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The UNLV Runnin’ Rebels find themselves at .500 on the year after dropping the fourth game in their last five.
UNLV was run over by the SMU Mustangs, 83-64, from Moody Coliseum in Dallas, Texas.
It was the program’s first true road game of the season while SMU was undefeated at home at 5-0.
The Rebels currently sport a 4-4 record and have lost by an average margin of 14.3 in those four losses.
Another road game against a team with an undefeated home record looms as UNLV will now turn its attention to the San Francisco Dons.
San Francisco is also undefeated overall at 8-0.
That game is set for Saturday, Dec. 4 from War Memorial Gym with tipoff set for 7 p.m.
For the second straight game, the Rebels were held under 25 points in the first half. To make matters worse, the team opened the second half with back-to-back turnovers.
By that point, the team had struggled its way to 27% from the field and 2-of-10 from three.
SMU built a lead as large as 25 points in the first 20 minutes.
UNLV briefly led, as it did against UCLA, before its opponent stole the momentum during a 9-2 run.
Nothing could go right for the road team as guard Justin Webster had a shot-clock beating three-pointer wiped off the board after review.
The three would have cut a double-digit deficit to seven.
With not much going in his favor, head coach Kevin Kruger appeared to be searching for energy in all places, playing 11 guys in the first half.
That search resulted in reserve Reece Brown setting a new career-high with eight points in 12 minutes.
Senior guard Bryce Hamilton scored five straight points in the first half, moving into the Top-25 in scoring all-time at UNLV.
Hamilton would have an up-and-down game, reaching double-digits on a made three in the second half only to have a steal on the next play followed by a missed dunk in transition.
He finished with 12 points on 5-of-12 shooting.
As a team, the Rebels shot better in the second half making 5-of-7 threes during one stretch.
Webster had better success after halftime hitting back-to-back threes in the second half on his way to 12 points with four made three-pointers in his hometown of Dallas.
When second-string guard Josh Baker converted an and-one with 11:13 left in regulation it marked the 23rd second half point for UNLV.
The team had 21 points at halftime.