed the win for UNLV with 1:26 left on the clock, just a minute after junior Royce Hamm Jr.’s recovery block on Baker. The two plays down the stretch swung the momentum back to UNLV.
Hamilton and Williams both finished the night with 17 points, while McCabe scored 16, including a 4-for-8 night from range. Junior Kenan Blackshear’s 17 points led the way for UNR, while Baker scored 12 and grabbed eight boards.
UNLV heads back on the road next, heading to Utah State for a 3 p.m. showdown Saturday.
Contact reporter Andy Yamashita at ayamashita@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ANYamashita on Twitter.
