LAS VEGAS — Howie Fleming Jr. grabbed a missed free throw with eight seconds left in the first half Tuesday and found Tyrin Jones for a dunk before the horn. UNLV went into halftime ahead 32-24, with its leading scorer still scoreless.
That possession carried the shape of their 92-65 win over Utah State: finish a stop, get the ball moving and make the pass before the defense could recover. Fleming recorded his second triple-double in four games, and five Rebels scored in double figures on Senior Night at the Thomas & Mack Center.
UNLV had opened with a turnover that became a Mason Falslev 3-pointer and fell behind 9-4. The response grew through Jones’ rim runs, Issac Williamson’s shooting and Kimani Hamilton’s attacks. A team that has spent much of the season searching for reliable offense scored 60 points after halftime.
UNLV shot 57.6% from the field and assisted on 21 of its 34 made baskets. The Rebels finished with 46 points in the paint, 18 fast-break points and 35 points from the bench.
The Rebels won the rebounding battle 36-30 and turned nine Utah State turnovers into 10 points. They had enough ways to create a shot that an Aggies defense leaning toward Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn kept leaving another Rebel available.
A Rebound Becomes a Run
Utah State created extra chances early. Zach Keller tipped in a miss, and Karson Templin supplied another second-chance finish while the Rebels were missing jumpers. Those possessions helped the Aggies build their 9-4 lead and brought some early tension into the building.
Tyrin Jones entered with 14:50 left in the half and scored at the rim a second later off a Fleming pass. At 12:58, Fleming found him for another layup in transition. UNLV was getting to the basket before Utah State could settle into its half-court defense.
Utah State’s early lead concealed a long stretch without a basket. After reaching 9-4, the Aggies missed 13 consecutive shots and went more than 11 minutes without making a field goal. They still found enough free throws to remain within reach, but the first-half offense never became comfortable. UNLV did not have to score on every trip to change the direction of the game.
The Aggies made only six field goals before halftime. Eleven of their 24 points came at the foul line.
Issac Williamson gave that attack room. He made four first-half 3-pointers and finished with 15 points on 5-for-7 shooting from beyond the arc. Utah State had to account for him outside while Jones ran toward the basket.
The Coverage Follows Gibbs-Lawhorn
A major part of Utah State’s defensive plan centered on Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn. After Gibbs-Lawhorn scored 42 points against Reno days earlier, the Aggies treated him like the first problem that had to be solved. Hamilton described the pressure after the game as a chance to make a pass and play four on three. UNLV had to release the ball before Utah State recovered, then keep the next pass available. The 21 assists show the result without establishing how the Aggies guarded every touch.
Gibbs-Lawhorn finished with 10 points on 3-for-8 shooting, including two 3-pointers. He moved the ball out of traps instead of trying to shoot through them. The extra attention followed him, and the next pass reached an opening elsewhere.
Utah State did receive offense from elsewhere. Tucker Anderson scored a season-high 15 points off the bench, and Drake Allen added 11 with five assists. Falslev finished with 20 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and three steals. The Aggies had players producing, but too many other possessions ended without the shot or second chance they needed.
MJ Collins Jr. scored four points on 2-for-10 shooting and missed all six of his 3-pointers. That left Utah State without a productive night from another of its main scorers. Anderson’s reserve scoring helped, but it could not compensate for UNLV finding a layup or an open shooter again at the other end. The Aggies improved to 47.2% shooting in the second half and still lost ground because the Rebels made 70%.
Hamilton Keeps Attacking
Drake Allen hit a 3-pointer early in the second half, and Falslev scored after a UNLV turnover to bring Utah State within 34-29. The Aggies had a chance to make the Rebels defend a much tighter game.
Hamilton kept taking that chance away.
Hamilton attacked the lane and ran for early opportunities before Utah State could set its defense. He finished with 24 points on 10-for-14 shooting, seven rebounds and three assists. With defenders still shading toward Gibbs-Lawhorn, Hamilton had room to turn a catch into a drive.
“Ain’t nobody say nothing, just keep attacking,” Hamilton said afterward.
“I don’t force the game. Just let the game come to me.”
Williamson’s shooting stretched the defense, and the passes out of Gibbs-Lawhorn’s coverage reached Hamilton before the Aggies could close those lanes. A defender stepping in to stop him left a shooter or a cutter for the next pass.
Fleming Finds the Next Pass
Fleming finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in 37 minutes. UNLV outscored Utah State by 25 with him on the floor. He pushed after rebounds and kept the offense organized when the Rebels had to work in the half court.
Jones finished with 17 points on 8-for-10 shooting, four rebounds and three assists. His transition finishes and an alley-oop brought the crowd into the game, and his movement toward the rim gave Fleming a target whenever Utah State’s defenders were drawn away from it.
Fleming’s passing was especially valuable because UNLV did not need him to match the scorers’ shooting efficiency. He finished 4-for-10 and made one of five 3-point attempts. Twelve assists gave him another way to shape the offense when his own jumper was less reliable. Nine defensive rebounds also gave him chances to begin possessions without waiting for someone else to retrieve the ball.
His first triple-double, at Air Force on Feb. 21, came with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists without a turnover. That afternoon, Jones left before halftime with altitude sickness, and UNLV still scored 57 points in the second half. Tuesday offered another example of Fleming connecting the available finishers, this time against the league leader rather than a team at the bottom of the standings.
The frontcourt supplied scoring around the finishers. Jacob Bannarbie made his only field-goal attempt and all four free throws for six points. Walter Brown added five rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
Free throws also protected the second-half offense. UNLV went 13-for-15 after halftime, preventing Utah State from turning a foul into an empty Rebels possession. The teams finished with 14 made free throws apiece, but UNLV needed only 17 attempts to get there. Utah State took 20. With the Rebels already converting so often from the field, the Aggies had little relief when they sent a player to the stripe.
An 8-0 Finish
The Rebels kept reaching the paint in the second half, even when they had to start against a set defense. A drive could become a kickout, and the next pass could send the ball back inside before the Aggies recovered. UNLV shot 21-for-30 after halftime, 70%.
Utah State went scoreless over the final 2:23 while UNLV closed on an 8-0 run. Reserves took over the final possessions, and a late 3-pointer from Jalen Cunningham pushed the margin to its largest point of the night.
The First Sweep in 12 Years
UNLV improved to 16-14 overall and 11-8 in Mountain West play, completing its first regular-season sweep of Utah State since 2013-14. The Rebels had already handed the Aggies their only home loss in Logan. This time, they won by 27 in Las Vegas.
The contrast with Saturday’s rivalry win was sharp. Gibbs-Lawhorn had scored 42 against Reno, forced overtime with a late 3-pointer and then fouled out before the finish. Fleming’s rebound and outlet found Jones for the winning layup. UNLV survived 85-83 because a teammate could finish the possession after its leading scorer was unavailable.
The sweep also looked different from the first victory in Logan. In January, UNLV had to overcome a 14-point second-half deficit before finishing on a 13-3 run. The Rebels made 21 of 25 free throws that night and outrebounded Utah State 40-31. Jones scored 20, including 10 makes at the foul line. Tuesday, UNLV spent most of the night in front and pulled farther away after the break.
UNLV began the year with 13 newcomers, and the early months often looked like it. Individual scoring runs did not always become dependable offense. Tuesday gave Josh Pastner a game in which the progress was visible in the next pass.
“If you watch our team, you have to say guys have gotten better,” Pastner said.
