Second Half Adjustments Key Rebels Surge
Adjustments are vital in the college game, and Menzies pushed the right buttons out the break. UNLV used a 26-4 run midway through the second half to turn a 36-30 deficit into a 16-point lead, its largest lead of the game with less than eight and half minutes to play. After Wyoming shot 50 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3-point range in the first half, UNLV adjusted to hold the Cowboys to just 33 percent from the field and a dismal 22 percent behind the arc in the second half.
Just look at UNLV’s shot chart from the first half and the second half. Ntambwe was nearly unstoppable from the elbow in against the Wyoming zone defense.
“I thought that the way the guys handled the adjustments we made at halftime was phenomenal, ” Menzies said in his post-game pressor. “For a young group to be able to handle multiple challenges, as far as what we tweaked at the halftime, was really good.”
The road for the Rebels gets a great deal tougher as they head to New Mexico to take on the Lobos in The Pit Tuesday night on ESPN2. The Lobos, who are also 8-6 overall and 2-0 in conference play, are coming off a huge upset over UNR, blasting the Wolfpack, 85-58. The announced crowd of 7,903 even cheered when the scoreboard showed the final score and it was announced.
The Rebels will have to figure out what to do with Lobo high-scorer Anthony Mathis (16.4 ppg), 6-foot-9 sophomore Vance Jackson (11.9 ppg, 7.1 rpg), and 6-foot-10 junior forward Carlton Bragg (10.2 ppg, 8.2 rpg) while tuning out one of the toughest crowds in the west. Mathis dropped 27 on UNR, which lost for the first time all season.
If anything, this proves road wins are at a premium in the Mountain West, especially considering even Boise State (7-8) protected its home court in a thrashing of San Diego State, 88-64, Saturday night as well.
While the Rebels will be heavy underdogs at New Mexico, a strong showing should prepare the young Rebels for the rest of the league road season. Only UNR and SDSU can rival New Mexico when it comes to home intensity. The same can be said for the Thomas & Mack, when it’s pushing capacity.
But, with two league wins in their pocket and some positive momentum for the time being, UNLV will be looking to parlay the good juju into some tangible results, instead of moral victories. Part of the growth process with this young team depends on it. At least for a few nights, the young Rebels can marinate in a little success and keep pushing forward in what was expected to be a lengthy rebuilding process for UNLV’s program.
The New Mexico game tips off on ESPN2 Tuesday night at 8 p.m. PST. With an upset win, UNLV can improve to 3-0 in Mountain West play for the first time in school history and with three wins to open conference play since 1999, when the Runnin’ Rebels played in the WAC under former coach Bill Bayno.
You know, the year “Fight Club” and “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace” hit theaters…
