Game day: Webster is clutch as UNLV wins at Boise State

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Published Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024 | 2 a.m.

Updated Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024 | 9:17 p.m.

UNLV got a second chance to close out a four-point lead, and this time Kevin Kruger's squad executed perfectly to earn a 68-64 win at Boise State.

Senior guard Justin Webster came up clutch down the stretch, nailing a pull-up jumper from the baseline to extend UNLV's lead to 63-59 with a minute to play. After Tyson Degenhart made 1-of-2 free throws to make it 63-60, freshman D.J. Thomas split a pair to restore the lead to 64-60.

Degenhart wasted no time driving for a short bank shot, which trimmed UNLV's lead to 64-62 with 22 seconds remaining.

Webster was intentionally fouled on the inbound pass kept the icewater flowing, making both free throws to put UNLV ahead 66-62.

The same sequence then played out again, with Degenhart making two free throws to get Boise within two, and Webster getting fouled and calmly sinking both free throws to seal the win.

Rob Whaley paced UNLV with 18 points, while Webster finished with 15. Degenhart led Boise State with 24.

UNLV had lost its previous eight games to Boise State; tonight's win snaps Boise's 22-game home winning streak.

UNLV will stay on the road and head straight to Fort Collins ahead of its Friday game at Colorado State.

UNLV basketball clinging to late lead at Boise State

UNLV is scratching and clawing for a win here in Boise, and with 3:29 remaining the Scarlet and Gray have a 61-57 lead.

Rob Whaley has been UNLV's best player tonight, and he just chipped in another key bucket via pure hustle. With six minutes left, Keylan Boone had to force a long 3 to beat the shot clock. He missed, but Whaley was under the basket to collect the offensive rebound and put it back in to extend UNLV's lead to 59-52.

Whaley has a team-high 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting.

Tyson Degenhart has carried Boise State in the second half, scoring 15 of his 19 points since the break. UNLV hasn't been able to stop him down low or keep him off the offensive glass, despite trying multiple defenders on him. Degenhart just drew a foul while driving to the basket and will shoot a 1-and-1 when play resumes.

UNLV holding onto 50-47 lead at Boise State

Every basket has been hard to come by in the second half, but D.J. Thomas just hit a big one to keep UNLV in front for now, 50-47.

UNLV is 5-of-10 from the field since the break, but they've committed three turnovers and gone 1-of-4 from the free-throw line. Boise State was within two a moment ago when Thomas found himself at the top of the key with the ball in his hands and the shot clock running low. Thomas dribbled into a long 3-pointer and buried it, giving his team some breathing room.

It's been a very physical half under the basket, and if this is how the game is going to be played the rest of the way, UNLV is going to have to be the tougher team if they want to win.

UNLV basketball leads Boise State at half, 36-34

UNLV is on the hunt for another upset, and this would be a big one. At the half, the Scarlet and Gray hold a 36-34 lead over Boise State.

Boise State has won 22 straight home games, and they've also won their last eight contests against UNLV, so Kevin Kruger's squad came into this game as underdogs in more ways that one. But thanks to a phenomenal half from Rob Whaley, who already has a career-high 13 points, UNLV is 20 minutes away from one of their biggest wins of the season.

Whaley has made 6-of-7 shots from the field while collecting three rebounds and a block. His work on the interior has been a boon for the Scarlet and Gray, as the team is just 3-of-12 from 3-point range. One of those long-distance makes came courtesy of Justin Webster, who nailed a corner 3 before the buzzer to give UNLV the lead at the break.

Chibuzo Agbo has been a tough matchup for UNLV, as the Broncos guard has 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting. Aside from Agbo, Kruger has to like the job his defense has done in holding Boise to 40.0% from the floor.

Can UNLV win a close game in a hostile environment against an opponent that has had its number of late? 

Whaley stakes UNLV to 24-16 lead over Boise State

Rob Whaley is hot right now, and Kevin Kruger is riding him. With 7:58 left in the first half, UNLV is on top of Boise State, 24-16. 

The junior forward was the first sub off the bench for UNLV, and Whaley went right to work, scoring a pair of post buckets (the second of which turned into an and-1). A moment later he came up with a steal and a breakaway dunk; on the next possession, UNLV got into transition and Justin Webster found Whaley for a loud alley-oop slam.

In just seven minutes of court time, Whaley already has 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting. He also has a steal and a block.

UNLV basketball takes early lead at Boise State

UNLV started quick, as D.J. Thomas hit Kalib Boone for an alley-oop dunk on the game's opening possession, and with 15:33 left in the first half the Scarlet and Gray have an 8-7 lead in Boise.

Luis Rodriguez has been active early, with a 3-pointer and a steal. His defense against multiple Boise State players figures to be a key for UNLV as the game unfolds.

BSU point guard Roddie Anderson has four points to lead the Broncos in the early minutes.

UNLV basketball back on court after controversial loss

The UNLV basketball team is entering a pivotal stretch of the season. After proving their Mountain West mettle with a convincing win over New Mexico, the Scarlet and Gray were handed a tough, last-second loss to Utah State on Saturday, as a controversial call went against them on the final possession.

Can Kevin Kruger get his squad to put it in the rear-view mirror and rally for a tough pair of road games this week? We’ll find out on Tuesday, as UNLV travels to take on Boise State (7 p.m., CBS Sports Network).

Three keys to watch:

Call reverberates

UNLV thought it had a win on Saturday, up by four points with 14 seconds remaining. But a controversial defensive-foul call on Kalib Boone allowed Utah State to score five points on a single possession, leaving Kruger and his players stunned.

The call already cost UNLV one game. How many more will they let it cost them?

If the Scarlet and Gray come out feeling sorry for themselves on Tuesday, a quality Boise State team will surely make short work of them. Kruger is hoping his veteran laden crew will put the call in the past and focus on the task at hand.

“At some point in your career, you’re obviously going to have tough losses,” he said. “When you’ve got guys who have been in college four or five years, you hope that they can get through it a little bit quicker and get ready to move on, because we’ve got a really tough road trip coming up.”

Gone Whalin’

When Jalen Hill went down for the season with a torn ACL, there was a question about how UNLV would make up for his all-around production. Junior forward Rob Whaley got the first crack at it, and he’s making a case for a bigger role.

The 6-foot-6 reserve has been a standout over the past three contests, including an 11-point, eight-rebound, two-assist showing in 24 minutes against Utah State.

After the Utah State game, Kruger said Whaley is playing with confidence now that he has found his stride.

“He’s had great games,” Kruger said. “He’s been great in the paint, doing a great job defensively, rebounding it, playing really physically.”

Clamps out

While Boise State hasn’t been the most hyped team in the Mountain West this season, the Broncos may end up being the best.

A balanced scoring attack features four players in double figures, but Boise’s real calling card is at the other end of the floor, where they rank No. 18 in KenPom’s adjusted defense metric. That’s the best mark of any team in the conference, and it has powered them to a 3-0 start, including back-to-back wins over Colorado State and UNR in which neither opponent was able to score 60 points.

Oh, and the Broncos have won 22 straight home games.

If UNLV wants to have any chance of snapping that streak, it’s probably going to take their best performance of the season — and more than 60 points.

Who: UNLV (8-7, 1-2 MWC) at Boise State (12-4, 3-0 MWC)

When: Tuesday, 7 p.m.

Where: ExtraMile Arena (Boise, Idaho)

TV: CBS Sports Network

Radio: 1100 AM, 100.9 FM

UNLV leaders

Scoring

Kalib Boone: 13.7 points

Rebounds

Luis Rodriguez: 6.7 rebounds

Assists

D.J. Thomas: 6.6 assists

Boise State leaders

Scoring

Tyson Degenhart: 15.5 points

Rebounds

O’mar Stanley: 6.0 rebounds 

Assists

Roddie Anderson: 2.7 assists

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.