UNLV faces major challenge on Senior Night

When UNLV coach T.J. Otzelberger watched his team in the second half Friday against Fresno State, he saw a group that was connected.

The Rebels allowed seven field goals in the second half, including one in the final 10:04 to close a 68-67 win. They also shared the ball in a way that freed shooters for open looks.

“The other night we had a stubborn togetherness where are guys decided they were going to win,” Otzelberger said. “That has so much more to do with winning the game than the scheme and X’s and O’s.”

The Rebels will look to build on that win when it welcomes No. 19 San Diego State to the Thomas & Mack Center on Wednesday to make up a game that was postponed

It will be senior night. UNLV (11-12, 8-8 Mountain West) will honor its lone senior in center Mbacke Diong.

The 6-foot-11-inch Diong averages 9.1 points and leads the Rebels with 8.0 rebounds per game. He also has 25 blocked shots.

“Mbacke is a tremendous young man. He wants to do what’s asked of him,” Otzelberger said. “He’s a blue-collar, lunch-pail (player) who is very defensive-minded. He does a lot of things to upset the rhythm of our opponents. He’s a four-year player here, and there haven’t been a ton of those in recent memory.”

The question that remains is whether Diong will be a five-year player. The NCAA has granted an extra year of eligibility to all winter-sport athletes because of complications caused by COVID-19.

Otzelberger said he’d welcome Diong back next year because he embodies many of the traits the Rebels look for on the recruiting trail.

“We’d love to have him for an additional year, if that’s something he believes is in the best interest of his future,” Otzelberger said.

Should this be Diong’s final home game, the Rebels hope to make it a winning sendoff. That won’t be easy, though, against a San Diego State team that has won 10 in a row.

The Aztecs (19-4, 13-3) are tied with Colorado State atop the Mountain West standings, thanks in large part to a defense that has allowed a league-best 60 points per game. But they’re also the league’s top 3-point-shooting team at 38 percent.

Matt Mitchell is the Aztecs’ leading scorer, averaging 15.2 per game. Jordan Schakel and Terrell Gomez are both shooting 45.6 percent from 3-point range to tie for the team lead.

“People talk about them defensively, and certainly they do a good job there,” Otzelberger said. “But offensively this year, especially in transition, they really get out and go. They get 3s for Schakel and Gomez, and those guys can let it rip.”

Contact Jason Orts at jorts@reviewjournal.com. Follow @SportsWithOrts on Twitter.