Rebels end non-conference slate with schlacking of Golden Eagles

UNLV needed a top-to-bottom performance in its last non-conference showing and it got just that.

The Rebels whooped the La Sierra Golden Eagles, 89-47, Monday, Dec. 29 from the Thomas & Mack Center for the program’s third win in the last four contests. In addition, it's the fourth win for the Rebels in the state of Nevada this season in eight tries.

“We were supposed to take care of business,” head coach Josh Pastner said. “And we did.”

Overall, UNLV moves to 6-6 with only Mountain West conference games remaining on the regular season schedule. Conference play will continue for the program Saturday, Jan. 3 to conclude a three-game homestand.

The Rebels will host the Air Force Falcons that day with tip-off set for 2 p.m. in the Mountain West opener, UNLV downed Fresno State by 12 points.

“It was a good win for us closing out 2025,” Pastner said. “But the rest of the way here is conference play. Starting Saturday, 2 p.m. versus Air Force. I thought the Fresno State game, our crowd was great, it really gave us a great lift. It was probably the best crowd at least since I’ve been here, the Fresno State crowd.”

Defense was the storyline from start to finish for UNLV as it opened the game with a defensive stretch that would hold the opponent without a point for the first 6:38 of the game. Those first points came at the free throw line as the visitors didn’t make its first field goal until the 12:16-mark of the first half.

In that opening half, the Golden Eagles shot 4-of-19 from the floor while committing 15 turnovers. The home team turned those 15 turnovers into 20 points in the first 20-minute session.

“We’re pressing – we’ve been pressing obviously at various times,” Pastner said. “We can get our hands on balls because of our size and our length and we’re able to get out and run. I call it ‘Strike Mode,’ which you want to be able to score in the first six to eight seconds of ‘Strike Mode.’”

By the final buzzer, the Rebels had racked up 34 points off 24 turnovers to go along with 24 fast break points.

UNLV never trailed in a game where it led by as many as 32 points in the first half and 44 points overall.

“We played Fresno State then we’re off for five days,” Pastner said. “It just gave us a good opportunity to play and kind of get our rhythm back before we enter into conference play.”

La Sierra leading scorer Makael Reynolds was held to just nine points after entering the game with about 24 points scored per game. However, the Rebels’ best defensive work may have come on the 7-foot, 3-inch Jasper Reinalda, who would be held under his normal 16 points and 12 and a half rebounds per outing in this one.

Reinalda’s stat line read two points on 2-of-4 from the free throw line with zero field goals attempted. His first field goal make of the game came with just 4:15 left in regulation.

“We forced them into 24 turnovers,” Pastner said. “I thought defensively for the most part our ball pressure, we made it tough on the big kid there, the 7'3 kid with us fronting.”

The lack of presence down low for the Golden Eagles resulted in a 52-12 points in the paint advantage for UNLV, highlighted by a 22-0 mark in the first half.

Reinalda was also limited to just six rebounds in the loss while UNLV won the rebounding battle, 50-30. Those numbers included the home team hauling in 20 offensive rebounds.

“Twenty offensive rebounds,” Pastner said. “We did a nice job on the glass, plus-20 on the glass with them.”

Rebel big men Jacob Bannarbie and Emmanuel Stephen combined to grab 20 rebounds in addition to their 17 total points led by 10 from the latter.

“We talked about them getting 16 rebounds as a two-headed monster at the five-spot,” Pastner said. “Today they had 20 rebounds between the two so it was a great stat line for them.”

Junior guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn opened the game with back-to-back makes from three-point territory on his way to leading the team in scoring for the eighth time this season. As a result, the Rebels opened the game on a 21-0 run.

“We started off 21-0,” Pastner said. “I thought defensively we did some good stuff where we had great ball pressure. I felt the first 15-16 minutes of the first half, we were at a high level.”

Gibbs-Lawhorn went into halftime with 15 points to his name on the way to 19 for the game on 6-of-9 shooting with three made threes. He also added five steals while committing six turnovers.

“Dra had five steals which was awesome,” Pastner said. “Now he did have six turnovers which I did not like. He had silly turnovers, I thought he got loose with the ball. But he’s been shooting the ball at a really high clip as of late.”

Freshman Tyrin Jones added 15 points while senior guard Howie Fleming Jr. was the only other UNLV player in double-figures with 11 points. Fleming Jr. also posted seven rebounds and six assists.

Just before the game, senior forward Walter Brown was scratched from the game after being deemed too sick to play. In fact, Pastner was battling an illness as well prior to tip-off.

“I was brutal the last two days,” Pastner said. “I was in rough shape but you’d probably have to cut my right leg off for me not to coach a game.”