UNLV upsets No. 21 Dayton in second-half comeback
Fifth-year guard EJ Harkless was staring down an expiring shot clock.
With 7:30 remaining and a tie game against No. 21 Dayton, Harkless got the ball at the top of the key with less than ten seconds on the shot clock. The fifth-year guard drove left, ran into a wall of Flyers defenders and retreated.
Then, he heard a shout. Out of the corner of his eye, Harkless spotted sophomore Keshon Gilbert wide open in the right corner. Harkless whipped a skip pass right into Gilbert’s awaiting hands, and the sophomore launched a 3.
“I know (Gilbert) isn’t going to lie to me,” Harkless said. “Whether it’s an outlet, transition — if he says he’s going to be open, he’s going to get it.”
Gilbert nailed the shot. Nothing but net. The Thomas & Mack Center erupted.
The sophomore guard’s 3 put the Rebels ahead, and UNLV never gave the lead back, beating Dayton 60-52 Tuesday at the Thomas & Mack Center. It’s the Rebels’ first win against a ranked non-conference opponent in Las Vegas since Dec. 23, 2014, when UNLV defeated No. 3 Arizona 71-67.
“I just couldn’t be more proud of them,” UNLV coach Kevin Kruger said.
UNLV’s defense shined again Tuesday, facing the strongest competition it’s seen all season. The Rebels forced 24 turnovers, pestering Dayton into travels and poor passes all night. UNLV set the tone early. Senior center David Muoka disrupted a pass by Dayton’s R.J. Blakney during the Flyers’ first possession, which turned into Rebel free throws in transition.
The offense, however, ground to halt. The Rebels had no solutions for the Flyers’ zone defense. A Harkless 3 with 5:27 remaining in the first half was UNLV’s final made basket, not counting senior Justin Webster’s pair of free throws with two seconds left.
Part of UNLV’s problems came from its second unit. The Rebels turned to their three-guard lineup because Gilbert was in early foul trouble, and Dayton capitalized with a series of offensive rebounds. The Rebels also committed 10 turnovers during the first half, shot 18.2 percent from 3 and went into the break trailing 32-22.
“We did a good job in the first half, I still felt, but we allowed some things that are a little uncharacteristic of what we try to do,” Kruger said.
The Rebels came out of halftime looking like a completely different team on offense. Kruger shortened his rotation, sticking with his five starters — Harkless, Luis Rodriguez, Gilbert, Muoka and Elijah Parquet — along with Webster and senior forward Victor Iwuakor.
UNLV started its run near the 15-minute mark. Rodriguez hit the first 3 of his Rebels career, then Webster added another from the left wing. Gilbert free throws and a Harkless layup tied the game at 38 with 13 minutes remaining.
While the offense found its rhythm, the defense stayed consistent. UNLV held Dayton to just 25 percent shooting from the field in the second half. The 52 points for the Flyers were the fewest the Rebels have allowed all season.
The Rebels also outrebounded the Flyers 19-13 in the second half, forced 12 turnovers and came up with seven steals. Dayton failed to score from the field for the final 6:46. Muoka and Iwuakor, in particular, were effective fighting for loose balls and offensive rebounds.
Gilbert had 16 points, two rebounds, three assists and three steals in 28 minutes to finish a game-best plus-27. Harkless led the Rebels with 24 points, as the duo combined for two-thirds of UNLV’s scoring.
“Defense creates offense, that’s what we try to do,” Harkless said. “Everybody wants to score, but we’re going to defend.”
Contact reporter Andy Yamashita at ayamashita@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ANYamashita on Twitter.
