Who: Air Force at UNLV

When: 7 p.m. Tuesday

Where: Thomas & Mack Center

TV: SSSEN

Radio: KWWN (1100 AM, 100.9 FM)

About the Rebels (12-12, 6-7): UNLV, which has lost five of its last six games, is looking to avoid becoming the first Mountain West team to give Air Force a win.

Point guard Dedan Thomas Jr. helped the Rebels snap a five-game losing streak their last time out in a 68-57 win at Wyoming on Saturday. Thomas leads UNLV with 16.3 points and 4.6 assists per game.

The Rebels beat the Falcons 77-58 the last time the two teams met Dec. 31 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Guard Jaden Henley said “speeding up the game” will be key if UNLV wants to defeat Air Force again Tuesday.

Fourth-year coach Kevin Kruger agreed.

“When you play a team that has a very kind of cohesive zone that plays well off of each other, you got to make them guard you,” Kruger said. “I think it’s really tough if you get stagnant.”

About the Falcons (3-21, 0-13): Air Force is coming off an 88-53 home loss to New Mexico on Saturday.

Guard Ethan Taylor leads the Falcons in points (15.3), rebounds (5.8), assists (3.6) and steals (1.8) per game. He has also made 80 3-pointers this season, the most in the Mountain West.

Kruger isn’t counting Air Force out despite his opponent’s poor record. He said the Rebels will need to protect the rim well to win.

“I think they’re playing better,” Kruger said of the Falcons. “They’re certainly getting more transition points. I think they’re being a little more aggressive defensively.”

Contact Callie Fin at [email protected]. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.