UNLV loses to Saint Mary’s on buzzer-beater in double overtime

By all rights, the Rebels probably shouldn’t have even had a chance to win Saturday’s game.

The UNLV men’s basketball team had a disastrous offensive outing. The Rebels made three field goals in the first half. Saint Mary’s grabbed 33 offensive rebounds, the same amount of total rebounds coach Kevin Kruger’s squad managed through regulation and two overtime periods.

Yet UNLV had the ball in a tie game with eight seconds remaining in double overtime. Freshman guard Dedan Thomas Jr. missed a potential game-winning layup, and Saint Mary’s attacked in transition.

Gaels freshman guard Jordan Ross found senior center Mitchell Saxen, who dropped a layup into the basket right as the buzzer sounded to give the Gaels a 69-67 win in the Jerry Colangelo Classic at the Footprint Center in Phoenix.

“We didn’t get back,” Kruger told reporters.

Thomas scored a career-high 24 points in 45 minutes, going 6-for-16 from the field and 12-for-16 from the free-throw line.

Sixth-year senior Luis Rodriguez and fifth-year guard Justin Webster each added 16 points for the Rebels (4-5). Rodriguez, the former Mississippi transfer, made UNLV’s first 3 of the game three minutes into the second half to extend the program’s streak to 1,202 games.

Saxen scored 23 points, including all 10 points for Saint Mary’s in double overtime, to lead the Gaels (6-5). Fifth-year wing Alex Ducas had 11 points.

“We didn’t quite have that same bounce to us early, but that’s what (the Gaels) do,” Kruger said. “That’s what they do to a lot of people.”

Neither team will want to watch much offensive game tape from the first half.

UNLV shot 12.5 percent the floor. The Rebels ended the period on a 9:47 field-goal drought and missed seven free throws. Fifth-year wing Keylan Boone’s five points led all scorers at halftime.

UNLV entered the break trailing 20-14 because Saint Mary’s had an equally abysmal offensive half. The Gaels were 7-for-33 on field-goal attempts, missed all eight of their 3s and committed eight turnovers.

“Twenty points in a half is what you want,” Webster told reporters. “But on the other side, we just didn’t execute well.”

Rebounding was Saint Mary’s biggest advantage. The Gaels entered Saturday averaging 14 offensive rebounds per game, ranking 24th in the nation. They had 16 by halftime and finished regulation with 29.

Saint Mary’s scored 31 second-chance points, took 25 more shots and led 43-32 with 6:26 remaining.

Rodriguez and Webster propelled UNLV back into the game. They combined for 12 points as the Rebels outscored the Gaels 18-7 down the stretch.

Saint Mary’s didn’t make a field goal for the final 3:38 of regulation, and a Thomas layup with nine seconds remaining sent the game to overtime.

UNLV was aided by Saint Mary’s foul trouble. Junior guard Augustas Marciulionis, sophomore forward and Las Vegas native Joshua Jefferson and sophomore guard Aidan Mahaney — all starters — fouled out in regulation. Ross, a sparsely used true freshman point guard, missed two crucial late free throws, giving Thomas an opportunity to tie the game.

The Rebels were also missing some players. Fifth-year forward Kalib Boone, UNLV’s leading scorer coming into the game, fouled out with 4:24 remaining in overtime. He had zero points, three rebounds and two turnovers in 18 minutes.

Thomas took over for UNLV after regulation ended. He had seven points in the first overtime to lead the Rebels to a quick five-point lead, which Ducas erased.

Thomas then added four more points in double overtime to give the Rebels a 67-64 lead with 1:51 remaining. However, Saxen scored the final five points of the game to earn the win for the Gaels.

“I’d like to see us execute in both halves,” Webster said. “Make the game a little easier.”

Contact reporter Andy Yamashita at ayamashita@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ANYamashita on X.