LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn scored 31 points, but the UNLV men's basketball team suffered a 91-86 loss to Colorado State on Wednesday night at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Tyrin Jones added 20 points for the Runnin' Rebels (13-13, 8-7), while Kimani Hamilton scored 13 points with eight rebounds. Howie Fleming Jr. added nine points with a game-high 10 rebounds.
The Rams (16-10, 7-8) were led by Jevin Muniz' 20 points, while Brandon Rechsteiner added 18 and Rashaan Mbemba had 13.
REBEL RALLY: CSU led by 15 points with 7:09 (78-63) to play as UNLV cut it to three on two occasions with under 30 seconds to play. Hamilton stepped out of bounds as he was attempting a potential game-tying 3-pointer with 11 seconds. After two CSU free throws, UNLV again cut it to three with three seconds left, but two more CSU free throws sealed it with one second to play.
STAT OF THE GAME: Colorado State shot 62.5% in the first half (15 of 24) and finished the game at 59.3% (32 of 54).
30+ POINTS AGAIN: It marked the second straight game that Gibbs-Lawhorn scored over 30 points and was his sixth straight with 20-plus. He now has three 30-plus scoring games this season and has scored 20-plus in eight of the last nine contests.
QUOTABLE: "Credit to Colorado State. They were really good and are playing really well. They made some big shots in the second half when we were putting some pressure on them. Credit to them for their offensive performance tonight. We scored 86; you have to win the game. Unfortunately, we have not been a good defensive team this year. I'm beyond disappointed in that because in all the teams I have been the head coach of, we have been really good defensively. It has been a staple of ours. I haven't done a good enough job as the head coach in that area (defensively) with our group. We are just not getting enough stops." - UNLV head coach Josh Pastner
OTHER NOTES:
- UNLV entered the game on its third three-game win streak of the season.
- UNLV shot 59.4% in the second half (19 of 32) and finished the game at 51.7% (30 of 58).
- Gibbs-Lawhorn made 11 of 21 from the field, including 6 of 12 on 3-pointers.
- Muniz, Rechsteiner, and Mbemba combined to shoot 20 of 29 for the game (69%).
- CSU committed just seven turnovers, and UNLV had only eight, but the Rams outscored the Runnin' Rebels in points from turnovers 14-7.
- CSU made 20 of 27 free throws, while UNLV was 17 of 23 at the line. The game had a total of 44 fouls called.
- CSU led 47-39 at the half.
- UNLV has made a 3-pointer in 1,286 straight games - every one since the NCAA adopted the rule in 1986.
NEXT FOR THE RUNNIN' REBELS: UNLV will play at Air Force on Saturday, Feb. 21. The 12 p.m. PT game will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network and ESPN Radio Las Vegas.
