Freshman Devin Tillis gives UNLV spark in 1st start

UNLV basketball coach T.J. Otzelberger inserted freshman Devin Tillis into the starting lineup for the first time Friday night in the first of two games at San Jose State.

Tillis made sure he didn’t disappoint.

The 6-foot-6-inch forward from Los Angeles played his best game this season, scoring 14 points in a 76-60 victory at Provident Credit Union Event Center.

Junior wing Bryce Hamilton scored 16 of his game-high 18 in the second half for UNLV and junior guard David Jenkins Jr. came off the bench to add 15 points.

The victory marked the first for the Rebels on the road in the Mountain West after starting the season with six consecutive losses.

The Rebels (9-11, 6-7 MW) held the Spartans (5-14, 3-12) to 36.1 percent shooting and led by double figures for the final 9:29.

“We just need to keep our energy up,” Tillis said. “When we get stops on defense, we convert on offense. … We’re trying to build on the defensive end and just build as a team.”

Here are three takeaways from the win:

1. Back to the basket

The Rebels featured Tillis in the low post, and he responded by making 6 of 7 shots and assisting on two 3-pointers by Jenkins, who had spotted up both times on the weak side.

Tillis said he played in the post in high school, and he displayed a sense of comfort with his back to the basket. He backed down defenders and unveiled a drop-step jump hook en route to baskets on three possessions.

Otzelberger said he will continue to feature Tillis in the post.

“We know he can be effective down there. We saw that in the recruiting process,” Otzelberger said. “The game slows down for him in there. … He can make the right reads.”

2. Pick it apart

UNLV raced to a 27-19 lead but struggled when San Jose State abandoned its man-to-man defense for a 1-3-1 zone. The Spartans clogged the paint and mucked up passing lanes to trim the deficit to three at halftime.

But the Rebels adjusted in the second half and were much more precise with their ball movement, finding soft spots in the short corners for easy baskets. Hamilton was among the beneficiaries, scoring several times around the rim.

“Against man, we’d kind of settled into a rhythm,” Otzelberger said. “They created some indecision (with the zone). Fortunately, I think at halftime we were able to clean that up.”

3. Clean it up

Make no mistake, the Rebels were in control throughout. But they had 18 turnovers to stymie what was otherwise an efficient outing.

The teams will meet again Sunday.

“I’m hoping we can all put it together as a group,” Otzelberger said. “Hopefully, that’s still in front of us.”

Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.