WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. (UNLVRebels.com) – Behind three top-20 individual finishes, the UNLV men's golf team posted a season-best second-place finish in its spring debut at the Southwestern Invitational hosted by Pepperdine at North Ranch Country Club (Par 71, 6,800 yards).

Senior Caden Fioroni (62-73-68), whose final-round 3-under 68 included an eagle on the 12th hole, finished as the Rebel leader in a tie for third at 10-under 203. Making up the rest of the Scarlet & Gray's trio of leaders, senior Yuki Moriyama (73-70-66) led the team on the day at 5-under 66 to finish tied for 11th at 4-under 209 and junior Trevor Lewis (71-66-74) tied for 17th at 2-under 211.

After a final-round 4-under as a team, the Scarlet & Gray wrapped up the tournament just one shot out of first place with a season-low 12-under 840. Rounding out the Rebel competitors, senior Ben Sawaia (+9) tied for 58th, junior Brett Sawaia (+17) tied for 72nd and freshman Phillip Kench (+19) finished 74th as an individual.

Ohio State, which finished with a 54-hole score of 13-under 839, grabbed the team and individual titles. The Buckeyes' Neal Shipley tallied a 12-under 201 to earn medalist honors.

UP NEXT: The Rebels next head to the Aloha State for the John Burns Intercollegiate, which is being hosted by Hawai'i from Feb. 15-17.

OTHER NOTES:

• Fioroni, a native of La Jolla, California, matched Rebel All-American Shintaro Ban's program-record low round of 9-under 62 in the tournament's opening round.
• The first-round score by Fioroni was within one shot of the North Ranch course record of 61 by Texas' Jacob Sosa, which came during the opening round of the same tournament last year.
• In their third appearance at the Pepperdine-hosted event, the Rebels had their best finish as a program at North Ranch Country Club, surpassing last season's 11th-place effort.
• As individuals, Fioroni, Moriyama and Lewis also recorded their highest finishes in the individual standings of the 2023-24 season.