LAS VEGAS — Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn was asleep when Josh Pastner called with another game. UNLV had accepted an NIT bid and would visit UC Irvine on Tuesday, giving the Rebels another practice to work on the decisions that cost them in the Mountain West tournament.
Pastner said every available player wanted in. One returned from a spring-break trip as soon as he heard UNLV was still playing.
At Monday’s media availability, the coach’s enthusiasm came with an assignment: use the extra basketball to address the mistakes that ended the Rebels’ conference tournament run.
“Obviously, we’re excited to be able to continue to play and compete,” Pastner said.
“The ultimate goal is the NCAA tournament, but if not, you want to continue to play.”
“You can’t be laying in a fetal position and just want to stay down on the canvas,” Pastner said.
“You’ve got to get up and fight back.”
UNLV enters the first round 17-16, with an 8 p.m. Pacific tipoff Tuesday at the Bren Events Center on ESPNU. The Rebels have won seven of their last 11 games, enough to show improvement without erasing the losses that left them outside the NCAA field. UC Irvine is 23-11 and won the Big West regular-season championship before losing Saturday’s tournament final to Hawaii. Both teams are playing after the defeat that closed their conference tournament.
Pastner was still bothered by the second half against Utah State. UNLV finished the game with 19 turnovers, and missed free throws, missed open shots and defensive lapses kept it from recovering. The next opponent would require better decisions around the basket, exactly where he thought UNLV had lost its composure.
Utah State converted those 19 turnovers into a 23-3 advantage in points off turnovers, matching the final margin in the 80-60 loss.
Walter Brown offered one contribution worth carrying forward: a career-high 11 points against Utah State. Tyrin Jones finished with nine points and nine rebounds. Their production gave UNLV something beyond Gibbs-Lawhorn’s scoring, but it came in a game in which Kimani Hamilton fouled out with 9:17 remaining and Howie Fleming Jr. followed with 5:08 left. A rotation that had been using seven players could not easily replace both. Staying available is part of the correction.
“Everybody’s playing,” Pastner said. “Everyone’s here and everyone’s ready to go.”
UC Irvine’s Monday preview lists former Anteater Myles Che as sidelined and says he will not play.
Gibbs-Lawhorn said he was excited about his first NIT appearance.
“I love to play, I love to compete.”
Gibbs-Lawhorn called the NIT a historic tournament and connected the extra basketball to building momentum for next season.
“We need all the momentum we can get,” Gibbs-Lawhorn said.
“Even to help this thing grow for next year… the NIT is one of those places to do it.”
Pastner praised UC Irvine as one of the premier programs on the West Coast. He credited longtime coach Russell Turner with building the toughness and consistency he wants at UNLV.
The most immediate obstacle is Kyle Evans, the nation’s leading shot blocker. Pastner linked handling Irvine’s rim protection to the footwork the Rebels abandoned against Utah State.
“We didn’t play off of two feet like we’re taught,” Pastner said.
“We were playing off of one foot, jumping in the air,” he said. “And against Irvine, you have to play off of two feet.”
Evans had 113 blocks through the Big West tournament, a school and conference single-season record. The Anteaters were allowing opponents to shoot 38.4% from the field.
Gibbs-Lawhorn said he was emphasizing the same footwork in practice.
“That’s been something even for me that I’ve struggled with… just trying to make the right read.”
Stopping on two feet gives Gibbs-Lawhorn a chance to stay balanced and read the help. He can finish if the space is there or pass if Evans closes, rather than leave the floor and discover he has neither option.
Pastner pointed to player development, regular-season sweeps of Utah State and Boise State, a road win at Stanford and stretches of faster, harder play as progress in his first year. The Utah State loss showed how much of that work still has to hold up under pressure.
Pastner said Che could help with knowledge of Irvine’s system, even though he had not been with that team this season. He expected relatively few changes from either staff on the short turnaround. Irvine had played Saturday; UNLV had finished Thursday and taken three days off. The assignment, in his account, was to execute better against familiar habits, rather than install a new offense overnight.
His work also extends beyond the floor. Asked about a general manager’s role, Pastner described remaining deeply involved in fundraising, roster management and allocating resources while UNLV competes against wealthier programs.
“I believe this program can be a sleeping giant,” Pastner said.
“The trees just need to be rattled and awoken.”
Pastner returned to winning when asked about the possibility of an NBA team in Las Vegas. More competition is inevitable, he said, but he believes people will come if the Rebels give them meaningful basketball.
