Jalen Hill was concerned.

He didn’t know if this was possible. If he could make it all the way back. If everything would ever be the same.

But if Thursday night is any indication, the former Clark star is on a roll.

Hill, a sixth-year senior forward who suffered a season-ending ACL tear in January, helped lead the UNLV men’s basketball team to an 80-69 victory over Omaha before an announced crowd of 4,817 at the Thomas & Mack Center.

“I felt confident there,” Hill said. “A few months ago I wasn’t sure. It was scary.”

Hill finished with 17 points, eight rebounds and five steals in 29 minutes. He was also at his best at the most important moments.

Omaha rallied to tie the game at 63 with 4:43 left in the second half. Hill scored the next six points on a layup and four free throws, giving his team a 69-63 lead.

The Rebels (2-1) then withdrew. It took longer than expected, but they still got the job done.

“Jalen Hill is a very good basketball player,” UNLV coach Kevin Kruger said. ‘It’s just what he is. Having his season cut short last year was really disappointing. But his patience, his determination to get healthy again and finish his career here are second to none.

“He worked incredibly hard. He is so incredibly trustworthy and reliable. He’s just a winner who makes winning plays.”

It wasn’t an easy win for UNLV.

Omaha kept things close by shooting 10-for-28 from three-point range. The Rebels were just 4-for-18.

However, UNLV proved to be the more opportunistic side. The Rebels scored 30 points off 19 Omaha turnovers.

Jeremiah “Bear” Cherry added 17 points and four rebounds for UNLV. Point guard Dedan Thomas Jr. had 15 points, four rebounds and two assists.

The Rebels didn’t get off to the best start. In the first half they fell behind 9-2, 15-7 and 20-13. But their defense helped them take the lead.

Omaha turned the ball over twelve times in the first twenty minutes. Much of the turnover was forced by active hands from UNLV.

“When we were good (defensively), we were good,” Kruger said. “On that side of the ball, I think this is something we’ll be very excited to look at. There were a lot of great possessions where we had activity, forced bad passes, turnovers. It probably became the difference in the game in the long run.”

It was the Cherry show on the attack in the first half for the Rebels. He scored 11 points before halftime while shooting 5-of-6 from the floor.

UNLV grabbed its first lead on a Thomas 3-pointer with 6:57 to play in the first half, up 24-23. The Rebels increased their lead to 35-29 at intermission.

Overall, a good win for UNLV.

All in all, a great evening for a certain sixth year.

“(Hill) is all we need,” Cherry said. “He is the backbone. He’s a piece we definitely needed tonight.

Hill wasn’t sure if he would return. If this were possible. If it could feel this normal on a field again.

They did that for Hill on Thursday night.

Rebels inked two

UNLV received signed commitments from local products Mason Abittan and Tyrin Jones to join the program for the 2025-2026 season.

Abittan is a 6-foot-1, 185-pound guard from Coronado. He chose UNLV over Colorado State and UNR.

Jones is a 6-foot-1, 190-pound forward who grew up in Las Vegas. He attends Layton Christian Academy in Layton, Utah. He also considered New Mexico, Santa Clara and UC Santa Barbara.

Contact Ed Graney at [email protected]. Follow @edgraney on X.