LAS VEGAS — Senior D.J. Mitchell netted a season-high 19 points and classmate David Shriver added 18, but it wasn't enough as the Hartford men's basketball team dropped a 95-78 decision at UNLV inside Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay on Saturday. The Hawks drop to 1-8 on the season while the Runnin' Rebels improve to 5-6. 
 
Bryce Hamilton scored a game-high 33 points, while Donovan Williams added 32 to lead UNLV to its second straight win.
 
UNLV 95, HARTFORD 78
After a back-and-forth start resulted in a 16-15 edge for Hartford, UNLV put together a 17-4 run behind a trio of three-pointers to push ahead by 12 (32-20) with 7:13 left in the half. But the Runnin' Rebels' — who delivered six of their eight first-half triples during the first 12 minutes of the game — cooled off from behind the arc, while the Hawks began to heat up.
 
Four makes from long range, including a pair from Shriver and one apiece from Mitchell and senior Michael Dunne, helped the Hawks brought the deficit down to five at 40-35 with 1:51 left in the stanza. But UNLV would have the final say in the half, knocking down its final three before using a 1-of-2 effort from the line to take a 44-35 advantage in to the break.
 
Both teams filled it up from the perimeter in the first half, combining for 14 makes. Senior Austin Williams led the Hawks with 15 points, but picked up his third foul with two seconds left in the stanza. He played limited minutes in the second half due to foul trouble and picked up his fifth of the game with 5:54 left.
 
With Hartford remaining within striking distance, UNLV used a 6-0 spurt to push the lead back to 14 at 50-46 with 12:32 left. Trailing by as many as 17 at 75-58 with 7:13 to go, the Hawks pulled within 10 at 84-74 on a Mitchell three and a layup with 3:46 left, but wouldn't come any closer.   
 
INSIDE THE BOX & NOTES

• Rounding out Hartford's four double-figure scorers were Williams (15 points) and Flowers (14)
• The Hawks and Runnin' Rebels combined to make 24 three-pointers on the afternoon, with the visiting team converting on 13-of-30 attempts (43.3%)
• Five different players knocked down triples for Hartford, led by Shriver, who went 5-for-12 to finish with 18 points
• Both teams shot around 50.0 percent, with UNLV going 51.9 percent from the field (28-of-54) to Hartford's 47.4 percent (27-of-57)
• The Runnin' Rebels more than doubled the Hawks' 16 trips to the free-throw line, as they scored 28 points on 37 attempts
• The contest marked the first-ever meeting between Hartford and UNLV

 
NEXT ON TAP
Hartford returns to Reich Family Pavilion for the second time this season to host Saint Francis (PA) for the Jack Phelan Classic on Tuesday. The contest marks the Hawks' final non-conference tilt of the 2021-22 season. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m., with the pregame ceremony slated to begin at 6:50 p.m.
 
Tickets can be purchased by calling 860-768-HAWK, or by clicking here. For an inside look at Hartford men's basketball, stay with HartfordHawks.com for updates and follow the team on social media: Twitter | Instagram