RUNNIN’ REBELS BACK HOME THURSDAY TO HOST HOFSTRA
UNLV’s 7 p.m. game will be its first at Thomas & Mack Center in 23 days
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\The UNLV men’s basketball team (4-5) will be back at the Thomas & Mack Center for the first time in 23 days to host Hofstra (7-4) on Thursday, Dec. 21 at 7 p.m.
THURSDAY’S PROMOTIONS: Thursday’s game is the Runnin’ Rebels’ “Holiday Game.” As part of the festivities all fans are invited to take a FREE photo with Santa in the holiday photo booth before the start of the game. It will also be $2 beer night.
TICKETS: Tickets to UNLV men’s basketball home games are on sale now at UNLVtickets.com, by calling 702-739-3267 or by visiting the Thomas & Mack Center Box Office.
LAST WEEK: UNLV defeated No. 8 Creighton (79-64) last Wednesday at the Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nevada, marking its first win over a top 10 team in four seasons and its first in non-conference play in nine years. The Runnin’ Rebels then lost a heartbreaker in double-overtime on Saturday in Phoenix to Saint Mary’s (69-67) on a buzzer-beating lay-in. Dedan Thomas Jr. averaged 20 points, 5.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game earning him Mountain West Freshman of the Week honors. He was also recognized as Dick Vitale’s “Diaper Dandy” for the week.
RUNNIN’ REBEL LEADERS: Four UNLV players are averaging double figures in scoring this season in Kalib Boone (13.6 ppg), Dedan Thomas Jr. (13.6 ppg), Luis Rodriguez (11.6 ppg) and Jalen Hill (11.5 ppg). Hill leads the team in rebounds (6.8 rpg), while Luis Rodriguez is second (5.9 rpg). Dedan Thomas Jr. is the assists leader (6.0 apg, 18th in nation), Boone leads in field-goal percentage (65.3, 17th in nation) and blocks (1.9 bpg, 52nd in nation) and Rodriguez is the team’s steals leader (2.1 spg, 50th in nation). Hill has missed the last three games with a wrist injury.
ABOUT THE ROSTER: This season’s UNLV squad features seven returners from last year’s team along with seven newcomers. The newcomers are made up of three Division I transfers, a junior college transfer and three freshmen. UNLV has 10 upperclassmen, including five fifth-year seniors. A total of four players on the roster are playing in their hometown of Las Vegas. The Runnin’ Rebels return two starters in Luis Rodriguez and Justin Webster, who averaged 10.7 and 8.2 points per game last season, respectively. Rodriguez led last season’s team in rebounding (5.7 rpg).
ABOUT THE OPPONENT: Hofstra enters Thursday’s game with a 7-4 record. The Pride snapped a two-game losing streak with a 74-58 win over Norfolk State at home on Saturday. Three Hofstra players are averaging double figures in scoring: Tyler Thomas (22.9 ppg), Darlinstone Dubar (17.8 ppg) and Jaquan Carlos (11.0 ppg). Dubar is the team’s rebounding leader (6.6 rpg), while Carlos leads in assists (7.3 apg) and steals (1.5 spg), and Jacco Fritz is the blocks leader (1.3 bpg). As a team, Hofstra ranks No. 5 in the country in 3-pointers per game (11.1), ninth in free throw percentage (79.2) and 16th in effective field goal percentage (57.3). Thomas is first in the nation in 3-pointers per game (4.2) and fifth in scoring, while Carlos is sixth in the nation in assists per game. The Pride finished last season with an overall record of 25-10, tying for first in the Coastal Athletic Association with a 16-2 league mark. They advanced to the second round of the NIT, losing to Cincinnati. Hofstra was picked to finish fourth in its league this season, while Thomas was named All-CAA Preseason First Team and Dubar was selected honorable mention. Led by head coach Speedy Claxton, Hofstra has eight underclassmen on its 15-man roster.
BROADCAST INFO: Thursday’s game will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network and televised locally in Southern Nevada on the Silver State Sports & Entertainment Network (SSSEN – Digital 5.2 and Cox 125) with Matt Neverett and Steve Cofield calling the action. Jon Sandler and former Runnin’ Rebel Curtis Terry will handle the UNLV radio call, which may be heard live on ESPN Radio 1100 in Las Vegas. All streaming links and live stats are available at UNLVRebels.com and through the UNLV Rebels App.
