LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV men's basketball team (3-1), winner of two straight games, will conclude its season-opening five-game homestand on Saturday, Nov. 23 by hosting New Mexico State (3-1) at 4 p.m. at the Thomas & Mack Center.

The Runnin' Rebels have opened the season with a 93-79 win over Alabama State on Nov. 4, a close 80-74 loss to Memphis on Nov. 9, an 80-69 win against Omaha on Nov. 14 and an 80-59 win against Pepperdine on Wednesday.

Dedan Thomas Jr. leads the team in scoring with 16.8 ppg, while Jeremiah "Bear" Cherry is second at 16.0 ppg. Cherry leads in rebounding (6.8 rpg) and field-goal percentage with 86.7% (fourth in the country), Thomas Jr. is the team's assist leader (3.8 apg) and Hill leads in steals (3.5 spg, third in the country). The Runnin' Rebels are averaging 81.8 ppg.

UNLV is in its fourth season under head coach Kevin Kruger. He has a career record of 61-41.

SATURDAY'S PROMOTIONS: Fans are encouraged to donate gently used clothing upon entry to Saturday's game for the Rebel Exchange. Those who donate will receive a long-sleeve Dri-Fit Rebel T-shirt, while supplies last. All donations will benefit The Harbor Las Vegas charity. Additionally, there will be a $5,000 shot promotion, where one student will be selected to attempt a half-court shot for the prize. Saturday will also mark the debut of the 50/50 raffle.

TICKETS: Tickets to UNLV men's basketball home games are on sale at UNLVtickets.com, by calling 702-739-FANS (3267) or by visiting the Thomas & Mack Center Box Office.

ABOUT THE ROSTER: This season's UNLV squad features six returners from last year's team along with 10 newcomers. The newcomers are made up of four Division I transfers, a junior college transfer and five freshmen. UNLV has eight upperclassmen, including two sixth-year players. A total of six players on the roster are playing in their hometown of Las Vegas. The Runnin' Rebels return two starters in sophomore guard Dedan Thomas Jr., who was the Mountain West Co-Freshman of the Year last season and was named to this season's preseason all-conference team, and senior forward Rob Whaley Jr. Forward Jalen Hill is also back for a sixth year of college after suffering a season-ending knee injury in January. Thomas Jr. led UNLV in scoring and assists last year with 13.6 and 5.1 per game, respectively, Whaley Jr. had averages of 7.6 ppg and 3.6 rpg, while Hill averaged 10.7 ppg and 6.1 rpg in seven contests.

LAST TIME OUT: In Wednesday's win over Pepperdine, five Runnin' Rebels scored in double figures. Brooklyn Hicks scored a team- and career-high 16 points on 7 of 11 shooting off the bench, while Bear Cherry added 14 points, Dedan Thomas Jr. had 13, Julian Rishwain added 12 in his first start in a UNLV uniform and Jailen Bedford contributed 11. The Runnin' Rebels used a 9-0 spurt to take a 15-5 lead nine minutes into the game, increasing its advantage to 23-8 with 8:25 to go in the first half and then led 46-17 at halftime. UNLV increased its lead to as many as 38 in the game, leading 66-28 with 11:41 to go. The Runnin' Rebels shot 64.0% from the field in the first half (16 of 25), including 54.5% on 3-pointers (6 of 11). The Runnin' Rebels forced 16 turnovers and led in points off turnovers 24-7.

ABOUT THE OPPONENT: New Mexico State opened the season with a home win over New Mexico Highlands (93-57) on Nov. 4, a road win at Utah Tech (75-63) on Nov. 9 and a home win against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (83-82) on Nov. 14 before losing in its last game at Dayton (74-53) on Wednesday. The Aggies trailed by just one at the half against the Flyers. Peter Filipovity had his best game of this season, scoring a team-high 15 points with seven rebounds. NMSU has three players averaging in double figures in scoring: Christian Cook (14.3 ppg), Zawdie Jackson (14.3 ppg) and Robert Carpenter (13.5 ppg). Carpenter leads in rebounding (7.3 rpg), while Jackson is the team's assist leader (4.5 apg). The Aggies were predicted to finish seventh in the Conference USA this season. Cook was named to the 10-member preseason all-conference team. New Mexico State went 13-19 overall last season, finishing tied for fourth in Conference USA with a 7-9 league mark. NMSU, who has 10 upperclassmen on their 15-man roster, are coached by Jason Hooten, who is in his first season at the school with a mark of 16-20. He is in his 15th year overall as a collegiate head coach with a career record of 277-189. He was previously the head coach at Sam Houston State. The Aggies returned three starters from last year's team and have welcomed nine newcomers.

BROADCAST INFO: Saturday's game will be broadcast on the Silver State Sports & Entertainment Network (digital channel 5.2 & 125 on Cox in Las Vegas, also available on YouTube TV) and the Mountain West Network with Matt Neverett, former Runnin' Rebel Curtis Terry and Steve Cofield calling the action. The trio will also provide the call on radio via simulcast, which may be heard on ESPN Radio 1100 in Las Vegas. All streaming links and live stats are available at UNLVRebels.com and through the UNLV Rebels App.

LAST SEASON: The Runnin' Rebels had their best season in over a decade in 2023-24 as they were invited to the postseason for the first time since 2013, advancing to the NIT quarterfinals, winning a postseason game for the first time in  16 years. In his third season at the helm, Kruger led the squad to 21 wins for the first time since the 2012-13 campaign and guided the team to a 12-4 record over its final 16 games.

UNLV recorded its first win over a top-10 team in four years, its first in non-conference play in nine seasons and beat a total of four ranked teams in a single season for the first time in 11 years. 2023-24 Mountain West Co-Freshman of the Year Dedan Thomas Jr. set the Mountain West's assists record with 174, also leading the nation in assists among freshmen.