LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV men's basketball team (5-5) will be back at the Thomas & Mack Center for its first game in 10 days as it hosts Carroll College (6-7) on Sunday, Dec. 31 at 12 p.m.
TICKETS: Tickets to UNLV men's basketball home games are on sale now at
UNLVtickets.com, by calling 702-739-3267 or by visiting the Thomas & Mack Center Box Office.
LAST TIME OUT: In its last game on Dec. 21 at the Thomas & Mack Center, UNLV ran away in the second half in a 74-56 win over Hofstra. Three Runnin' Rebels scored in double figures and
Luis Rodriguez recorded his first double-double of the season.
Keylan Boone scored a team-high 16 points, while Rodriguez added 15 points with a season- and game-high 10 rebounds and
Jackie Johnson III contributed 10 points. UNLV's 12-point halftime lead (36-24) was erased less than four minutes into the second half thanks to a 16-2 Hofstra spurt to start the game's final 20 minutes. UNLV pushed ahead, however, and used a 9-0 run over a two-minute stretch to create some separation, taking an 11-point lead at 55-44 with 9:28 to go. The Runnin' Rebels extended their lead to 19 points with just over two minutes to go.
RUNNIN' REBEL LEADERS: Five UNLV players are averaging double figures in scoring this season in
Kalib Boone (13.1 ppg),
Dedan Thomas Jr. (13.0 ppg),
Luis Rodriguez (11.9 ppg),
Jalen Hill (11.5 ppg) and
Keylan Boone (10.7 ppg). Hill leads the team in rebounds (6.8 rpg), while
Luis Rodriguez is second (6.3 rpg).
Dedan Thomas Jr. is the assists leader (6.1 apg, 17th in nation), Boone leads in field-goal percentage (67.1, 6th in nation) and blocks (1.7 bpg, 2nd in Mountain West) and Rodriguez is the team's steals leader (2.1 spg, 50th in nation). Hill has missed the last four games with a wrist injury.
ABOUT THE ROSTER: This season's UNLV squad features seven returners from last year's team along with seven newcomers. The newcomers are made up of three Division I transfers, a junior college transfer and three freshmen. UNLV has 10 upperclassmen, including five fifth-year seniors. A total of four players on the roster are playing in their hometown of Las Vegas. The Runnin' Rebels return two starters in
Luis Rodriguez and
Justin Webster, who averaged 10.7 and 8.2 points per game last season, respectively. Rodriguez led last season's team in rebounding (5.7 rpg).
ABOUT THE OPPONENT: Carroll College is a private Catholic college in Helena, Montana, and its athletics department is a member of the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics). The Fighting Saints are 6-7 this season and enter Sunday's game on a two-game win streak with victories over MidAmerica Nazarene (76-75) in a neutral-site contest on Dec. 19 and Lakeland College (97-64) at home Friday night. Carroll is 0-3 in true road games this season. Three Carroll players are averaging double figures in scoring: Andrew Cook (18.8 ppg), Kendall Moore (14.7 ppg) and James Lang (10.2 ppg). Zane Foster is the team's leading rebounder (6.3 rpg), while Cook and Moore are tied for the assists lead (2.9 apg), Moore leads in steals (1.5 spg) and Foster in blocks (0.7 bpg). As a team, Carroll averaged 82.8 points per game and is shooting 47.6% from the field. Led by head coach Ryan Lundgren, Carroll has 10 underclassmen on its 17-man roster.
BROADCAST INFO: Sunday's game will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network and televised locally in Southern Nevada on the Silver State Sports & Entertainment Network (SSSEN - Digital 5.2 and Cox 125) with Matt Neverett and Steve Cofield calling the action. Jon Sandler and former Runnin' Rebel Curtis Terry 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 and through the UNLV Rebels App.
