Fast-breaking Rebels leave Lobos in dust

With the speed to run the floor and the strength to attack the basket, Anthony Marshall and Mike Moser are ultimate weapons for UNLV in the open court.

It took some time for Marshall and Moser to get going Saturday night, but once they did, they were unstoppable.

Moser had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Marshall added 13 points and nine assists as the 14th-ranked Rebels ran roughshod over New Mexico in an 80-63 victory before a sellout crowd of 18,577 at the Thomas & Mack Center.

"It was get out and go," Moser said. "I don't think they were ready for us to run like that."

It takes more than two players to execute at a high level in transition, and UNLV (18-3, 2-1 Mountain West Conference) had several parts working in sync. Carlos Lopez came off the bench to score 14 points, Chace Stanback had 13, and Justin Hawkins added 10.

The Rebels were relentless when on the run, piling up a 26-0 advantage in fast-break points, and the Lobos were left defenseless.

"We wanted it to be a fast-paced game, and we got the game at the speed we wanted to play," UNLV coach Dave Rice said. "We're at our best when we're getting defensive rebounds and pushing the ball. If we can get all five guys running and in the proper spots, we're hard to guard. We were the aggressors."

Moser had only one of the Rebels' 11 steals, but it was a key play just more than seven minutes into the second half. He stripped the ball from New Mexico forward Drew Gordon and fed Marshall for a breakaway layup to put UNLV up 57-43.

Three minutes later, Moser rose above the crowd in the paint and threw down a dunk off Oscar Bellfield's missed 3-pointer. The Rebels soon pushed their lead to 22 points and never looked back.

"We wore them out because of our style of play, because of our conditioning and because of our bench," Rice said.

UNLV capitalized on a majority of New Mexico's 21 turnovers and maintained a double-digit lead for the final 15 minutes.

"You could feel their energy drop," said Marshall, who had six rebounds and four steals. "You could sense it midway through the second half."

Tony Snell and Kendall Williams each scored 15 points to lead the Lobos (15-4, 1-2). Snell made 4 of 7 3-pointers.

Gordon, a 6-foot-9-inch forward who has the ability to dominate, finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds but was not a major factor.

Rice warned that New Mexico, which was upset at home Wednesday by San Diego State, would come in playing with desperation.

"We can step up and take a challenge," said Moser, who had 10 points after halftime.

The Lobos played with a lead for most of the opening 12 minutes. Hawkins hit two 3-pointers to trigger the Rebels' rally on their way to a 39-35 halftime lead.

Moser and Stanback combined to shoot 4-for-12 in the half. But Hawkins and Lopez came off the bench to pick up the slack, as Lopez scored nine points and Hawkins eight.

"The energy Carlos brought off the bench was fantastic," Rice said.

Gordon and A.J. Hardeman controlled the lane for New Mexico, which had 13 offensive rebounds, but UNLV was able to force a faster pace and held a 15-0 advantage in fast-break points by halftime.

"It's hard to guard when Anthony is coming 100 miles an hour down the floor and can stop on a dime and make plays," said Moser, who shot 7-for-16 from the field.

The Rebels started to pull away early in the second half after Lobos forward Cameron Bairstow was whistled for a questionable flagrant foul. Bairstow pivoted and swung an elbow that floored Brice Massamba.

Kendall Wallace made a cameo appearance and made two free throws for the flagrant foul, and Stanback followed by dropping in a fadeaway shot from the baseline to put UNLV up 51-40 with 16:24 remaining.

New Mexico coach Steve Alford took a timeout and barked at the officials, but Alford's frustration was just beginning.

UNLV improved to 14-0 in Las Vegas this season, and Moser credited the fans for providing a boost.

"We've got the best crowd," Moser said. "Tonight was ridiculous."

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