UNLV’s struggles against quality opponents continued Saturday as the Rebels suffered a lopsided 84-62 defeat to Colorado State at Moby Arena. The loss drops UNLV to 9-7 overall and 3-2 in Mountain West play, sliding them into sixth place in the standings.
Nique Clifford and Rashaan Mbemba spearheaded the Rams’ (10-6, 4-1) dominant performance. Each scored 22 points, with Clifford adding seven assists and five rebounds.
The fourth-leading scorer in the Mountain West, Clifford was particularly lethal, shooting 7-of-11 from the field and 4-of-5 from three-point range. Mbemba provided efficient support, hitting 8-of-9 shots and grabbing five boards as the Rebels’ defense struggled to slow either player.
UNLV’s offensive efforts were led by Dedan Thomas Jr. and Jaden Henley, who scored 19 points apiece. Thomas also dished out six assists, while Henley continued to show growth as a secondary playmaker.
Outside of their contributions, however, the Rebels’ shooting woes were glaring. The rest of the team combined to shoot just 29% from the field, including a dismal 1-of-9 from three-point range. Long-range shooting, a key part of UNLV’s recent success, faltered as well, limiting their ability to stay competitive.
The game began with both teams trading leads, but midway through the first half, Colorado State seized control. The Rams’ ball movement sliced through UNLV’s defense, resulting in 16 of their 17 first-half field goals coming off assists.
The Rebels’ defensive rotations were consistently a step slow, allowing the Rams to shoot a scorching 65% from the field before halftime, including 8-of-12 from beyond the arc. Colorado State took a comfortable 11-point lead into the break.
UNLV showed brief signs of life early in the second half. Back-to-back buckets by Jeremiah “Bear” Cherry trimmed the deficit to six, forcing a Colorado State timeout. But the Rams responded decisively.
Clifford scored or assisted on the next nine points, sparking a 17-7 run that extinguished any hopes of a Rebel comeback.
Head coach Kevin Kruger acknowledged the team’s defensive lapses, particularly in the first half.
“Early in the first half it felt like we were running into every screen, and they shot it very well,” Kruger said. “I thought it was kind of twofold: They ran really good stuff, did a good job getting each other open, and I thought we were just a little bit on our heels. Our switches weren’t as clean as they needed to be. Combine those two things together, and they’re going to have a really good first half.”
Kruger also spoke about the team’s struggles to recover once momentum shifted away from them.
“We’ll just take a punch, and it takes us a while to get up off the mat,” Kruger said. “That’s something that, when your confidence is shaken a bit, it’s one of the effects. We just got to get back in the gym, keep working. It’s a long season. Obviously, the last two games we didn’t want to play that way, but at the same time, we get an opportunity to take a deep breath tomorrow, recharge, and get back in the gym.”
With two consecutive blowout losses in conference play, the Rebels will look to regroup before a pivotal matchup against No. 25 Utah State (15-1, 5-0) on Wednesday at the Thomas & Mack Center. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m.
“Confidence is a tricky thing,” Kruger said. “When you’re feeling really good, you get up quickly and feel like everything’s going to be all right. When your confidence is low, it feels like everything that can go wrong, will. We just gotta focus on the little things, be a little tighter, a little more together, and have reassurance amongst each other. That’s what we’ll work on these next couple days for another tough challenge coming up.”