Mistakes haunt Rebels

Playing their first game against a Power 5 opponent, the UNLV Runnin' Rebels hung around until the very end, but it was an inability to protect the ball on offense that doomed them against TCU.

The Horned Frogs (5-0) tried their best to give the game away in the Global Sports Classic contest. TCU made only 53% of its free throws in a two possession game. The Frogs held off the Rebels, 63-59, at the end.

UNLV got off to the start it wanted, hitting its first three-point attempts, one each by Jalen Poyser, Tyrell Green and Uche Ofoegbu.

Once the game settled down, however, the Rebels struggled to find any continuity against the Frogs' zone defense. Particularly bad were guards Jovan Mooring and Ofoegbu, who combined for 11 turnovers between them.

Playing without a key component in the interior Christian Jones, Dwayne Morgan played one of his best games after being saddled with foul trouble in the first half. Morgan finished with 13 points and a team-high seven rebounds for the height challenged Rebels.

Another area where TCU held a major advantage was from its bench. The Horned Frogs outscored the Rebel reserves 34-2. Troy Baxter Jr. was the only UNLV player that didn't start to reach the scoring column.

The Rebels, who were riding a three-game winning streak heading into the game, will be right back on the court. UNLV (3-2) will host Western Kentucky (3-2) on Saturday at 5 pm. The Hilltoppers have been blown out in both games they've played against quality opponents this year. They have lost by 21 to Belmont and 39 to Washington.