Rishwain stars as UNLV beats Pacific to end losing streak

Thirteen straight points either scored or assisted on by first-year UNLV Runnin’ Rebel Julian Rishwain helped the program end a recent losing skid.

In the team’s first home game since Nov. 23 UNLV beat Pacific, 72-65, from the Lee’s Family Forum in Henderson. The win ended a three-game losing streak for the Rebels.

With the recent slide, UNLV slipped to .500 at 4-4 before getting back into the win column Saturday night.

It’s back to the road for the Rebels now as it prepares to take on the Dayton Flyers in Ohio. That game will take place Tuesday, Dec. 17 with tip-off set for 4 p.m.

Tuesday’s game will be a makeup from last season after the Dec. 6th contest was cancelled after a shooting on the campus of UNLV.

At the media timeout with 6:50 left in regulation, the Rebels were riding a three-point lead on the heels of back-to-back field goals off Rishwain assists. Coming out of the timeout, he’d connect on three straight three-pointers to help push that three-point lead to nine.

Rishwain ended the night with a season-high 21 points on 7-of-11 from the field with five made threes. He accounted for five of his team’s eight made threes in a game that started with a combined four straight made treys by both clubs.

The 21 points for Rishwain is the most he’s scored since 2021 when he was a member of the San Francisco Dons.

Even with Rishwain’s shooting performance, it was the UNLV defense that solidified the victory. It held Pacific without a field goal for four minutes right in the thick of things in the second half. Prior to, the Tigers went on a 9-0 run to take a 40-38 lead, their first lead of the game.

As part of that field goal-less stretch, the Rebels went on a 13-3 run.

Late in the first half, the team again leaned on its defense during a three-plus minute stretch of its own without a field goal. On the back end of that spurt, UNLV still found itself up a point during a first half where it never trailed.

For the first time in a month, junior guard Jaden Henley played for Kevin Kruger’s Rebels. He missed time after sustaining a foot injury.

At the first media timeout, he was set to check in after starting the first three games of the year for UNLV. Less than 30 seconds later, he’d cash in on a three-pointer before hitting on a mid-range jumper shortly after on his way to seven first half points.

He’d finish with 11 points in 20 minutes in his return to action.

Sophomore guard Dedan Thomas Jr. added 16 points to go along with a team-high five assists.