BOISE, Idaho — Tyrin Jones gave UNLV three blocks in his return from a shoulder injury Tuesday. Friday brings a different demand on that rim protection: Boise State’s Drew Fielder can score outside the lane, as the Rebels learned when his last-second 3-pointer forced overtime in their first meeting.
UNLV won that January game 89-85, with Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn scoring 33 points over 45 minutes. Fielder scored 23 and tied regulation at 76 with 0.2 seconds remaining. Boise State also scored 48 points in the paint, making the rematch more than an assignment to chase a center to the 3-point line. Following Fielder outside requires someone to cover the space left near the basket.
Both teams are 7-6 in the Mountain West. UNLV is 12-12 overall after home wins over Grand Canyon and San José State, while Boise State is 15-9 and has won six of seven since the loss in Las Vegas. Tipoff at ExtraMile Arena is 7 p.m. Pacific on FS1. The Broncos have won at Wyoming and New Mexico during that run and have not lost at home since Jan. 10.
Jones missed three games after injuring his shoulder early in the Jan. 27 loss to New Mexico before returning for 13 points on 6-for-8 shooting against San José State. He can challenge a drive when a guard is beaten, but a matchup with Fielder would force him to defend farther from the rim. Keeping Jones nearer the basket instead would require a teammate to reach Fielder in time to contest his jumper without letting him drive past the closeout. Javan Buchanan, Andrew Meadow and Dylan Andrews give the Broncos other players to find when UNLV commits help.
Boise State enters with a plus-6.3 rebounding margin, 35th nationally in UNLV’s pregame notes. If Jones follows Fielder outside, Kimani Hamilton, Jacob Bannarbie and the guards will have to cover the glass behind him.
Andrews averages 12.3 points and a team-leading 3.4 assists. His passing adds another decision for the defender meeting him near a screen: stop the ball without treating Fielder as a player who can be abandoned away from the rim. Fielder leads Boise State at 13.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. His January performance was much larger than those averages and already demonstrated that UNLV has to account for his shot.
Andrew Meadow scored 21 points in the January meeting. UNLV must also account for him when sending help toward Fielder or Andrews.
Emmanuel Stephen and Jacob Bannarbie provide additional size, with Jones and Hamilton needing to avoid foul trouble. Five Rebels fouled out at Fresno State in a 98-96 loss after UNLV led in the final seconds. Boise State makes about 77% of its free throws, so reaching after a missed assignment risks giving the Broncos points without requiring a contested shot.
Boise State beat Reno 91-87 in overtime, then won 91-90 at New Mexico. Both opponents have beaten UNLV this season.
The first meeting also showed what UNLV can gain from protecting its own possessions and finishing defensive rebounds. The Rebels scored 29 points from Boise State turnovers and won the rebounding count 40-33. In Tuesday’s 82-75 win over San José State, they had 16 assists against nine turnovers and shot 49.2%, although a 13-point lead still shrank to three before they finished the game.
Howie Fleming Jr. scored 17 points in the first meeting, with Hamilton adding 16. Fleming returned Tuesday after missing the Grand Canyon game with an ankle injury, giving the Rebels another experienced ballhandler alongside Gibbs-Lawhorn.
Gibbs-Lawhorn has scored at least 20 in four straight games while handling most of the point-guard work. Kimani Hamilton supplied 23 points and 10 rebounds against San Jose State, going 3-for-4 from 3-point range and scoring inside. When Hamilton catches the next pass and attacks, UNLV can keep the possession moving without asking Gibbs-Lawhorn to start it over.
UNLV coach Josh Pastner wants the ball to reach the next player before the defense can reset. Since the road losses at Wyoming, Colorado State and Fresno State, he has emphasized passing, shooting or driving soon after the catch rather than dribbling into a second defender.
“I don’t want the ball … one of the things that drives me up the wall is when we over dribble, overhandle or give the ball a headache,” he said.
Boise State is 9-3 at home. Friday is UNLV’s first road game since its 98-96 loss at Fresno State.
