HENDERSON, Nev. – Four Runnin’ Rebels scored in double figures as the UNLV men’s basketball team defeated a team ranked among the nation’s top 10 for the first time in almost four years with its 79-64 win over No. 8 Creighton Wednesday night at the Dollar Loan Center in the Jack Jones Classic.
Kalib Boone scored a season-high 25 points on 12 of 17 from the field with a team-high seven rebounds and game-high-tying four steals for UNLV (4-4), and Dedan Thomas Jr. scored 16 points with nine assists, zero turnovers, six rebounds and a steal. Justin Webster added 13 points on 3 of 6 3-pointers, while Keyan Boone, in his first game of the season, scored 10 points with six rebounds.
Keylan Boone became eligible earlier in the day after a West Virginia judge’s ruling granted all NCAA transfers temporary eligibility.
Creighton (8-2) was led by Ryan Kalkbrenner’s 22 points and eight rebounds.
LAST TOP-10 WIN FOR THE RUNNIN’ REBELS: UNLV’s last win over a team ranked in the top 10 in the national polls was on Feb. 22, 2020 when the Runnin’ Rebels defeated then-No. 4 San Diego State, 66-63, in San Diego, snapping the Aztecs’ 26-game winning streak and ending their run as the nation’s only undefeated team.
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DEFENSE WINS: UNLV held one of the country’s best 3-point shooting teams in Creighton to just 27.6% (8 of 29) for the game. Creighton managed just 4 of 16 (25%) on long-range shots in the first half. UNLV also held the Bluejays to just 22 made baskets for the entire game as they attempted 55 shots, finishing at 40%.
QUOTABLE: “That was obviously a lot more fun, but as I told the guys, the buy-in was clear and obvious from the moment we met to start getting ready for Creighton. Just understanding their firepower and how they are one of the best, if not the best, offensive teams that we will play not only this year, but maybe in our guys’ careers. Our team knew that the effort had to be at the level it was at to give ourselves a chance to win the game and without a doubt it was there. The tone was set early and I’m just really proud and happy for them, because with a lot of the things that they’ve dealt with in terms of injuries and availability and asking guys to do certain things, for them to come out and get this type of win over a top 10 team, they deserve it.”
NOTES:
– UNLV shot 52.5% from the field (32 of 61) and a season-high 45.5% on 3-pointers (10 of 22).
– UNLV made 10 more shots (32) over the course of the game than Creighton did.
– Thomas Jr. was 7 of 15 from the field, including 2 of 3 on 3-pointers, while Luis Rodriguez added a season-high four steals.
– UNLV recorded 11 steals for the game, compared to just two for Creighton.
– UNLV only committed six turnovers.
– UNLV’s largest lead of the game was 17 with seven minutes to go (65-48).
– UNLV outscored Creighton in points in the paint, 38-26.
– UNLV led 36-28 at halftime and outscored the Bluejays by another seven in the second half (43-36).
– UNLV has made at least one 3-pointer in a NCAA-record 1,201 straight games.
NEXT FOR THE RUNNIN’ REBELS: UNLV will travel south to play at the Jerry Colangelo Classic on Saturday, Dec. 16 against Saint Mary’s. The 5 p.m. MT/4 p.m. PT game at the Footprint Center will be broadcast on ESPN+ and also televised locally in Las Vegas on the Silver State Sports & Entertainment Network (Digital 5.2 and Cox channel 125). The radio call may be heard in Las Vegas on ESPN Radio 1100 AM.