SAN DIEGO (UNLVRebels.com) -
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn scored a game-high 32 points and
Tyrin Jones added a career-high 22, but the UNLV men's basketball team came up just short in an 89-86 road loss at San Diego State in the regular-season finale on Friday night.
The Aztecs (20-10, 14-6) were led by BJ Davis' 30 points, while Reese Dixon-Waters added 19 points and six rebounds.
Kimani Hamilton was the other player in double-figure scoring for UNLV (16-15, 11-9) with 11 points, while dishing out a game-high six assists.
BACK AND FORTH: The game featured 11 lead changes and 12 ties throughout with UNLV's biggest lead of eight points coming with 14:21 to play in the first half, and San Diego State's largest advantage being seven with 17:36 to go in the game.
CHANCE AT THE END: The Runnin' Rebels had an opportunity to tie the game at the end, but with the ball in Gibbs-Lawhorn's hands at the top of the key with less than five seconds to play he was unable to get off a shot.
QUOTABLE: "I thought it was a really good, high-level basketball game between two good teams. I said beforehand that it was going to be a 12-round heavyweight boxing match, and it lived up to that. Both teams have competitive endurance and neither team broke. It could have gone in either direction, but credit to BJ Davis. He hit big-time shots. He came in averaging 10 points and had 30 tonight."
30-PLUS POINTS AGAIN: It marked the fifth time in the last seven games that Gibbs-Lawhorn scored at least 30 points. He has now scored 20 or more in 10 of his last 11 contests.
OTHER NOTES:
- UNLV and SDSU have split the last six games against each other, each winning three.
- Gibbs-Lawhorn was 11 of 22 from the field, including 5 of 11 on 3-pointers. He made all five of his free-throw attempts, while also adding three steals.
- Jones was 9 of 14 from the field with six rebounds and three blocks, while
Howie Fleming Jr. recorded a game-high 11 rebounds.
- UNLV led in fastbreak points, 13-8.
- On Senior Night for SDSU, the Aztecs led in bench scoring 52-27.
- San Diego State shot 56.7% in the second half (17 of 30) and 55.0% for the game (33 of 60), while UNLV shot 51.6% in the second half (16 of 31) and 48.4% for the game (30 of 62).
- UNLV shot 43.5% on 3-pointers (10 of 23), while SDSU made 40% (10 of 25).
- SDSU outrebounded UNLV 33-30.
- SDSU led 42-39 at halftime. Gibbs-Lawhorn made his fourth 3-pointer of the game as time expired right before the break.
- UNLV has made a 3-pointer in 1,291 straight games - every one since the NCAA adopted the rule in 1986.
NEXT FOR THE RUNNIN' REBELS: UNLV will return to Las Vegas to play in the Credit Union 1 Mountain West Basketball Championships, scheduled for Wednesday, March 11, through Saturday, March 14. The bracket will be announced following Saturday's conference action.
TICKETS TO THE MW CHAMPIONSHIP: Tickets to the MW Championship may be purchased online at
TheMW.com.