UNLV Holds Off Late Rally by Fresno State, Opens Conference Play 1-0

Down 18 at halftime, the Bulldogs went on a 22-8 run in the second half but the Rebels held them off for a 87-77 win.

UNLV Rebels head coach Kevin Kruger / Candice Ward-Imagn Images

The UNLV Runnin’ Rebels beat the Fresno State Bulldogs, 87-77, in Las Vegas on Saturday, despite a strong second-half rally. After trailing by 18 at halftime, Fresno State opened the second half with a 22-8 run, cutting the deficit to 56-52.

UNLV built its first-half lead with 65% shooting and 7-of-13 from three, leading by as many as 23 points. Dedan Thomas led the Rebels with 21 points, and Bedford added 18 off the bench. UNLV dominated the paint, outscoring Fresno State 50-28. The Rebels improve to 7-5 (1-0 in conference)

Fresno State's Jasir Tremble had a breakout performance with a career-high 19 points, shooting 7-of-10 from the field and 5-of-7 from three. Mykell Robinson added 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists, while Jalen Weaver and Elijah Price contributed 14 and 13 points, respectively. Zaon Collins, returning to Las Vegas, was limited to 7 points but added 7 assists.

The Rebels will continue Mountain West conference play when they travel to Air Force for a New Years Eve matinee at 1pm PT

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