The No.2-seeded UNLV Runnin’ Rebels face off against the Fresno State Bulldogs in the second round of the MWC tournament at Thomas & Mack Center. Action begins at 9:00 pm ET on Thursday, Mar. 10 and can be seen on CCS.
The Runnin’ Rebels played well in their last game, topping Air Force 108-102 in the 1. Ike Nwamu was the game’s leading scorer with 38 points on 9-for-20 shooting. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, are coming off an 86-85 win against Utah State in their last game. Marvelle Harris led the game in scoring by registering 34 points on 12-for-23 shooting.
Over the last five games, Patrick McCaw has taken his game to another level for the Runnin’ Rebels, averaging 16.8 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.6 three-pointers. Harris has been hot for the Bulldogs. In the same five-game span, he is averaging 26.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 3.0 steals, 1.2 blocks, and 1.6 three-pointers.
Baskets could be hard to come by as UNLV ranks seventh in the nation, allowing just 97.3 points per 100 possessions, while Fresno State is 16th (100.0). Also, the Bulldogs commit the third-fewest errors in the nation (TO% of 15.5%), while the disruptive defense of the Runnin’ Rebels causes the 10th-most (opponents’ TO% of 20.8%).
The Bulldogs have emerged victorious in both games against the Runnin’ Rebels this year, escaping with a narrow 108-102 victory the last time these teams met. Harris had a stellar game with 37 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, three steals, two blocks, and five three-pointers.
Notes
Fresno State won its last game by a one-point margin. In games decided by a margin of three points or less, UNLV is 3-5. Fresno State is 6-0 in close games this season.
The UNLV Runnin’ Rebels have a defensive rating of 97.3 (ranked seventh), while the Fresno State Bulldogs have an offensive rating of 107.3 (ranked 143rd).
The Fresno State Bulldogs average a field goal percentage of 43.5% this season. The UNLV Runnin’ Rebels have a subpar record of 4-8 when opponents have a FG% of 43.5% or greater.
The UNLV Runnin’ Rebels rank lower for their field goal percentage (191st) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (177th), but the Fresno State Bulldogs have a better FG% ranking (206th) than eFG% ranking (244th).
UNLV ranks 65th in assists, registering 15.2 per game. Fresno State performs worse at 144th with 13.8 assists per game.
UNLV, the 26th-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 5.2 per game. Fresno State does worse, ranked 109th with 3.9.
UNLV ranks 50th in defensive rebounding. When it comes to offensive rebounds, Fresno State ranks 81st.
On average, UNLV forces a turnover rate of 20.8%, ranked 10th in the nation. When Fresno State turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a winning 3-1 record.
