Photo Credit - Rutgers Athletics
UNLV closed out the Players Era Festival with its worst half of basketball this season, surrendering a 47-26 second-half beatdown to Rutgers in an 80-65 loss at Michelob Ultra Arena.
A 39-33 halftime lead evaporated almost instantly after the break, and the Rebels were outscored by 21 over the final 20 minutes as fatigue, foul trouble, and a complete loss of defensive structure took over.
It was a stark unraveling for a team that competed for stretches all week but couldn’t finish possessions, couldn’t defend the rim, and couldn’t generate enough shot-making to keep pace.
The Game Flow
UNLV actually played one of its cleaner first halves of the week. The Rebels held Rutgers to 33 points, turned them over six times, and got transition buckets from Kimani Hamilton and Al Green to build a 6-point lead late. The energy was there, the pace favored UNLV, and the defensive rotations held up long enough to survive Rutgers’ size.
But the second half was a complete reversal.
Rutgers opened with a 13-2 run, tying the game at 39-39 and taking their first lead at 42-39. From there, the Scarlet Knights dominated every category:
Rutgers second-half shooting: 11-23 (47.8%)
UNLV second-half shooting: 10-28 (35.7%)
Free throws: Rutgers 22-27 in the half
Rebounding: Rutgers +12 after halftime
Points in paint: Rutgers 30 total, 18 of them after the break
UNLV never regained the lead after the 17:22 mark. Every small push the Rebels made was immediately met with an answer inside from Emmanuel Ogbole or a jumper from Dylan Grant.
Down 10 with 4:00 left, UNLV still had a window. Rutgers closed with a 12–7 finish, and the Rebels had no response.
Stat Breakdown
This was a physical mismatch, and the numbers make it obvious:
Team Stats
UNLV: 39.7% FG | 22.7% 3PT (5-22) | 62.5% FT
Rutgers: 42.1% FG | 25% 3PT | 77.8% FT (28-36)
Rebounds: Rutgers 45 – UNLV 33
Second-chance points: Rutgers 16 – UNLV 7
Points in the paint: UNLV 38 – Rutgers 30
Turnovers: UNLV 8 – Rutgers 10
Rutgers won the game at the free-throw line and on the glass. UNLV was whistled for 24 fouls and paid heavily for all of them.
Individual Leaders (UNLV)
Kimani Hamilton: 13 pts, 7 reb
Tyrin Jones: 13 pts, 6-11 FG, 4 reb
Al Green: 13 pts, 5-11 FG
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn: 10 pts, 5 ast
Individual Leaders (Rutgers)
Emmanuel Ogbole: 21 pts, 13 reb
Dylan Grant: 17 pts, 8 reb
Darren Buchanan Jr.: 15 pts
Tariq Francis: 11 pts
Ogbole completely dictated the interior: 7–12 FG and a game-high 13 rebounds. UNLV had no answer.
Turning Point
The entire game flipped in a four-minute stretch to open the second half.
UNLV led 39-33. Rutgers scored the next 11 points, tied the game, then took control for good.
Shot after shot came up short for UNLV. Rutgers cleaned the glass, pushed tempo, and turned UNLV’s misses into downhill opportunities that resulted in layups or free throws.
Once the physicality ramped up, UNLV didn’t match it.
Final Thoughts
The Rebels looked like a team at the end of a long, injury-drained week. Three games in four days with no frontcourt depth finally caught up. Pastner’s group ran out of legs, ran out of size, and ran out of answers.
Rutgers, meanwhile, played like a team desperate to end a losing streak, tougher, more connected, and more committed to the glass.
UNLV drops to 3-5, and the staff now shifts its focus to recovery, getting bodies back, and stabilizing the rotation before the December home stretch.
This week showed flashes of what UNLV can be. Tonight showed exactly what they are until they get healthy.
