Tennessee State rallied from a halftime shortfall and held on in the closing moments to defeat UNLV 63-60 Saturday evening at Lee’s Family Forum in Henderson, Nevada, delivering a frustrating defeat to the Rebels in the Jack Jones Classic.
The Rebels, buoyed by their 75-74 road win against Stanford on Sunday, were riding a wave of momentum. They headed into halftime with a 33-29 advantage, but the Tigers responded in the second half to secure the victory by three points.
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UNLV struggled offensively. The Rebels converted 19 of 51 shots, resulting in a shooting percentage of 37.3%. They also made just 20% of their three-point attempts and hit 59.4% from the free-throw line on 32 tries.
Tennessee State, conversely, made 28 of their 60 shots and faced their own free-throw challenges, successfully making only 5 of 13 for a rate of 38.5%. The Tigers managed to counteract these difficulties by crafting quality shot opportunities and exhibiting excellent ball movement, ending with 12 assists in contrast to UNLV’s seven.
The Rebels showcased their most critical moments during the first half, embarking on a 12-4 scoring spree that established a nine-point lead with five minutes remaining, their largest margin of the night. However, the Tigers regained the momentum early in the second half with an 11-1 run that granted Tennessee State control of the contest.
Tennessee State guard Travis Harper II and guard Aaron Nkrumah each contributed 12 points, while forward Carlous Williams added 10. Guard Dante Harris scored 8 points and made three steals. Harris delivered one of the key baskets of the game with 1:13 left, scoring a layup that tied the game.
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Leading UNLV was guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, who netted 13 points. Guard Howie Fleming Jr. contributed nine points and, in a crucial moment with 3:20 left, sank two free throws to give the Rebels a 60-58 lead. Forward Kimani Hamilton tallied 7 points, nine rebounds, and four assists, but the team’s offensive struggles proved detrimental in the end.
In the dying minutes of the game, Harper II drained a corner three to equalize the score at 56-56. Following Fleming’s paint shot and two free throws, UNLV led 60-58. Harris responded shortly after with a layup to level the score again. The Rebels lost possession, and the Tigers capitalized as Nkrumah netted the go-ahead layup with 32 seconds left.
UNLV had an opportunity to clinch the game, but Hamilton’s three-point attempt to tie it missed, resulting in another loss for the favored Rebels.
With their record falling to 4-6, the Rebels will commence conference play back at the Thomas & Mack Center against the Fresno State Bulldogs. The matchup is scheduled for Dec. 20 at 4:00 PM.
