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March 18, 2024

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Blog: No. 12 UNLV staves off the upset at Boise State with a 77-72 win in overtime

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Boise State’s Derrick Marks dunks in front of UNLV’s Quintrell Thomas during the first half of their game on Jan. 25, 2012, in Boise, Idaho.

Updated Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012 | 9:27 p.m.

Mike Moser notched his 11th double-double of the season and Oscar Bellfield hit a key 3-pointer to help No. 12 UNLV stave off upset with a 77-72 overtime victory at Boise State.

Moser had the block on a three-point attempt that sent it to overtime, and he and Bellfield took charge in the final period. The Rebels controlled the game in overtime, keeping Boise to just one possession in the first two minutes.

Moser finished with 18 points and 21 rebounds. Bellfield had 13 and Chace Stanback scored 15.

Check back on lasvegassun.com later tonight for a full report from the game.

UNLV and Boise State are going to overtime tied at 64

Mike Moser came up with a big block on a three-point attempt, and UNLV is going to overtime, tied at 64 with Boise State.

The Rebels' final possession was a missed shot by Stanback and then a turnover by Moser. The Broncos had the ball with 30 seconds left and a chance to win, but they waited too long to start the offense and then couldn't get anything besides a contested 3-pointer as the final seconds rolled off.

UNLV trying to avoid the upset, up 60-59 at Boise State with 3:17 to go

Boise State answered UNLV's run with one of its own, and with 5:39 remaining the Broncos lead 56-55. After challenging the Rebels for the last 20 minutes, Boise has put itself in a position to pull off the home upset against No. 12 UNLV.

Mike Moser is the only thing working for the Rebels on offense, partially because Anthony Marshall is on the bench with four fouls and a slight injury after he crashed to the floor following a charge call. Down the stretch the Rebels are going to need someone to take over, and with 13 points and 12 rebounds, Moser seems like the most likely candidate.

Rebels lead 40-39 at Boise State early in the second half

Boise State came out on fire in the second half, but three consecutive 3-pointers put the Rebels back in the lead 40-39 with 15:20 remaining.

The Broncos are brimming with confidence and moving the ball very effectively on offense. The Rebels defense hasn't been able to get on the same page for much of the game, scrambling on switches and in general looking confused.

The offense may get ignited by the recent stretch of 3-pointers, but with the way they've been shooting those tonight, the Rebels are still best served working inside-out.

The Rebels hold a slim 29-27 halftime lead at Boise State

Justin Hawkins hit a 3-pointer with about seven seconds on the clock to give UNLV a 29-27 lead at halftime. The Broncos had taken their first lead of the game on the previous possession.

The Rebels' defense hasn't been on the same page for the last 10 minutes, with a lot of players scrambling on switches and glaring at each other after mistakes.

Offensively, UNLV is just taking way too many 3-pointers. The team is shooting 4-for-16, which is nearly half (35) of its total attempts from the field tonight. The Rebels can't keep chucking up those shots without first feeding the ball inside and expect to hold off the suddenly resurgent Broncos.

Derrick Marks leads Boise State with 11 points. The team opened the game 1-for-14, but because of UNLV's horrid play, the Broncos are actually shooting a better percentage (32.4 to 31.4) at halftime.

Hawkins and Anthony Marshall lead UNLV with five points each. Mike Moser has four points and seven rebounds, and he played a bulk of the first half with two fouls. He and Brice Massamba both enter the second half with two fouls.

Rebels lead 17-12 in the first half at Boise State

Because of an ugly offensive stretch that included airballs from Anthony Marshall and Quintrell Thomas, UNLV's lead is down to 17-12 with 6:49 left in the first half.

The Rebels are settling for a lot of outside shots before even looking to the post, and if the Broncos weren't shooting 27 percent, including 0-for-8 behind the three-point line, UNLV could be in trouble.

As it stands, they still have the lead and advantage at every position. If they start working it inside, the Rebels ought to be fine.

UNLV out to an early 12-2 lead at Boise State

UNLV didn't have any trouble with a slow start at Boise State, opening up a 12-2 lead with 14:39 left in the first half.

Anthony Marshall, the team's best weapon for about a month now opened with a 3-pointer, then Chace Stanback and Brice Massamba added to the lead. The Rebels' defense held the Broncos without a field goal for the first 4:15 of the game.

Basically, the best chance Boise State had to stay in this game is already gone. UNLV had to open the game sloppy and Boise needs to hit a ton of 3-pointers.

So far, the Rebels don't look like they'll be cooperating tonight.

No. 12 UNLV looks to exorcise road demons at Boise State

No. 12 UNLV (18-3, 3-0) is going to a good place to exorcise its road demons.

Boise State (10-8, 0-3) has lost four in a row and five out of its last six. The Broncos are 9-1 at home, but its most impressive victory was on Nov. 30 against Drake, which ranks 137th, according to kenpom.com. Their most recent home game was a 74-59 loss to Air Force.

Worse yet, in last Saturday’s 54-52 loss to TCU, Boise guard Jeff Elorriaga, a starter for much of the year, went down with a fractured thumb that will likely sideline him for the rest of the season.

The Broncos have already used nine different starting lineups this year, more than they had all during the entirety of coach Leon Rice’s debut season last year.

UNLV coach Dave Rice (no relation) will try to not let his players use that as a reason to look past the Broncos. No matter the opponent, the Rebels need to fix their troubles on the road, and this is a good week to do so.

After tonight’s game, the Rebels travel for a Saturday tilt at Air Force. Rice said that both teams rely on a heavy dose of perimeter shooting, which makes this week’s preparation a bit easier.

Of course, that logic only holds if UNLV actually comes out and executes that plan against the Broncos. Perimeter defense — contesting shots and limiting dribble-drives — has been a problem in all three of the Rebels’ losses and a few of their wins, as well.

Drilling 3-pointers is the Broncos' only chance at victory tonight, because they have no interior size. Boise only has one player at 6-foot-9 (Ryan Watkins), and in conference play he’s shooting just 37 percent from the field. In fact, as a team the Broncos are only shooting 36 percent in three Mountain West games.

On paper, everything favors the Rebels. The only thing standing in their way is another patented slow start that gives hope to the Broncos and the Taco Bell Arena crowd.

Bern’s prediction: Road conference games are traditionally not easy to win, especially for a team like UNLV that has struggled outside of its home state this year. But if the Rebels are going to get right on the road, this is the team to do it against. The Broncos are reeling; they’re shooting poorly; they’re undersized, and they’re injured. I like Carlos Lopez for 11 points and six rebounds, a solid if not spectacular defensive effort from UNLV’s guards and a third consecutive double-double for Mike Moser...by halftime. UNLV 78, Boise State 60.

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