Jones’ game-saving plays on offense, defense salvages Silver State series split with for UNLV

The final homestand of the year for UNLV men’s basketball started out with a bang that featured a rivalry win over the program’s most-hated foe.

It wiped the taste of a 13-point road loss to Grand Canyon with an, 85-83, overtime win over the Nevada – Reno Wolf Pack Saturday, Feb. 28 from the Thomas & Mack Center. Prior to the outcome, the Rebels had lost two of their last three contests.

“I understood the intensity of this rivalry,” head coach Josh Pastner said. “I can tell you that I treat every game like it’s life or death in the sense that it’s so intense for me.”

After salvaging the series split with UNR, UNLV improved to 9-5 at home this season. Overall, the team moved to 15-14 in a congested Mountain West. Entering Saturday, the Rebels were in the eighth spot in the conference standings while sitting two games behind third place.

The team’s final home game lies ahead as it will host first place Utah State from the Thomas & Mack Center. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 3.

“It’s a great win for us,” Pastner said. “For our group to be able to improve from about a month ago to now, all you can ask for as the head coach is for your team to get better.”

Not sure what could’ve made the final 20 seconds of Saturday’s game even wilder for freshman forward Tyrin Jones. It began with two misses from the free throw line with chances to build on a three-point lead.

On the backend of those missed free throws, Jones regained the lead for UNLV on a fast break layup attempt coming off a missed free throw by UNR. He’d compound that highlight by stepping into the passing lane in the backcourt on the ensuing possession to disrupt the visitor’s rhythm.

“I just wanted to give [Tyrin] the biggest hug,” Gibbs-Lawhorn said. “Tyrin makes a lot of big-time plays. With those big-time plays that he makes, we look the other way when he has a mistake or two.”

Jones ended the night with 12 points, five rebounds, four blocks and two steals.

“What can you say?,” Pastner asked. “Game-winning basket, game-winning steal or deflection, made big plays after made big plays. He only gets better and better and better.”

Pastner opted to not call a timeout following the missed Wolf Pack free throw for an obvious reason. The team was playing without leading scorer Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, who fouled out moments before.

“When he fouled out I was like, ‘Man, we can’t go to double overtime,” Pastner said. “We needed to win that game in regulation or that first overtime.”

Forty-six total fouls were called in the game with eight coming in the first three-plus minutes of the game. In addition to Gibbs-Lawhorn fouling out, teammates Jacob Bannarbie and Kimani Hamilton preceded him in that department.

Bannarbie left the game with 15 points and six rebounds while Hamilton added five points in just under 24 minutes. The program now has 33 foul outs on the season which leads all of Division I college basketball.

“He gave us the post presence that we’ve been looking for,” Gibbs-Lawhorn said. “He came in with intensity, he fought, he played really hard, he left it all out on the line.”

Gibbs-Lawhorn on the other hand was red-hot before being disqualified. He became the first player since Bryce Hamilton in 2022 to score at least 40 points for the program, on the way to finishing with a career-high 42 points on 14-of-22 shooting in 42 minutes of action.

“I told y’all before, the boy play out there like he a vet,” senior guard Howie Fleming Jr. said. “He’s been on a roll and as a team, we all respect that and we just push him to keep doing his thing.”

While in pursuit of a possible Mountain West Player of the Year award, Gibbs-Lawhorn erupted for 16 points in the first half highlighted by four made three-pointers. In fact, he accounted for all of the team’s makes from deep as part of his 8-for-14 long-range shooting performance.

“It’s just business as usual,” he said. “Like I said from the beginning of the season, I’m going to do whatever I’ve got to do for our team to win. Whether it's score, play defense, dive for a loose ball, sit on the bench, whatever.”

Just about midway through the second half already up five points, UNR’s Corey Camper Jr. was assessed a technical foul after pushing senior forward Walter Brown. The Rebels would knock down their two free throws to go up seven but would turn the ball over before having a chance to add to their lead.

Immediately after, the Wolf Pack went on a 12-0 run to retake the lead.

“We’re 3-0 in overtime,” Pastner said. “You want to talk about toughness and grit? 3-0 in overtime, that’s really hard to do.”

In total, UNLV turned the ball over 16 times which led to 23 points.