Rebels Rally Past Santa Clara

Rebels Rally Past Santa Clara

Final Stats| Quotes

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Marcus Banks scored a game high 20 points along with nine assists to lead UNLV past Santa Clara, 75-53, as the Rebels used a 26-4 second-half run to pull away Saturday.

Also for the Rebels (10-2) Demetrius Hunter and Jermaine Lewis each added 14 points. Dalron Johnson had 10.

After trailing for nearly the entire game, the Broncos tied it 39-39 with 16:16 left in the game.

The Rebels then took the lead for good on a Johnson 3-pointer with 14:23 left, 42-39.

The 3-pointer started that run, which ended with 6:18 left.

For the Broncos (9-4), who went scoreless for 6:12 during that run, freshman forward Travis Niesen tied a season-high 13 points, while Ethan Rohde added 12.

Santa Clara was 2-of-14 from 3-point range for 14.3 percent, while UNLV, which built a 25-point lead in the final minute, was 10-of-25 for 40 percent from 3-point range.

The Rebels were 25-of-50 from the field for 50 percent and were 15-of-17 from the free-throw line for 88.2 percent.

Banks and Lewis each were 6-of-6 from the foul line.

Meanwhile, the Broncos were 19-of-50 from the field for 38 percent and were 13-of-17 from the free-throw line for 76.5 percent.

After the Broncos took their only lead of the game 3-2 with 8:58 left, the Rebels went on a 9-0 run taking the lead for the rest of the game.

UNLV eventually built a 22-13 lead, its largest of the first half with 10:14 left.

Santa Clara cut the lead to 29-28 with 43 seconds before halftime, but UNLV led 32-28 at the break.