Rutgers men’s basketball team secured an 80-65 victory over UNLV at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas on Thursday. The Scarlet Knights overcame a six-point halftime deficit by outscoring the Rebels by 21 points in the second half.
Emmanuel Ogbole, a junior center, led Rutgers with career-highs of 21 points and 13 rebounds, shooting 7-of-12 from the field. He collected 11 defensive rebounds and six offensive boards. Sophomore forward Dylan Grant contributed 17 points, eight rebounds, and had a team-best +19 plus/minus rating. Grant also made five of six free throws in the second half and hit a key three-pointer during an early run.
Junior guard Darren Buchanan Jr. came off the bench to score 15 points, including two three-pointers and several transition baskets. Tariq Francis added 11 points, while Jamichael Davis recorded six assists and helped shift the game’s tempo after halftime.
Rutgers finished with a rebounding advantage of 45–33 and scored 16 second-chance points compared to UNLV’s seven. The Scarlet Knights shot nearly 48 percent from the field in the second half and converted on 22-of-27 free throw attempts after halftime.
UNLV was led by Kimani Hamilton’s 13 points; Tyrin Jones and Al Green also scored 13 each for the Rebels. UNLV struggled from beyond the arc in the second half, making just one of seven attempts.
After trailing at halftime, Rutgers opened the second half with a decisive 14–2 run fueled by defensive stops and transition opportunities. The Scarlet Knights built their largest lead at fifteen points with just over seven minutes remaining and maintained control for the rest of the game.
With this win, Rutgers improved its record to 5–3 as it concluded its Las Vegas trip. This marked Rutgers’ first win over a current Mountain West Conference team since January 19, 1993.
Head coach Steve Pikiell commented on Ogbole’s performance: “He was fantastic from the start. He worked his tail off. I got after him big-time after last game and he never flinched. He was absolutely outstanding.”
Pikiell also spoke about Chris Nwuli: “He gives us great energy. We’ve got to get him to not turn the basketball over, but I thought today at home (Nwuli is from the area) he would play his tail off. He gave us great energy. Denis (Badalau) struggled all weekend and we went with the hot hand, and he gave us great minutes.”
Regarding his message at halftime, Pikiell said: “I told our guys, get your heads to the rim and into the paint, and they listened. Proud of these guys. This hasn’t been an easy trip, let me tell you. To get 80 points and to hold the other guys to 65 is a good sign for us moving forward.”
Rutgers will return home for its Big Ten opener against No.1 Purdue on December 2 at Jersey Mike’s Arena in New Jersey.
