RUNNIN’ REBELS TO HOST SAN DIEGO IN NON-CONFERENCE FINALE
UNLV looking for fourth-straight victory in 2021’s last contest Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Thomas & Mack Center
- Game Notes vs. San Diego (PDF) | 2021-22 Schedule
- 2021-22 Statistics (PDF)| 2021-22 Statistics (Web)
- @UNLVAthletics | @TheRunninRebels
- Tickets
The UNLV men’s basketball team (7-5) will be looking for its fourth-straight win as it hosts San Diego on Wednesday, Dec. 22 at 7 p.m. in its non-conference finale and last contest of 2021.
It will be the program’s annual holiday game as fans will be able to celebrate the season with a holiday t-shirt giveaway for the first 750 fans. There will be an appearance by Santa on the concourse before the game as well as holiday-themed promotions during the contest.
The Runnin’ Rebels have won each of their last three games: two at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob ULTRA Arena on the Las Vegas Strip as the TMC hosted the National Finals Rodeo (vs. Seattle, 76-56, and vs. Hartford, 95-78) and their last game at home last Wednesday (vs. Omaha, 84-71). Over those three games, senior guard Bryce Hamilton has averaged 25.7 points per game on 55% shooting, while junior forward Donovan Williams has scored 17.7 ppg on 58%.
Hamilton leads the Runnin’ Rebels in scoring this season at 18.5 points per game, which ranks sixth in the Mountain West, with Williams second at 11.9 ppg. Hamm Jr. is second in the MW in rebounding with 9.9 per contest (17th in the country) and is also averaging 8.9 ppg and 1.1 bpg. Senior guard Jordan McCabe leads the team in assists at 4.8 apg (sixth in the MW) and is second in the conference and 10th in the country in assist/turnover ratio (3.8).
UNLV has an entirely new look this year with nine transfers – eight coming from the Division I level, including four from Big 12 programs. Ten of the Runnin’ Rebels’ 13 scholarship players had yet to play in a game in a UNLV uniform before this season began.
The returners include Hamilton and senior guard Marvin Coleman and the 15-man roster includes 13 upperclassmen. Hamilton was selected to the 2021-22 Preseason All-Mountain West Team in October. Initially declaring for the 2021 NBA Draft, the second-team All-MW honoree last season who led the Runnin’ Rebels in scoring with 17.9 points per game decided to return to the program.
San Diego (7-5) has also won each of its last three games: vs. Cal Poly (52-51) and Cal Lutheran (84-55) at home and against Northern Arizona (69-59) on Saturday in Phoenix. Marcellus Earlington and Jase Townsend lead the team in scoring with 13.6 and 11.7 ppg, respectively, while Terrell Brown-Soares is the team’s leading rebounder (7.7 rpg) and is 12th in the nation in blocks (3.2 bpg). Bryce Monroe leads the team in assists (2.4 apg). The Toreros rank ninth in the country in 3-point percentage (40.0) and 22nd in scoring defense (58.7 ppg).
Wednesday’s game will be televised locally in Las Vegas on Cox YurView channel 14/1014 with Matt Neverett and Steve Cofield calling the action. It will also be available online for free through the Mountain West Network. 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.
Tickets, including the Family 4-Pack, which includes four tickets to the game, four hot dogs, four sodas and four boxes of popcorn for just $60 ($15 per ticket), may be purchased at UNLVtickets.com, by calling 702-739-FANS (3267) or by visiting the TMC Box Office. The Family 4-Pack must be purchased by Dec. 21.
