UNLV Men's Basketball Edges Fresno State for Third Straight Win

Doug Vazquez | Feb 16, 2025

UNLV Runnin' Rebel Jaden Henley / UNLVRebels.com

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UNLV Runnin' Rebels

The UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (14-12, 8-7) extended their winning streak to three games with a hard-fought 52-51 victory over Fresno State (5-21, 1-14) on Saturday afternoon at the Save Mart Center. Despite scoring just two points in the final eight minutes, UNLV held on for the win, securing its fourth consecutive victory over the Bulldogs.

Three in a row pic.twitter.com/uln3kKJmze
— UNLV Men's Basketball (@TheRunninRebels) February 16, 2025

Jailen Bedford and Jaden Henley led the way with 13 points each, with Henley adding a career-high nine rebounds. Freshman Dedan Thomas Jr. contributed seven points and a game-high seven assists with just one turnover. Defensively, Bear Cherry recorded four blocks, while Pape N'Diaye delivered the game-saving rejection in the final seconds.

UNLV led by as many as 11 points at 50-39 with just over eight minutes remaining, but Fresno State stormed back with a 12-0 run, capped by a Zaon Collins layup that put the Bulldogs ahead 51-50 with 1:02 left. Henley responded with a clutch put-back basket off a Thomas Jr. miss to regain the lead for the Rebels. After missing the ensuing free throw, UNLV's defense held firm as N’Diaye swatted Collins’ potential go-ahead attempt with 13 seconds remaining.

The Runnin’ Rebels controlled the glass, outrebounding Fresno State 45-40 and securing 15 offensive boards. However, they struggled from beyond the arc, finishing just 6-of-25 (24%) from three-point range. Despite their cold shooting, UNLV’s defense stepped up, holding the Bulldogs to just 22.2% shooting in the first half and 37.9% in the second.

Fresno State had an advantage at the free-throw line, attempting 16 shots compared to UNLV’s four, but the Rebels’ defensive execution down the stretch proved to be the difference.

With the win, UNLV completed a regular-season sweep of Fresno State for the second straight year and improved to 38-19 all-time in the series. The Rebels have now won four of the last five meetings at the Save Mart Center and eight of the last 12 overall. Head coach Kevin Kruger praised his team’s resilience, emphasizing the difficulty of winning on the road in conference play.

The Runnin’ Rebels will have a week off before returning to action at home against Colorado State on Saturday, February 22, at the Thomas & Mack Center.

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