Men's Basketball 12/10/2021 12:48:00 PM

Runnin' Rebels To Face Hartford Saturday At Noon At Mandalay Bay

Free tickets available for game to be played at Michelob ULTRA Arena on the Strip.

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - As the National Finals Rodeo continues to occupy the Thomas & Mack Center, the UNLV men's basketball team will play one more game at Mandalay Bay's Michelob ULTRA Arena on the Las Vegas Strip on Saturday, Dec. 11 at 12 p.m. vs. Hartford.

Runnin' Rebel Head Coach Kevin Kruger and the athletics department have worked with generous donors to create a "Rally for the Rebels" effort to increase attendance for the game. Free tickets are available to the first 2,500 fans to claim the reserved seats through AXS.com (Direct Link: https://bit.ly/336b0pI) using promo code GOREBELS.

Proof of vaccination is not required to attend Saturday's game at Mandalay Bay, but attendees must wear a face covering regardless of vaccination status.

It will mark the second straight game for UNLV at MUA as the Runnin' Rebels defeated Seattle U. on Wednesday night, 76-56. Senior guard Michael Nuga scored a season-high 21 points and dished out a career-high eight assists against the Redhawks, while senior guard Bryce Hamilton scored 18 and senior forward Royce Hamm Jr. collected 14 rebounds.

Hamilton leads the Runnin' Rebels in scoring this season at 16.3 points per game, with junior forward Donovan Williams second at 9.9 ppg. Hamm Jr. is second in the Mountain West in rebounding with 10.0 per contest (14th in the country) and is also averaging 8.5 ppg and 1.0 bpg. Senior guard Jordan McCabe leads the team in assists at 4.1 apg (sixth in the MW) and is second in the conference and 19th in the country in assist/turnover ratio (3.4).

UNLV has an entirely new look this year with nine transfers - eight coming from the Division I level, including four from Big 12 programs. Ten of the Runnin' Rebels' 13 scholarship players had yet to play in a game in a UNLV uniform before this season began.

The returners include Hamilton and senior guard Marvin Coleman and the 15-man roster includes 13 upperclassmen. Hamilton was selected to the 2021-22 Preseason All-Mountain West Team in October. Initially declaring for the 2021 NBA Draft, the second-team All-MW honoree last season who led the Runnin' Rebels in scoring with 17.9 points per game decided to return to the program.

Hartford (1-7) lost its first seven games of the season before winning at St. Francis in Brooklyn on Sunday (68-55). Three players are averaging double figures in scoring for the Hawks, led by Austin Williams' 15.4 ppg. Moses Flowers, who averages 11.3 ppg, leads the team in rebounding at 7.6 rpg, while Williams is also the team's assist leader at 3.3 apg.

Saturday's game will be broadcast on the Runnin' Rebels' YouTube channel with Tony Cordasco and Jerome Seagears calling the action. Jon Sandler, former Runnin' Rebel Curtis Terry and Steve Cofield (sidelines) will handle the UNLV radio call, which may be heard live on ESPN Radio 1100 in Las Vegas. All streaming links and live stats are available at UNLVRebels.com.

For additional ticket information and to purchase, visit RunninRebelsOnTheStrip.com.

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Players Mentioned

#31 Marvin Coleman: Guard; 6' 2"; Sophomore; 1L

#13 Bryce Hamilton: Guard; 6' 4"; Sophomore; 1L

#14 Royce Hamm Jr.: F; 6' 9"; Fifth Year

#5 Jordan McCabe: G; 6' 0"; Senior

#3 Donovan Williams: F; 6' 6"; Junior

#1 Michael Nuga: G; 6' 2"; Fifth Year

Players Mentioned

#31 Marvin Coleman
: 6' 2"; Sophomore; 1L
: Guard

#13 Bryce Hamilton
: 6' 4"; Sophomore; 1L
: Guard

#14 Royce Hamm Jr.
: 6' 9"; Fifth Year
: F

#5 Jordan McCabe
: 6' 0"; Senior
: G

#3 Donovan Williams
: 6' 6"; Junior
: F

#1 Michael Nuga
: 6' 2"; Fifth Year
: G