■ UNLV squeezed past Air Force 69-64 for a sweep of their two-game Mountain West series
Sizzles in second-half burst as Rebels down Air Force
UNLV was in a dire situation, trailing by two with 13:25 to play, when leading scorer Bryce Hamilton went to the bench with his fourth foul Monday night.
David Jenkins made sure Hamilton’s absence wasn’t a problem.
Jenkins scored 20 of his gamehigh 26 points in the second half as UNLV overcame a six-point halftime deficit to beat Air Force 69-64 and sweep the two-game Mountain
West series at the Thomas & Mack Center.
“My coaches and teammates have the ultimate confidence in me, so I knew if (Hamilton) was going out I’d probably have to pick up the offense for him,” Jenkins said. “Credit to my teammates for really looking for me and telling me to be aggressive.”
UNLV is 5-1 in conference home games and 0-4 on the road. The Rebels will visit third-place Boise State on Thursday and Saturday.
Both games tip at 7 p.m.
Jenkins shot 9-for-14 and 6-for-8 from 3-point range. He made two of his 3s during an 8-0 run soon after Hamilton went to the bench. UNLV shot 55.6 percent, including 60.9 percent in the second half. The Rebels were 9-for-16 from 3-point range.
Hamilton had 14 points and four assists, and the Rebels also received solid performances from Mbacke Diong with eight points and nine rebounds and Devin Tillis with six points, six rebounds and three assists.
A.J. Walker had 20 points to lead Air Force (4-14, 2-12), which lost its seventh straight game despite shooting 50 percent. Nikc Jackson had 18 points for the Falcons.
1. Jenkins takes over
Jenkins, a junior, was demoted from the starting lineup after coach T.J. Otzelberger wasn’t pleased with his defensive effort in the Rebels’ losses at UNR last Sunday and Tuesday.
Jenkins appears to have received the message.
“I wasn’t holding myself accountable as being the leader of the team,” Jenkins said. “I’m one of the oldest guys on the team. We’re a really young team. At (South Dakota State), I had guys being a leader for me, and I want to be that for our young guys.
”T.J. is holding me accountable, and I accept that. I just want to be a part of winning, and we won tonight.”
2. Even in the paint
UNLV dominated the boards for the second straight game 30-20. But Air Force was much more aggressive Monday taking the ball to the paint.
The teams tied 30-30 in points in the paint after UNLV routed the Falcons 46-10 there Saturday. Overall, UNLV made one more 2-point basket and three more free throws than Air Force, which proved to be the difference.
3. Tillis makes an impression
The numbers for Tillis, a freshman forward, didn’t jump off the page, but he played a steady game that was rewarded with Otzelberger keeping him in the game down the stretch.
“Devin is a very high IQ basketball player. He knows how the game is supposed to go,” Otzelberger said. “Devin feels at times like he gives us some maturity. He understands game situations. He’s a good communicator.
“He’ll continue to make tremendous strides offensively because of his smarts, his feel, his ability to score around the rim and make shots.”
The Golden Knights are getting closer to having Alex Pietrangelo back.
The defenseman and alternate captain has started skating on his own while waiting to clear the NHL’S COVID-19 protocols, coach Pete Deboer said Monday. Deboer said Pietrangelo will likely miss at least one more game before returning.
GOLDEN KNIGHTS NOTEBOOK
The Knights play the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday and Thursday at T-mobile Arena. Pietrangelo has missed the team’s past two games and hasn’t skated with the group since entering the protocols Jan. 28.
“I would say he’s asymptomatic from what I understand and has been the entire time,” Deboer said. “He obviously has a wife and kids. That’s always your main concern when you get a positive result is the people around you and your family. He’s had to deal with that, but I think he’s ready to get back.”
Pietrangelo, 31, was the Knights’ marquee signing this offseason.
The former St. Louis Blues captain and Stanley Cup champion signed a seven-year, $61.6 million contract in October.
The team’s defensemen have had their roles elevated across the board in his absence. Pietrangelo’s partner on the first pair, Brayden Mcnabb, also has missed the past two games while on long-term injured reserve with a lower-body injury.
As a result, defenseman Nick Holden played for the first time this season Friday, while rookie Dylan Coghlan made his NHL debut the same game. Second-year defensemen Nic Hague and Zach Whitecloud also have seen their ice time increase the past two games.
“From a D standpoint, I thought we did a good job of banding together,” defenseman Alec Martinez said. “You’re not going to just easily replace any of those guys that are out. It’s going to have to be by committee.”
Lehner practices
Goaltender Robin Lehner practiced Monday after taking a puck up high in Sunday’s 4-3 win against the Los Angeles Kings. Lehner, who had offseason shoulder surgery, didn’t receive treatment on the ice and stayed in the game.
The 29-year-old is 3-1-1 with an .890 save percentage and a 2.96 goals-against average.
“He’s played very well late in games in order to find ways to win,” Deboer said. “I think the one area that I’m sure he would want to get better at is his starts.”
Jurco returns
Practice-squad forward Tomas Jurco practiced Monday for the first time since the team’s COVID-19 pause. Deboer said Jurco had some back issues flare up.