Runnin' Rebels Defeat Pacific 72-65 In Henderson Saturday Night - University of Nevada Las Vegas Athletics

Saturday, December 14

Lee's Family Forum - Henderson, Nevada

7:30 PM PT

University of Nevada Las Vegas

5-4,0-0Mountain West

Pacific

5-7,0-0WCC

Team	1	2	F
Pacific	29	36	65
UNLV	34	38	72

12/14/2024 11:07:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score FINAL STATS (PDF)

Julian Rishwain scored a season-high 21 points and made a career-high-tying five 3-pointers, while Dedan Thomas Jr. added 16 points at Lee's Family Forum.

HENDERSON, Nev. (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV men's basketball team defeated Pacific, 72-65, Saturday night at Lee's Family Forum in the Jack Jones Classic.

Julian Rishwain scored a season-high 21 points and made a career-high-tying five 3-pointers for the Runnin' Rebels (5-4), while Dedan Thomas Jr. added 16 points with five assists and two steals. Jaden Henley scored 11 points and Pape N'Diaye collected a career-high 10 rebounds.

The Tigers (5-7) had four players score in double figures, led by Elias Ralph's double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds. Lamar Washington had a game-high nine assists.

STATS OF THE GAME: UNLV led in bench scoring 26-3 and in points off turnovers 18-9.

SECOND HALF RUNS: Pacific used an 11-0 run to take its first lead of the game since early in the first half at 42-38 with 13 minutes to play, but UNLV used an 11-1 run over 3:22 to go up 51-45 with just under nine minutes to go. UNLV held a three-point lead with five minutes left when Rishwain hit back-to-back 3-pointers, both assisted by Thomas Jr., and N'Diaye made two free throws to give UNLV an 8-0 run and an 11-point lead with 2:27 to play. Pacific trimmed its deficit to four on two occasions from there but would get no closer.

QUOTABLE: "I'm really proud of the guys. I thought we did a lot of things that we wanted to do from the scouting report and our approach. They made some really tough shots. We guarded them the way we wanted to and put them into the spots that we wanted to. Our guys didn't let that affect them too much. When they took the lead, DJ changed gears and ended up being the difference. He made some big-time shots and big-time plays. We came up with some stops to get the lead back, and of course, Julian extended it with back-to-back threes." - UNLV head coach Kevin Kruger.

NOTES:
- This was just the fourth game ever for UNLV at Lee's Family Forum (formerly the Dollar Loan Center).
- UNLV improved its all-time record against Pacific to 33-10.
- UNLV held Pacific to just 39.7% from the field (23 of 58) and 19.0% on 3-pointers (4 of 21).
- UNLV shot 44.8% (26 of 58) from the field and 44.4% on 3-pointers (8 of 18).
- Rishwain and Thomas Jr. were a combined 14 of 27 shooting.
- UNLV led 34-29 at the half.
- Henley returned to the lineup for the first time since Nov. 14 vs. Omaha. He had been out with a foot injury.
- UNLV has made at least one 3-pointer in a NCAA-record 1,236 straight games.

NEXT FOR THE RUNNIN' REBELS: UNLV will travel to Ohio to play at Dayton on Tuesday, Dec. 17 at 4 p.m. PST. The game will be broadcast on Peacock.

TICKETS: Tickets to UNLV men's basketball home games at the Thomas & Mack Center may be purchased at UNLVtickets.com, by calling 702-739-3267 or by visiting the Thomas & Mack Center Box Office.