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March 18, 2024

UNLV Basketball:

Blog: Vaughn, Wood each score 22 points, lead Rebels to 79-45 victory over Southern Utah

Goodluck Okonoboh (knee) is street clothes for UNLV; replaced by Dwayne Morgan in the starting lineup

UNLV Basketball Team Faces Southern Utah

L.E. Baskow

UNLV forward Christian Wood (5) dunk the ball over the Southern Utah defense during their game at the Thomas & Mack Center on Saturday, December 27, 2014.

Updated Saturday, Dec. 27, 2014 | 8:56 p.m.

UNLV Basketball Defeats Southern Utah

UNLV forward Christian Wood (5) dunk the ball over the Southern Utah defense during their game at the Thomas & Mack Center on Saturday, December 27, 2014. Launch slideshow »

It was only a matter of time until the UNLV basketball team handled Southern Utah.

After being held without a field goal for the final 5:51 of the first half today, the Rebels opened the second half on a 21-1 scoring run in coasting to a lopsided 79-45 victory.

Rashad Vaughn had four 3-pointers in the second half to finish with 22 points. Christian Wood had 22 points and a game-high 14 rebounds on 9 of 12 shooting, helping the Rebels improve to 9-3 on the season and head into league play on a positive note. The Rebels play at Wyoming on New Year’s Eve to open their Mountain West schedule.

Reserve guard Dantley Walker received the loudest ovation of the night for UNLV, making 2 of 4 of his 3-pointers in seven minutes of action. Jordan Cornish finished with nine points for UNLV, including a 4-point play in the first half, and Jelan Kendrick had 11 rebounds and seven assists.

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Halftime

Christian Wood nearly had a double-double in the first half.

The UNLV basketball team is leading Southern Utah 36-28 at halftime behind Wood’s 15 points and eight rebounds. The sophomore post made 7 of 8 shots, including a 3-pointer on the Rebels’ first possession to give them the lead for good. The Rebels scored on their initial four possessions and led by as many as 16 points.

However, the double-digit lead was quickly erased at the end of the half. UNLV was held without a field goal for the final 5:51, allowing Southern Utah to get back into the game.

Goodluck Okonoboh isn’t dressed today because of a knee injury. He was replaced in the starting lineup by Dwayne Morgan, who picked up two quick fouls.

Rashad Vaughn has seven points for UNLV, but made just 2 of 7 shots and has a pair of air balls. Morgan has six points, Jordan Cornish had a 4-point play and Jelan Kendrick has four assists.

Tyler Rawson has seven points to lead Southern Utah, who started three players — Trey Kennedy, Travon Langston and Juwan Major — from Las Vegas.

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Pregame

The UNLV basketball team has momentum on its side. The Rebels can’t afford to slip up tonight, especially with Mountain West play looming next week.

Four days after upsetting No. 3 Arizona, the Rebels return to the Thomas & Mack Center to conclude their nonleague home schedule against Southern Utah. Last year, the Rebels beat the Big Sky Conference's Thunderbirds, 73-51.

Although an easy win appears likely, the Rebels (8-3) might have a hangover from Tuesday’s win against Arizona. Could you blame them?

One minute, players were celebrating the Arizona victory with the thousands of fans who stormed the court. The next, some were heading back to their hometowns for a brief holiday break.

The team of young players — all the points against Arizona were scored by freshmen and sophomore Christian Wood — had a signature victory as an early holiday gift. The win was the program’s first against a team ranked as high as No. 3 at home since 1988 against Temple, boosting the Rebels’ RPI from No. 80 to No. 36.

Click to enlarge photo

UNLV and Southern Utah players prepare for their basketball game at the Thomas & Mack Center on Dec. 27, 2014.

It will be interesting to see how the Rebels perform against a Southern Utah (3-7) team they should convincingly beat in the wake of their best win of the season. They surely can’t afford to overlook any opponent — a loss tonight would erase Tuesday’s victory in the grand scheme of things.

More important, the Rebels need to continue their strong play. They open league play New Year’s Eve at Wyoming, which is one of their most important games of the season. UNLV needs a good showing in Mountain West play to have a case to be selected for the NCAA Tournament.

Brewer’s prediction: UNLV empties its bench and turns this one into a lopsided affair. UNLV 73, Southern Utah 45

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21

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