Tennessee State came back from a halftime deficit and held on late to beat UNLV 63-60 Saturday night at Lee’s Family Forum in Henderson, Nevada, handing the Rebels a disappointing loss in the Jack Jones Classic.
The Rebels had all the momentum riding on their side after Sunday’s 75-74 road victory at Stanford. The Rebels took a 33-29 lead going into halftime, but the Tigers had an answer in the second half to steal the game with a three-point win.
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UNLV’s offense wasn’t consistent. The Rebels shot 19-for-51 from the field, for a 37.3% shooting percentage. The team also shot 20% from deep and 59.4% from the free-throw line on 32 attempts.
Tennessee State, on the other hand, shot 28-for-60 and also had free-throw issues, only connecting on 5-of-13 attempts at a clip of 38.5%. The Tigers overcame this issue by creating high-quality looks and with strong ball movement, finishing with 12 assists compared to UNLV’s seven.
The Rebels’ most decisive moments came in the first half, when they went on a 12-4 run and took a nine-point lead with five minutes left, the largest of the night. The Tigers then swung the momentum back their way at the start of the second half with an 11-1 run that gave Tennessee State control of the game.
Tennessee State guard Travis Harper II and guard Aaron Nkrumah both scored 12 points, while forward Carlous Williams dropped 10. Guard Dante Harris scored 8 points and had three steals. Harris had one of the biggest baskets of the game with 1:13 left in the game. Harris scored a game-tying layup.
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UNLV was led by guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, who scored 13 points. Guard Howie Fleming Jr. added nine points, and with a clutch moment with 3:20 left in the game, he connected on two free throws that gave the Rebels a 60-58 lead. Forward Kimani Hamilton finished with 7 points, nine rebounds, and four assists, but the offensive efficiency issues proved harmful in the end.
In the final minutes of the game, Harper II hit a corner three to tie the game at 56-56. After Fleming hit a shot from the paint and his two free throws, UNLV was up 60-58. Harris tied it a few minutes later with a layup. The Rebels turned the ball over, and the Tigers cashed in as Nkurmah scored the go-ahead layup with 32 seconds remaining.
The Rebels had a chance to win it, but Hamilton missed a three-pointer to tie the game, and once again, as favorites, UNLV lost.
After dropping its record to 4-6, the Rebels start conference play back at the Thomas & Mack Center against the Fresno State Bulldogs. The game will be on Dec. 20 at 4:00 PM.
