Rebels knock off No. 15 Aztecs

SAN DIEGO - Everything was unfolding just how Anthony Marshall expected. A back-and-forth battle was tied in the final four minutes, and, essentially, this was what everyone predicted.

"It was too close for comfort," Marshall said.

It's always the same theme with UNLV and San Diego State, and the Aztecs usually find a way to gain the upper hand. Marshall, who had lost in his previous three trips to Viejas Arena, was looking to write a surprise ending.

The Rebels' senior point guard played his part, and he got a huge helping hand from sophomore center Khem Birch.

Marshall scored 20 points, and Birch's rebound basket with 25 seconds left lifted UNLV to an 82-75 victory over No. 15 San Diego State on Wednesday night, knocking the Aztecs out of the top spot in the Mountain West and quieting a crowd of 12,414.

"It was a gutsy effort by everybody," said Marshall, who added eight rebounds and five assists while staying in control of a fast-paced, high-intensity game. "We knew it was going to come down to the last couple possessions.

"I believe we had won everywhere in the Mountain West except here. To finally get one here means a lot."

With stars Anthony Bennett and Mike Moser on the bench down the stretch, the Rebels (15-3, 2-1) relied on Marshall, Birch and Bryce Dejean-Jones to finish off their biggest win of the season.

Jamaal Franklin scored 27 points, and Winston Shepard, a freshman guard from Findlay Prep, added a career-high 18 for the Aztecs (14-3, 2-1).

After a jumper by Marshall put UNLV up by three, Franklin beat Marshall off the dribble and converted a three-point play to tie the score at 73 with 3:43 remaining.

The Rebels took a 76-73 lead on Birch's putback with 2:25 remaining. Franklin missed a contested shot on a drive into the lane, and Hawkins rebounded a missed jumper by Dejean-Jones and scored inside to stretch UNLV's edge to five.

Shepard's jumper narrowed the gap to 78-75 with 1:08 remaining, setting the stage for Marshall and Birch. Birch grabbed Marshall's miss and scored with 25 seconds to go to close it out.

Dejean-Jones, who had 14 points for UNLV, added two free throws with 14 seconds left.

The Rebels stopped a five-game conference road losing streak under coach Dave Rice, who recalled "all the close games we had lost."

"That game could have gone either way, and we were fortunate to win," Rice said. "It was about being tough enough to make enough plays. It was about time for us to win one."

After shooting 57.6 percent (19 of 33) from the field to build a 48-42 halftime edge, UNLV bogged down offensively.

San Diego State, trailing by 10 points early in the second half, erased the deficit with a 17-4 run, and the teams traded punches for the final 10 minutes.

Marshall's layup put UNLV up 56-46 early in the second half. The Aztecs answered immediately and surged ahead 61-60 on Chase Tapley's layup with 10:35 remaining.

Marshall's drives off high-post screens from Birch and the Rebels' offensive rebounding bailed out an offense that was missing major contributions from Bennett and Moser, who each scored nine points, down the stretch.

"I've been here for three years. UNLV never surprises me now. Forget surprise," said Franklin, who shot 9-for-21 from the field and 8-for-10 on free throws. "I knew they were going to play really good and really fast."

Franklin scored 17 points in the first half, when San Diego State outscored UNLV 15-6 at the free-throw line.

Rice switched to a smaller lineup late in the second half, and the Rebels stifled several of the Aztecs' drives with Birch waiting to defend the rim.

"A.B. didn't play his best game, and Mike didn't play his best game, so look how far this team can go in the league and in the country," Birch said. "This whole team has all the confidence in the world."

Marshall, who finally beat San Diego State on the road in his fourth try, was satisfied with the ending this time.

"We felt like some other road games that we should have won we let get away," he said. "It's very special."

Contact reporter Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.comor 702-387-2907. Follow him on Twitter: @mattyoumans247.