LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Utah State trailed by nine with just over one minute to play, but a pair of free throws by redshirt junior guard Marco Anthony pulled the Aggies to within one, 57-56, with 10 seconds to play and capped a late-game push by USU after trailing UNLV for all of the second half.
The Runnin' Rebels were able to convert a pair of free throws with six seconds to play and a final 3-point attempt by freshman guard Steven Ashworth was blocked, preserving UNLV's 59-56 win over the Aggies on Monday night inside the Thomas & Mack Center.
Anthony led all scorers with 18 points, knocking down a 3-point basket after the opening tip to give the Aggies (12-5, 9-2 MW) the first points of the game. Junior forward Justin Bean followed Anthony in the scoring column, finishing with 10 points. Junior center Neemias Queta was just shy of collecting a double-double, finishing with eight points, a game-high-tying 11 rebounds and a career-high-tying six blocks.
Utah State's defense held UNLV (6-6, 3-2 MW) to 32.8 percent (20-of-61) from the floor, however the USU offense matched the output, shooting a season-low 32.8 percent (20-of-61) during the contest. The difference was the Runnin' Rebels' 3-point baskets, as UNLV made 13 to the Aggies' five.
Following Anthony's triple to open the game, Utah State and UNLV traded the lead five times and were tied another five occasions over the opening 20 minutes. A layup by UNLV's Cheikh Mbacke Diong gave the Runnin' Rebels a 29-28 lead with five minutes to play in the half and a lead that was maintained by the home side for the rest of the contest.
UNLV was led in scoring by David Jenkins and Bryce Hamilton, who was a game-time decision after missing the Runnin' Rebels' last game due to injury, each with 14 points. They were joined in double figures by Moses Wood with 10 points.
The same teams return to the court in Las Vegas on Wednesday night, tipping at 9 p.m. (MT) on Fox Sports 1 (Xfinity Ch. 265/HD691, DirecTV Ch. 219, DISH Ch. 150).
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