LAS VEGAS — UNLV did not eliminate the mistakes that followed it through its two-game road losing streak Tuesday night. The Rebels missed free throws, gave Boise State opportunities to extend possessions and again found themselves in a game decided by execution in the final minutes.
This time, they finished.
UNLV survived Boise State 89-85 in overtime at the Thomas & Mack Center behind a career-high 33 points from Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, snapping a two-game losing streak and winning a game that tested many of the same areas that had cost the Rebels at Wyoming and Colorado State. The difference was that UNLV made enough plays late to keep those mistakes from deciding the outcome.
Gibbs-Lawhorn added six assists while playing all 45 minutes, Howie Fleming Jr. scored 17 points, and Kimani Hamilton finished with 16. UNLV also won the rebounding battle 40-33, scored 29 points off Boise State turnovers and generated 17 fast-break points, giving the Rebels enough additional offense to survive another imperfect night at the free-throw line.
Head coach Josh Pastner did not pretend the performance was clean.
“There was some toughness, it wasn’t pretty, but we found a way,” Pastner said.
Boise State Forced UNLV Into Another Possession-by-Possession Game
The matchup developed almost exactly how UNLV expected.
Boise State did not try to turn the game into a track meet or rely on one extended shooting run. The Broncos stayed physical around the basket, controlled stretches through half-court execution and repeatedly made UNLV complete defensive possessions before it could get back on offense.
Neither team created meaningful separation during regulation. The game featured 10 ties and nine lead changes, and UNLV’s largest advantage was only five points. The Rebels led for stretches, Boise State answered, and neither team could produce enough consecutive stops or baskets to put the game away.
That placed UNLV back in the situation it had struggled to handle during its road trip. The Rebels had opportunities to create control but could not rely on a large enough margin to absorb late mistakes.
They also faced another decision late in regulation when Boise State had an opportunity to tie the game from beyond the arc. With UNLV ahead by three, Pastner chose not to intentionally foul and send the Broncos to the free-throw line.
“I wasn’t comfortable fouling up three,” Pastner said. “We haven’t been great boxing out on free throws.”
Boise State eventually forced overtime, extending a game that had already demanded 40 minutes of physical, possession-by-possession basketball.
For UNLV, that created another opportunity to show whether the late-game problems that appeared against Colorado State would repeat themselves.
Gibbs-Lawhorn Took Over When UNLV Needed a Closer
Gibbs-Lawhorn gave the Rebels the offensive answer they had been missing in several previous close games.
He finished with 33 points on 11-of-23 shooting, made nine of 12 free throws and added six assists while handling the majority of UNLV’s creation responsibilities. His ability to attack downhill became especially important in overtime, when possessions slowed and both defenses had already seen most of what the opponent wanted to run.
Rather than relying on difficult perimeter shots, Gibbs-Lawhorn continued attacking the defense and forcing Boise State to make decisions around the basket. That aggression either created scoring opportunities for him or put the Broncos in positions where they had to foul.
His 12 free-throw attempts were part of a broader offensive approach UNLV has tried to maintain throughout the season. The Rebels have consistently generated trips to the line but have struggled to convert enough of them. Gibbs-Lawhorn was able to turn those opportunities into points often enough for UNLV to maintain its advantage late.
Afterward, he focused less on the career scoring night than on the responsibility that comes with becoming UNLV’s primary point guard.
“I’m still not satisfied,” Gibbs-Lawhorn said. “I’ve got to keep putting in the hours to be the best point guard I can be.”
That development remains important for a team that has increasingly placed the ball in his hands when games tighten. Tuesday provided one of the strongest examples of what UNLV can look like when Gibbs-Lawhorn combines his scoring aggression with enough control to manage the final possessions.
Fleming and Hamilton Gave UNLV Enough Secondary Scoring
UNLV did not need Gibbs-Lawhorn to create all 89 points himself.
Fleming finished with 17 points and four assists while making three of six attempts from 3-point range. His perimeter shooting gave the Rebels another source of offense when Boise State attempted to protect the paint, and his ability to contribute as a facilitator prevented every possession from becoming dependent on Gibbs-Lawhorn.
Hamilton added 16 points and five rebounds and eventually helped secure the game at the free-throw line in the closing seconds. His physicality remained important against a Boise State team that was comfortable turning the game into a battle around the basket.
Isaac Williamson added nine points on 4-of-6 shooting, giving UNLV another efficient scoring option in a game where every extra basket mattered.
The balance was not as broad as some of UNLV’s best performances earlier in the season, but it was enough. Gibbs-Lawhorn carried the primary scoring burden, and the players around him produced often enough to prevent Boise State from loading its entire defense toward one player.
Tyrin Jones Helped UNLV Finish Defensive Possessions Late
Tyrin Jones did not have one of his bigger offensive nights, finishing with six points and four rebounds, but his defensive impact became increasingly important as the game progressed.
Jones blocked four shots and helped protect the basket during several long Boise State possessions. His ability to contest without immediately putting the Broncos at the free-throw line was especially valuable after Pastner had spent the previous week emphasizing the need to play physically without losing discipline.
“Coach has been on us about playing with physicality,” Jones said. “Fighting without fouling. Staying clean.”
UNLV still gave Boise State opportunities around the paint, but Jones provided enough resistance to prevent the Broncos from consistently converting when the game reached its final stages.
The Rebels also finished with a 40-33 rebounding advantage and grabbed 14 offensive boards. That gave them 11 second-chance points and prevented Boise State from completely controlling one of the areas that had hurt UNLV during the road trip.
The improvement was not absolute. There were still possessions UNLV failed to finish cleanly, including the concerns that influenced Pastner’s decision not to foul late in regulation. But the Rebels competed better on the glass and created enough extra opportunities of their own to shift the overall possession margin.
Turnovers Became an Advantage for UNLV
UNLV’s ability to turn Boise State mistakes into points became one of the clearest statistical advantages of the night.
The Rebels scored 29 points off turnovers compared with 12 for the Broncos. They also finished with a 17-point fast-break total, allowing them to create offense before Boise State could settle into the half-court defense that had made the game difficult.
Those points were particularly valuable because UNLV was not overwhelmingly efficient in other areas. The Rebels shot 47% from the field, made seven of 21 attempts from beyond the arc and converted 20 of 28 free throws.
That free-throw percentage was better than several recent performances, but eight missed attempts still left opportunities unused. In a game that required overtime, any one of those misses could have prevented the additional five minutes altogether.
The difference was that UNLV created enough offense elsewhere to survive them.
That had not happened consistently during the road trip. Against Wyoming and Colorado State, missed free throws and unfinished possessions accumulated until the Rebels no longer had enough margin to recover. Boise State presented many of the same problems, but turnovers, transition points and offensive rebounds gave UNLV additional ways to score.
UNLV Finally Closed a Game It Had to Earn
Tuesday did not provide evidence that every issue from the road trip has disappeared.
UNLV still missed eight free throws. Boise State still found ways to extend possessions. The Rebels were unable to close the game in regulation despite holding a late advantage, and the matchup required another five minutes before the result was secure.
What changed was how UNLV handled those imperfections once the game reached overtime.
The Rebels did not become disconnected. They continued attacking offensively, received stops from Jones and the defense and made enough free throws to prevent Boise State from taking control. Hamilton’s late foul shots eventually provided the final separation.
That is a meaningful step for a team that had spent the previous week talking about the difference between competing and finishing.
The loss at Wyoming never reached that stage because UNLV lost control too early. At Colorado State, the Rebels responded better but gave away a five-point second-half lead through missed free throws, turnovers and incomplete defensive possessions.
Boise State created another version of the same test.
This time, UNLV passed it.
The Rebels did not suddenly become a finished product because they won an overtime game at home. The same weaknesses remain visible, and Mountain West opponents will continue attacking them. What Tuesday showed is that those weaknesses do not have to determine every close result.
UNLV had already proven it could fight through difficult games.
Against Boise State, the Rebels finally proved they could finish one.