LAS VEGAS – They did not shoot the ball particular well, just 37.5% from the floor. But last out, the Fresno State Bulldogs did something they have not done nearly enough at the offensive end. They moved the ball. They worked inside-out. They found easy shots in the lane and around the basket, no small feat for a squad that is among the worst shooting men's basketball teams in the nation inside the 3-point line.

In a 56-41 victory over Air Force, the Bulldogs scored 30 points in the paint -- the most they have had in a Mountain West Conference game and by far the highest percentage of points they have scored. Before beating the Falcons, they were getting only 30.5% of their points in the lane.

But coach Rodney Terry said he'd prefer for this young team to prove it has figured a few things out at the offensive end rather than just think that it has, and the Bulldogs will get a chance to do that Saturday in the final regular-season game against UNLV at the Thomas and Mack Center.

"I thought we played with good pace of play, guys moving the basketball," Terry said. "Player movement, ball movement, we've talked about that all year long. We put the ball in the post. We didn't just settle for jump shots and stuff. Our guys did a really good job of attacking in the short corner, and we hit some guys in the post and it was good. We got high-percentage shots.

"But we’re playing a whole different team in UNLV and I think they’ll be a lot more aggressive at home. Playing against an Air Force team, they’re going to play that matchup zone, a 3-2, a 2-3, for 40 minutes. Now we’re going back to playing a team that’s going to play very little zone. They're going to play a lot of man-to-man, they’re going to be aggressive. They’re going to try to trap ball screens. They’re going to try to do a whole lot of things at home, more so than they do on the road."

The Rebels, with their length and athleticism inside, will be a far more difficult test than were the Falcons, who are eighth in the league in scoring defense. Could be the Bulldogs just exerted themselves against the right opponent -- the only games they have had more points in the paint this season have been victories over Division II Sonoma State and NAIA school San Diego Christian.

Terry said they will go in with a simple game plan, the emphasis the same it has been all season long. They want to attack inside out, the trick there executing it as well as they did against Air Force.

"We're playing the most-talented team in the league, and now we're playing the most-talented team that is also playing well and one of the hot teams in our league," Terry said of the Rebels, who come in riding a five-game winning streak and are 17-1 at home. "(Mike) Moser is playing well right now coming back from battling injuries early in the season. We know what (Anthony Bennett) brings in there and Khem Birch gives them a defensive presence, blocking shots and things of that nature.

"They have a great frontline, as good a frontline as anybody in the country. I think it's a great challenge. It's a great challenge for our older bigs as well as our younger bigs. Our younger bigs have really grown up, and I thought the first time we played those guys, our bigs got valuable experience going against some talented guys."

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Fresno State at UNLV Saturday: 3 p.m.

Radio: KMJ (AM 580)