LAS VEGAS — UNLV doesn’t need Tuesday night to be fast to win. It needs to be clean.
That’s what Josh Pastner kept coming back to when he closed the book on Saturday’s loss to San Diego State, not the crowd, not the moment, not the “gold standard” talk. The gap was simpler, and harsher:
“We had a lot of empty possessions… missed free throws and/or didn’t get the and-ones… when you’re playing for first place, you just can’t leave those.”
That’s the premise entering UNLV’s one and only meeting with New Mexico. The Lobos are built to punish empties. They shoot a lot of threes, they make a lot of threes, and they defend at a high level. They don’t need your mistakes to be dramatic. They just need them to add up.
Tipoff is set for 8:00 p.m. PT at the Thomas & Mack Center on CBS Sports Network.
Setting the Table: Two Identities, Two Forms of Control
New Mexico doesn’t win by tightening the game the way San Diego State does.
It wins by removing hesitation with spacing, pace, quick decisions, and threes that come before you’re ready.
UNLV, on the other hand, is still building its identity around the opposite idea: pressure, contact, rebounds, and toughness that turns possessions into something uncomfortable.
Pastner has said it for months, but on Monday, he tied it directly to Tuesday’s opponent:
“We’ve gotta be great on the glass… when we are rebounding the ball at a high level, we’re really good. When we’re not… It’s a struggle.”
That’s not a generic key. That’s a matchup forecast.
Because New Mexico’s defining advantage is that it doesn’t let you play sloppy and survive it.
What UNLV Actually Is (By the Numbers)
UNLV’s season profile still points to the same truth: this team doesn’t win with shooting variance.
- 31.5% from three (team)
- 78.9 points per game
- 17.9 made free throws per game
- +1.8 turnover margin and 18.4 points off turnovers
- Pressure defense: 8.6 steals and 4.4 blocks per game
In conference play, the shape gets even clearer:
- Gibbs-Lawhorn is carrying more creation than planned (now a full-time point guard)
- Tyrin Jones is more central than a freshman should be, and Pastner knows it
“He can’t be cool, casual, or cute… If his motor isn’t moving, he’s gonna sit right next to me.”
That’s not a quote you give unless you’re telling the audience what actually decides the game: effort and conversion have to be permanent, not periodic.
Pastner’s Theme Has a New Name: “Empty Possessions”
Against San Diego State, the point wasn’t that UNLV didn’t compete.
It was that too many possessions ended with nothing.
“They hit late-clock tough shots… and we had a lot of empty possessions… that bites you in the butt.”
UNLV can survive missed threes. It cannot survive:
- missed free throws
- missed layups through contact without the and-one
- one-shot possessions without offensive rebounding
- defensive breakdowns that follow offensive frustration
Pastner admitted the spillover:
“We let our offensive errors… affect our defensive intensity, and that bit us.”
That’s the warning for Tuesday. New Mexico doesn’t need your defense to be terrible. It needs two or three lapses per half, and then it punishes them with threes.
New Mexico’s Identity: Threes, Defense, and a Rebounding Anchor
Pastner didn’t mince words about what New Mexico does:
“They shoot a lot of threes. They make a lot of threes. They’re really good defensively… Number 10… leading rebounder in the Mountain West.”
That’s Tomislav Buljan, and his presence changes the geometry of this game.
If UNLV doesn’t finish possessions, Buljan extends them. And New Mexico doesn’t waste extra shots, especially when those extra shots become kick-out threes after a scramble.
Pastner also gave you the scouting report in one sentence:
“They try to take away the middle… keep it on the sideline. They give you three-point shot attempts, but they’re good at defending the three.”
That’s the crux. UNLV’s offense wants the middle. New Mexico’s defense wants to deny it — and make UNLV live in the exact space it doesn’t consistently cash.
Lineups That Swing the Game
UNLV’s rotation has stabilized. Pastner confirmed it:
“We’ve kinda settled into a rotation right now.”
That matters because this is a matchup where your best unit has to play like a best unit, not like a group surviving shifts.
UNLV’s functional closing group (based on minutes + role logic):
Gibbs-Lawhorn / Fleming / Jones / Hamilton / Stephen
Why it works:
- rim pressure + physicality
- rebounding presence
- enough defense to keep New Mexico from walking into rhythm threes
The swing is whether those five end possessions, and whether the two freshmen (Jones + Williamson) play with “motor” instead of variance.
The Margin: Where This Game Actually Tilts
This won’t be decided by tempo.
It’ll be decided by possession value — the exact place Pastner keeps living.
Three quiet separators:
- Empty possessions (again)
If UNLV misses free throws, misses layups through contact, and doesn’t rebound misses, New Mexico’s threes turn those zeros into separation. - The glass
Pastner called it the “telltale sign” of UNLV. Against Buljan, it’s the whole game. - Defensive discipline after offensive frustration
UNLV can’t allow missed shots to turn into coverage breakdowns. New Mexico’s entire offense is built to punish the half-second late.
Crowd, Energy, and the Real Stakes at Thomas & Mack
Pastner was candid about what he walked into:
“This is gonna take more time than I thought… we gotta keep earning the fans back.”
Saturday against SDSU was the best crowd of the season. Tuesday is the follow-up test: can UNLV protect home court and give people a reason to believe the rebuild is turning into something durable?
Pastner’s pitch remains the same:
“Fly around like our hair is on fire… be so competitive with grit and toughness.”
That doesn’t guarantee wins. But against New Mexico, it at least gives you a chance to make the game behave.
What It Means
New Mexico is built to punish teams that leave points on the floor.
UNLV is built to survive nights when shots don’t fall, but only if pressure becomes points, and toughness becomes rebounding.
Pastner said it plainly:
“We can’t have empty possessions… we’ve gotta be great on the glass… and we’re gonna have to play at a very, very high level.”
This game won’t announce itself with a run. It will reveal itself possession by possession, at the line, on the glass, and in whether UNLV’s pressure produces points or just movement.
Tuesday decides which identity holds.
Leave a Reply