UNLV freshman sensation Tyrin Jones injured his shoulder in the first minute of the Rebels’ home game against New Mexico on Tuesday and didn’t return. 

Leading scorer Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn battled foul trouble all night. The Rebels committed 16 turnovers, including two in the second half when passes sailed out of bounds with no teammate anywhere near the ball.

That was just the beginning.

The Rebels’ defense was an eyesore, allowing New Mexico countless open looks for uncontested jump shots and clear paths to the basket for easy layups. Add it all up and the result seems inevitable: an embarrassing 89-61 defeat that will contend for the worst loss of a season already filled with difficult results.

There was one bright spot: After failing to hit a 3-pointer for the first 28 minutes, Al Green finally knocked down a shot from beyond the arc, prompting a sarcastic cheer from the crowd. 

UNLV is the only team in the nation with a 3-pointer in every game since the 3-point line was introduced in the 1980s — a streak that includes contributions from Hall of Famers like Freddie Banks, Anderson Hunt and Wink Adams.

It’s the lone link from the glory days of yesteryear to the current program. The Rebels haven’t reached the NCAA Tournament in 12 years, and that streak appears destined to continue this season.

The Rebels’ second straight loss dropped them to 10-10 overall and 5-4 in Mountain West play. 

On Saturday, they had a three-game winning streak entering a matchup against first-place San Diego State, drawing a season-best crowd of nearly 9,000 fans to the Thomas & Mack Center. A victory would have pulled UNLV even with San Diego State in the loss column atop the league standings.

Instead, they’ve dropped two straight — and lost whatever momentum they built from a come-from-behind win at Utah State.

Not one UNLV player managed to hit double-figures in points, with Isaac Williamson scoring a team-best nine points.

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