The UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (17-11, 9-6) defeated the UNR Wolf Pack (12-14, 6-9) by a score of 62-54 Tuesday for their second win over their in-state rival this season. The Runnin’ Rebels also defeated the Wolf Pack 69-58 on Feb. 1. The win and season sweep of UNR is another step in the right direction for what is turning into a rather successful season for first-year head coach Kevin Kruger.
UNR held a 26-23 halftime lead before UNLV took control of the game in the second half, outscoring the Wolf Pack 39-28 on their way to the victory.
Star senior guard Bryce Hamilton had 27 points and eight rebounds to lead the team, a common storyline during the Rebels’ season. Hamilton now leads the Mountain West in scoring with 21.8 points per game and is seemingly a lock to be named to the All-Conference Team at season’s end. With his stretch of heroic performances, he may now also be pushing Wyoming’s Graham Ike and others for Mountain West Player of the Year.
After the Runnin’ Rebels 72-51 blowout win against Colorado State on Feb. 19, Kruger reflected on his team’s development this season.
“This is what he hoped and planned for our identity to be, which is defense. Having a lot of guys that can guard different positions… a lot of things offensively come with time, with years of experience and reps. But right now the guys are in-sync defensively, they’re playing so hard.”
The Runnin’ Rebels have now secured an above winning season in their overall record and have plenty of opportunities to continue adding to the win column. Ahead on the schedule are two enormous home games against first and second place in the conference standings in Boise State and Senior Night against Wyoming. The Runnin’ Rebels will close out their season with a road matchup against New Mexico before the Mountain West Tournament.
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