Rebels dominate 2nd half, beat Grand Canyon 83-66 in season opener

In one game, UNLV junior Justin Hawkins shed a label he was stuck with for two years. As it turns out, he's not just a defensive specialist who lacks offensive skills.

The 6-foot-3-inch guard proved his potential on both ends Friday night, and it gave him a thrill.

"I was having a good time out there," Hawkins said after scoring a career-high 25 points to lift the Rebels to an 83-66 season-opening victory over Grand Canyon at the Thomas & Mack Center.

"My confidence was really high. I'm confident in myself to have that type of game, but honestly, I didn't think it would go the way it did."

In his first career start, Hawkins heated up in the second half, scoring 17 points to help UNLV pull away from a 39-38 halftime lead.

The result was a winning beginning for first-year coach Dave Rice, who was working with a short-handed team of seven scholarship players.

"That was a terrific team win for us. One thing that makes us good is our depth," Rice said. "On winning teams, guys step up and make plays when they are called upon. Justin made huge plays."

Mike Moser, a UCLA transfer who also made his first start for the Rebels, was a dominant presence on the boards. The 6-8 sophomore forward finished with 16 points and 20 rebounds.

Moser's shooting touch was off -- he missed both 3-point attempts and made 4 of 9 free throws -- but he relentlessly attacked the basket.

"That's an unbelievable night in terms of rebounding the basketball," Rice said. "Mike has got an unbelievable motor. I think he's just scratching the surface of his potential."

UNLV was without three key players. Senior forward Chace Stanback, the team's top returning scorer, and junior guard Anthony Marshall served one-game suspensions, and sophomore forward Carlos Lopez was sidelined by a sprained right ankle.

Rice kept four of his starters on the floor for 36 minutes or more apiece, but the Rebels caught a second wind in the second half and wore down the Antelopes, a Division II team from Phoenix.

An offensive rebound and layup by Quintrell Thomas, followed by a Hawkins 3-pointer from the corner, put UNLV up 53-44 with 15:22 remaining.

Senior guard Oscar Bellfield buried a 3 from the top to push the Rebels ahead 64-51 with 11:16 remaining, and the margin stayed in double digits the rest of the way.

Hawkins was on a roll that could not be stopped. With just over three minutes left and the shot clock close to expiring, Hawkins pulled up and knocked down a 25-footer. After the shot hit net, he laughed as he jogged to the other end.

"It brought us back to middle school and AAU days when you played a ton of minutes in a game," said Hawkins, who shot 9-for-15 from the field and hit 4 of 6 3-pointers in 38 minutes.

Hawkins added three steals and committed no turnovers. Rice said his staff charts pass deflections, and he credited Hawkins with seven.

In his first two seasons, Hawkins shot 24.6 percent from 3-point range and never scored more than 13 points in a game. He averaged 5.0 points in 33 games off the bench last season. He said he felt comfortable in an offensive system that is "more free flowing."

Moser, who grabbed seven offensive rebounds, said. "I'm still trying to find the flow of the offense. Once I saw how hot Justin was, I was honestly trying to stay out of the way."

Bellfield and Thomas each scored 12 points and senior center Brice Massamba added 10.

The Rebels started slowly, but senior Kendall Wallace sparked the offense by sinking a pair of 3-pointers in less than a minute to put UNLV up 17-10 at the 12:12 mark. The Rebels stretched their lead to 11 points before the Antelopes rallied for a late first-half lead.

Wallace played 38 minutes in his return from right knee surgery that kept him out all of last season.

Braylon Pickrel topped Grand Canyon with 19 points.

The Rebels, who face UNR (0-1) on Monday, are opening with five games at the Thomas & Mack over a 12-day span.

"We understand that the competition level is going to rise very quickly," Rice said.

Contact reporter Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907.