UNLV started the Josh Pastner era on Tuesday night and got a punch to the gut instantly. Despite being 17.5-point favorites, the UT Martin Skyhawks took down the Runnin’ Rebels in an upset, 86-81.
The Rebels were ahead at halftime, 43-39, but the Skyhawks flipped the script with a 47-38 second half. UNLV guard Dravyn Gibbs-Lawhorn, a transfer from Illinois, was UNLV’s top scorer with 18 points.
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Europeans lead the way for the Skyhawks. Romanian guard Dragos Lungu and Serbian forward Andrija Bukumirović were the top scorers for UT Martin, both scoring 23 points. They combined to hit seven threes, and Bukumirović shot an efficient 71.4% from deep.
The biggest mistake for the Rebels was the turnover margin. UNLV turned the ball over eight more times than UT Martin, giving the Skyhawks extra possessions, which led to more free throws. There were a crazy number of free throw attempts. The Skyhawks had 48 attempts from the charity stripe, while UNLV had 37. UT Martin, on their 48 attempts, only made 27 of them. The simple act of going to the line, though, is what gave the Skyhawks the edge over the Rebels.
UNLV had a balanced approach throughout the game, but lacked control. Alongside Gibbs-Lawhorn’s 18, forward Kimani Hamilton scored 13, guard Al Green dropped 12, and forward Ladji Dembele had nine. Forward Jacob Bannarbie, who has been waiting in the wings at UNLV, finally got solid minutes and turned those minutes into energy, producing nine points and eight boards. Freshman forward Tyrin Jones was also solid at bringing in rebounds with nine.
The Rebels tried to mount a comeback, but with six minutes left in the second half, UT Martin went on a 12-0 run, a spark that UNLV couldn’t come back from.
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This is an entirely new roster with Bannarbie being the only returner after the firing of Kevin Kruger. There are 13 newcomers, with eight from Division I, a former international professional, a JUCO transfer, and three first-year students. It’s a team that needs to gel, and this loss made it apparent that the squad hasn’t gelled yet.
The turnover margin and fouls are something that Pastner and his staff will want to work on. There is a lot of pressure with this job, especially after the court was named in honor of Jerry Tarkanian and his wife, Lois. Pastner will need to navigate the road bumps and unite the team under the UNLV brand.
The next game for UNLV will be on Saturday, November 8, at the Thomas & Mack Center against another team from Tennessee, the Chattanooga Mocs.
