Jan. 8, 2001

Box Score

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Kaspars Kambala scored 18 points as UNLV opened Mountain West Conference play Monday night with a 65-54 win over Air Force.

Trevor Diggs and Dalron Johnson each added 12 points for the Runnin' Rebels (10-5), who won their seventh straight game under coach Max Good. Good replaced Bill Bayno in mid-December after NCAA sanctions had been handed down on UNLV for recruiting violations.

Jarvis Croff led Air Force (5-9) with 15 points while freshman Robert Todd added 14.

The Rebels led 37-30 at the half and built the lead to 13 with 14:08 remaining. Croff converted a three-point play and Todd added a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 47-40 with 12:29 left, but the Rebels scored seven straight points, including five by Diggs, to build the lead to 54-40.

Air Force eventually cut the lead to 59-51 with 1:38 remaining, but UNLV answered with six straight points to seal the victory.

Neither team shot well, the Rebels were 24-of-52 (46 percent) and the Falcons 18-of- 45 (40 percent). UNLV made only 1-of-12 3-pointers while Air Force converted only 5 of 20.