3 takeaways from UNLV’s 92-90 overtime win over BYU
Three takeaways from UNLV’s 92-90 overtime win over Brigham Young on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena:
1. Shakur Juiston’s season is in jeopardy.
The senior forward missed the game with a knee injury he suffered against Illinois last week. His status for the remainder of the season is uncertain.
Coach Marvin Menzies said Juiston potentially could have played Saturday but was held out as the team continues to monitor his status.
“The doctors looked at it,” Menzies said. “We got an MRI and did all the necessary things to take the precautions to not damage it anymore. Had he gone, he wouldn’t have been 100 percent.”
Juiston is averaging 10.8 points and 8.8 rebounds this season, both slightly down from his junior year. He would be eligible to apply for a medical redshirt should the team shut him down for the season.
Menzies said he will discuss the options with Juiston this week.
“We have to see if this is a surgery situation or just rest or whatever,” Menzies said.
Juiston’s fellow seniors stepped up in his absence. Noah Robotham hit the winning 3-pointer at the OT buzzer, and Kris Clyburn scored 21 points on 8-for-13 shooting.
“That’s a lot of points off the board with (Juiston out),” Clyburn said. “He’s a big-time player.”
2. Rebels show they are good students.
Saturday marked the second straight game UNLV had a chance to pull an upset late in the game. This time, the Rebels came through.
Robotham said they learned a lot from their final possession against Illinois when they didn’t get a shot attempt in the closing seconds.
“When we dissected that play, we had a lot of mishaps,” Robotham said. “I thought the coaches had drawn up a good play. We run it pretty often. The angle of the screens was just off. I left early. Cheikh Mbacke Diong didn’t get a screen. (Juiston) was out at the 3-point line. We had a lot of reps this week on that late-game situation. We were doing (final seven seconds scenarios) probably for 10 or 15 minutes a day. We were more prepared this time.”
In the end Saturday, Robotham converted a bit of a broken play.
“It wasn’t executed very well, but players make plays in winning time,” Menzies said. “Tonight was his night. We need him to make those kinds of shots.”
3. Mendenhall Magic.
UNLV had an uncharacteristically good day shooting the ball. The Rebels hit 13 of 27 from 3-point range and 27 of 32 from the free-throw line.
Menzies said it might have been the result of getting more shots Saturday morning at the shootaround at the Mendenhall Center practice facility.
“We have eight baskets there when we typically have only two at an arena,” he said. “We took advantage of that, and we got up a lot of free throws this morning and at practice this week. It’s been a bit of an Achilles heel for us, as has been very well documented.”
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Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-277-8028. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.
