Runnin' Rebels improve to 2-0 with gutsy win over Samford

LAS VEGAS – Runnin’ Rebels head coach Josh Pastner says that his team’s biggest strength is that their go-to man is the open man. 

That claim rang true in UNLV’s 88-79 victory over Samford at Thomas & Mack Center on Saturday. 

Five Rebels scored in double figures as UNLV improved to 2-0 — underpinning their selfless mindset to start the campaign. 

Sophomore Cam Miles led the way this time with 20 points — shooting 4-for-9 from three-point range and 8-for-8 from the free-throw line. Tyrin Jones made winning plays in bunches, chipping in 17 points, five rebounds, six blocks, and two steals. He drew praise from Pastner for knocking down seven of his 10 attempts at the charity stripe.

Elsewhere, last game’s hero Sebastian Mack poured in 17 points on 7-for-13 shooting. He didn’t have to erupt today because this Rebels team is constructed to play together. 

It just so happened to be Miles’ turn to set a new scoring career high. 

“I have to give it all to my teammates,” Miles said afterward. “As soon as I came in, they welcomed me in as a brother. The chemistry that we have is amazing. They give me confidence and energy. They’re always talking to me, making sure I’m up.”

Miles oozed confidence as he buried a 28-foot triple with 1:25 remaining in the second half, all but putting the visitors away at 88-78.

Jones made his presence felt on both ends of the floor as the Rebels struggled to find separation from the pesky Bulldogs, who hung around tough. 

UNLV finally created some daylight between the two teams late. Jones grabbed an offensive board and kicked the ball out to Miles for a three-pointer before converting a couple of free throws and finishing strong at the basket on the following play with the shot clock dwindling. That made it 85-78 — tying the hosts’ largest lead of the game — with 3:06 left to play.

Pastner was in great spirits entering the media room postgame. He’s pleased with the work his team has put in their first two games. 

“I think both teams we played this week are good teams,” he said. “There is so much parity amongst college basketball now.” 

Pastner shared that his three keys to the victory were: adhering to the game plan by guarding the three-point line — with Samford being a shooting team, free throws, and offensive rebounding. 

The Rebels held the visitors to just 5-for-20 from beyond the arc. 20 of the Bulldogs’ 62 field goal attempts came from deep, when usually they take about half of their shots from the outside, according to Pastner. 

UNLV made 25 of 32 free throws, limiting Samford to just 19 attempts (14 makes) with disciplined defense. 

The hosts out-rebounded the Bulldogs 38-28, with the 11 offensive boards providing a decisive edge.

The Rebels are feeling really good about their start to the year. They are a talent-packed team that’s already had to demonstrate some grit against a couple of teams that simply refused to get blown out. 

The hope is that this group has come out of these wins better than they were before. The biggest test to date awaits them next, however, as the Rebs will host Stanford (2-0) on Friday.