UNLV destroyed Air Force on Jan. 16. There's no other way to describe it.
The Runnin' Rebels led by 28 at halftime in a 100-64 victory. They outrebounded Air Force 52-20, blocked eight shots and shot 52 percent from 3-point range.
So, one month later, is there reason to believe Air Force can fare any better in a rematch?
Actually, there is.
First of all, UNLV is short-handed. Projected 2016 NBA lottery pick Stephen Zimmerman - who had 14 points and 12 rebounds in the first meeting - isn't expected to play with a knee injury. Ben Carter (eight points, 10 rebounds, five assists, three blocks in the win) is also out.
But Air Force (12-14, 3-10 Mountain West) is also short-handed, missing guard Trevor Lyons (hand) and, likely, center Zach Moer (concussion).
Still .
"Even with some guys out, I think we're better than we were then," Falcons coach Dave Pilipovich said. "I think we'll handle the pressure better, we did that on Saturday night (in a 70-61 loss at San Diego State). Playing at home should give us some confidence, too."
The value of the home court in this matchup can't be overstated. UNLV, for all its on-the-way-to-the-NBA-talent, is just 2-2 at Clune Arena over the past four years, with one of those wins coming in overtime. And it's not just here, they've struggled at altitude at other places along the Front Range. Its last win at either Colorado State or Wyoming came back in 2013.
Also, UNLV isn't exactly riding a wave of momentum. The Runnin' Rebels won three straight after parting with coach Dave Rice - including the win over Air Force - but have gone 3-4 since then, including an 0-3 mark away from the Thomas & Mack Center.
UNLV (15-11, 6-7) is out of any realistic postseason conversations (barring a run at the MW Tournament that it hosts), and last week assistant Stacey Augmon publicly began lobbying for the head coaching position that currently belongs to interim Todd Simon.
The last time these teams met, the coaching change had lit a fire under UNLV. This time? It remains to be seen if everyone is on the same page.
Air Force has faced three teams in conference play in which there was simply no physical comparison. One was Nevada, which blew out the Falcons twice. Another was San Diego State, which Air Force was able to play in a chess match that it trailed by just two points late in the game thanks to a packed-in zone that took away any inside offense for the Aztecs. The other is UNLV, which ran away with that first meeting.
It would surprise no one if the Rebels did it again on Tuesday. The 36 points that separated these teams a month ago indeed reflected the differences on the floor on that night.
But if Air Force can play better at home, which it generally does, and if the Falcons' scheme, mixed with the altitude, can make this game somehow more about the intangibles than talent, this could be an interesting night at Clune Arena.
The Runnin' Rebels led by 28 at halftime in a 100-64 victory. They outrebounded Air Force 52-20, blocked eight shots and shot 52 percent from 3-point range.
So, one month later, is there reason to believe Air Force can fare any better in a rematch?
Actually, there is.
First of all, UNLV is short-handed. Projected 2016 NBA lottery pick Stephen Zimmerman - who had 14 points and 12 rebounds in the first meeting - isn't expected to play with a knee injury. Ben Carter (eight points, 10 rebounds, five assists, three blocks in the win) is also out.
But Air Force (12-14, 3-10 Mountain West) is also short-handed, missing guard Trevor Lyons (hand) and, likely, center Zach Moer (concussion).
Still .
"Even with some guys out, I think we're better than we were then," Falcons coach Dave Pilipovich said. "I think we'll handle the pressure better, we did that on Saturday night (in a 70-61 loss at San Diego State). Playing at home should give us some confidence, too."
The value of the home court in this matchup can't be overstated. UNLV, for all its on-the-way-to-the-NBA-talent, is just 2-2 at Clune Arena over the past four years, with one of those wins coming in overtime. And it's not just here, they've struggled at altitude at other places along the Front Range. Its last win at either Colorado State or Wyoming came back in 2013.
Also, UNLV isn't exactly riding a wave of momentum. The Runnin' Rebels won three straight after parting with coach Dave Rice - including the win over Air Force - but have gone 3-4 since then, including an 0-3 mark away from the Thomas & Mack Center.
UNLV (15-11, 6-7) is out of any realistic postseason conversations (barring a run at the MW Tournament that it hosts), and last week assistant Stacey Augmon publicly began lobbying for the head coaching position that currently belongs to interim Todd Simon.
The last time these teams met, the coaching change had lit a fire under UNLV. This time? It remains to be seen if everyone is on the same page.
Air Force has faced three teams in conference play in which there was simply no physical comparison. One was Nevada, which blew out the Falcons twice. Another was San Diego State, which Air Force was able to play in a chess match that it trailed by just two points late in the game thanks to a packed-in zone that took away any inside offense for the Aztecs. The other is UNLV, which ran away with that first meeting.
It would surprise no one if the Rebels did it again on Tuesday. The 36 points that separated these teams a month ago indeed reflected the differences on the floor on that night.
But if Air Force can play better at home, which it generally does, and if the Falcons' scheme, mixed with the altitude, can make this game somehow more about the intangibles than talent, this could be an interesting night at Clune Arena.
