LAS VEGAS (AP) — Dedan Thomas Jr. made a layup and a 12-foot fadeaway jumper to cap a late seven-point run by UNLV, which beat No. 22 Utah State 65-62 on Wednesday evening.
Utah State’s Mason Falslev missed a three-pointer in the final seconds, ending the Aggies’ six-game winning streak.
Jalen Hill led the Rebels (10-7, 4-2 Mountain West) with 15 points, Julian Rishwain finished with 13 and Jailen Bedford had 10.
Thomas added eight points, about half his season average. But its four points at the end were the most important as UNLV closed with a 12-2 lead.
Tucker Anderson led Utah State (16-2, 6-1) with 19 points and Ian Martinez added 15.
Although the Aggies were on a roll, they also won a series of close calls. All six straight wins during their streak have been decided by single digits.
Utah State looked poised for another such victory, going on a 15-3 run to go up 60-53 with 5:25 to play. But the Rebels refused to go away, setting the stage for the final victorious push.
The Aggies were hoping to get closer to their best start in the Mountain West. They won their first nine conference games four years ago, but will have to settle for their second-best start.
Takeaways
Utah State: The Aggies were held to 21 points less than the 83.2 point average they recorded in the game.
UNLV: The Rebels dominated inside, outscoring Utah State 36-20 in the paint.
Key moment
Rishwain made a 3-pointer with 2:23 left to set up the game-ending run, turning a four-point deficit into a one-point game.
Key statistic
The Rebels struggled from the 3-point line in the first half, making 2 of 16. They were 4 of 9 over the final 20 minutes.
To be continued
Utah State hosts Nevada on Wednesday and UNLV plays San Diego State on Saturday.
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