LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Another slow start in the second half spelled trouble for the SUU (3-8) men's basketball team, as they lose to the UNLV Rebels (9-3), 79-45.
UNLV started the game 2-2 from three and 4-4 from the field to hold a 14-7 lead at the first media timeout. A.J. Hess had a three by that point for the Thunderbirds, but more importantly, would pick up his second foul and have to sit on the bench.
Halfway through the first half, UNLV pushed their lead to 13 points at 28-15 by shooting nearly 60.0 percent from the field before Tyler Rawson would cut their lead to 10 with a three.
A Trey Kennedy jumper and John Marshall layup just before the half would end made it an eight point Rebel lead at the break, 36-28.
Rawson led the Thunderbirds in points at the half with seven. He also had three rebounds. James McGee hit two from deep to chip in six points and John Marshall had four points and three assists.
The Thunderbirds shot 34.4 percent from the field in the first half but just 33.3 percent from the free throw line. The Rebels outrebounded SUU 26-15 but the Thunderbirds had just four turnovers, compared to UNLV's six.
Christian Wood had 15 points to go with eight rebounds for the Rebels in the first half. Dwayne Morgan chipped in six points and six rebounds and Rashad Vaughn had seven points and two rebounds.
The Rebels opened the second half on a 21-1 run before Cal Hanks would put one in from the right side of the key. Rawson hit a three and Race Parsons added a layup to bring the score to 60-36 with 11:44 to play in the game. The Thunderbirds would hang tough the rest of the way but fell to the Rebels, 79-45.
Rawson ended up as the only Thunderbirds in double-digits with 13 points. Hanks had seven points and Marshall and McGee added six. Hanks also had five rebounds and two blocks to go along with the seven points.
The Thunderbirds shot just 25.4 percent in the game and 29.4 percent from three. They won the turnover battle but were outrebounded 50 to 32.
For UNLV, Wood and Vaughn finished with 22 points and Wood added 14 rebounds and five blocks to his night. The Rebels finished 46.3 percent from the field and made 11 threes on the night.
This wraps up the non-conference season for the Thunderbirds as they open up Big Sky play next week against Portland State and then Sacramento State.
