David Jenkins Jr. leads UNLV to upset win at Kansas State
David Jenkins Jr. breathed life into the UNLV men’s basketball season with two shots.
The first, a 3-pointer from the top of the arc, gave the winless Rebels a six-point lead against Kansas State with 4:34 remaining Saturday. The second, a 3 from the left corner, extended the advantage to nine the next possession and UNLV was never threatened again.
The two shots ensured the Rebels (1-4) walked out of Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, Kansas, with their first victory of the season. They also were part of an impressive performance by Jenkins.
The junior transfer from South Dakota State, who had 23 points in UNLV’s first three games combined, scored 25 points and made seven 3s to help the Rebels defeat the Wildcats 68-58.
“I kept my confidence,” said Jenkins, who admitted he was overthinking things in his earlier games. “I knew at one point the rhythm would come back. I’m happy it came back and I’m happy we got a win.”
Here are three takeaways from the game:
1. Backcourt shines
Jenkins had a great night and showed why coach T.J. Otzelberger referred to him as an “elite” shooter before the season. He wasn’t the only key performer, however.
Junior guard Bryce Hamilton was aggressive early and scored nine of UNLV’s first 14 points. He finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists in one of the better all-around efforts of his career.
Sophomore guard Caleb Grill, a Wichita, Kansas, native who was recruited by Kansas State (1-3), played well, too. He had 12 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals, plus an emphatic dunk in transition with 12:06 remaining.
Jenkins, Hamilton and Grill were 22-of-40 from the field combined.
“To have three guys out there that all are double-figure scorers and shooting over 50 percent from the field, that’s going to give you a really good chance offensively,” Otzleberger said. “I know over time, those guys will step up and do the job for us. I’m really proud that all three of them did that job here tonight.”
2. Shooting carries the day
The Rebels didn’t play a perfect game.
They turned the ball over 16 times. They gave up 14 offensive rebounds. They only attempted six free throws.
None of it ultimately mattered because the team had a great shooting night. UNLV was 26-of-50 (52 percent) from the field despite attempting few shots around the rim. The Rebels were also 12-of-27 from 3-point range (44.4 percent).
The Wildcats, by contrast, were 7-of-24 (29.2 percent) beyond the arc, including a 3 with six seconds remaining. That’s why they never led and trailed for 38 minutes.
“We’re a new team, we’re still building our team chemistry and camaraderie,” Jenkins said. “This win tonight was something to build on. We’re obviously happy but we know we’re not satisfied.”
3. Defense does enough
UNLV allowed opponents to shoot 48.4 percent from the field entering Saturday.
The Rebels toughened up in their first road game — in front of a socially distanced crowd at 15 percent of Bramlage Coliseum’s 12,528 capacity — to get their first win.
The team’s typical four-guard lineups have been exploited in the paint early this season. But UNLV contested enough shots and grabbed enough rebounds to keep Kansas State’s size advantage from swinging the game.
The Rebels were outrebounded 32-30 overall. In the second half, however, they had a 20-12 edge. That helped them widen their 31-30 halftime lead. UNLV was also outscored by eight points in the paint, which was not enough for the Wildcats to make up their deficit from 3-point range.
Kansas State finished 22-of-61 (36.1 percent) from the field.
“I think our guys had a really stubborn, intentional, desperate mindset,” Otzelberger said. “That’s something we’re going to continue to demand as we move forward.”
Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.
