No. 20 UNLV blasts La Verne behind Bennett

The last time someone dominated on a basketball court the way Anthony Bennett did Thursday, Billy Madison was rocking the world of a bunch of third-graders on the playground.

Bennett, UNLV's freshman power forward, had his way with La Verne, scorching the Division III Leopards for 27 points and 14 rebounds - both career highs - in leading the 20th-ranked Rebels to a 91-44 win in front of 5,069 at Orleans Arena.

La Verne's biggest player was 6 feet 7 inches, and Bennett's size and athleticism made him virtually unstoppable as UNLV (8-1) gained its sixth straight victory.

"Our guys did a terrific job of feeding him and running the offense through him," coach Dave Rice said. "I thought our playing Anthony out of his natural position at (center) earlier this year really helped him with his low-post game, and he was very aggressive taking the ball to the basket. He looked very comfortable."

Bennett was not made available for comment after the game.

Things won't be as easy for Bennett Monday when the Rebels visit Texas-El Paso, but at least UNLV wasn't looking ahead to the game against the Miners. The Rebels, who dressed only 10 players, bolted to a 15-2 lead, powered by Bennett and two Katin Reinhardt 3-pointers.

The closest La Verne (1-5) got after that was 18-12, and UNLV led by as many as 49 points in the final minute.

Reinhardt said the Rebels were wary of La Verne, thinking back to their Nov. 7 exhibition against Dixie State, when they needed overtime to win, 81-80.

"We weren't going to allow ourselves to have a letdown in this game," he said.

Reinhardt finished with 14 points, hitting 4 of 6 3-pointers to complement Bennett's impressive work inside.

"I had a tough week (shooting) last week," Reinhardt said. "I was able to find a rhythm early and the way we established an inside-out game with Anthony leading us, it opened up the floor for everyone and it made it a lot easier."

The Rebels made 7 of 15 3-pointers, and most came within the flow of the offense, which pleased Rice.

"That's how we want to play every game," he said. "Going inside first allows us to get open looks from the outside. Katin did a great job of getting his feet set and when he does that, he's as good a shooter as anyone in the country."

Also noteworthy Thursday were Savon Goodman's 13 points and nine rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench and the debut of freshman point guard Daquan Cook.

Cook initially was going to redshirt this season, but Rice changed his mind and Cook finally got a chance to play. He had four points and three assists in 17 minutes, and did well running the offense, but also committed three fouls in a 50-second span in the second half.

"He just lacks experience," Rice said. "I liked that he was always looking to get his teammates involved and to get him 17 minutes is a positive step for us."

Nobody played more than 24 minutes for UNLV in what was essentially a glorified scrimmage.

"It was a great prep for us," Rice said. "We know UTEP is going to be a challenge for us, especially on their court. But we got a lot out of this game."

Vince Bauer scored 16 points to lead La Verne.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.