Hamilton’s 45 Leads UNLV to 88-74 Thrashing of CSU

It didnt take rocket science to figure out that UNLV’s Bryce Hamilton was the key to the fortunes of either team . The Rebels who are scoring challenged were missing second leading scorer Donovan Williams to injury. The burden would fall on Hamilton to put his team on his back for 40 minutes. And that he did as the crafty and talented senior scored at will, pushing the visitors to a nearly 20-point halftime lead that the Rams could never really dent. Hamilton would go on to shoot 13-22 from the field, 11-13 from the free throw line, grab 7 boards, and deliver 5 assists against only 1 turnover. A genuine game for the ages.

But it takes two to tango when it comes to basketball and the Rams deserve heavy criticism for their effort in containing Hamilton. They never pushed him off his comfortable three-point spots. They were supposed to force him to be a driver and distributor rather than a shooter and scorer and they failed miserably. Add in a pathetic effort on the glass that allowed easy putbacks by the Rebels and you have the formula for a complete beatdown.

Isaiah Stevens led the Rams with 35 points and 8 rebounds. The rest of the team, for whatever reason, were no shows, shooting 9-23 on their two-point baskets and 4-14 on their three-pointers. A true game to forget.

A team that prides itself as Team Together was Team Fragmented on Friday night. Slow starts have become way too commonplace. 40 minutes of energy and effort a rarity lately. Finding a comfort zone seemingly prioritized over competing. Settling rather than attacking. You name it. The Rams were a mess.

The good news is that it is only one game and the Rams will have a chance to redeem themselves quickly when they visit Wyoming on Monday night. I think its safe to assume that you will see a response out of the Rams.