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The Runnin' Rebs are riding a 2-game winning streak which wouldn't seem like a major feat to most teams around the country, but without the use of Stephen Zimmerman and Ben Carter, UNLV is making strides. Playing with added determination - and still a very talented roster - the Rebels are using an "all hands on deck" mentality, and they will need to continue with this philosophy as they travel to Air Force tonight.
Air Force, like UNLV, has been up and down most of the season. In conference play, the Falcons have, unfortunately, been mostly down. With a conference record of just 3-10, the Falcons are on a 2-game losing streak with a blow out loss at Reno and a surprisingly close loss at SDSU.
Even though they kept much of the game tight against the Aztecs, Air Force couldn't close things off. However, with such a close game, it makes some around the Mountain West conference question: Was SDSU playing poorly or has Air Force improved?
If the Falcons have improved, UNLV will need to bring in that extra effort at Clune Arena. After two road losses, the Falcons are going to be desperate to break their losing streak coming home.
UNLV won the previous match-up against the Falcons on January 16th, but the Rebels (6-7 in conference) cannot overlook Air Force based on this previous victory or Air Force's current conference stats.
The Falcons have always been a never-quit-attitude team with decent outside shooting. The Rebels would benefit from driving inside and pounding the ball in the paint (as they showcased in their previous game against Colorado State) in order to claim this victory tonight.
Prediction: UNLV 80, Air Force 72