The season-opening homestand ends with a reality check for the Runnin Rebels as Montana runs them off the hardwood at the Thomas and Mack, 102-93. Montana, a veteran, methodical Big Sky program that’s seen everything, walked into the Thomas & Mack Center and did something few visiting teams do: they controlled tempo, dictated spacing, and turned UNLV’s own energy against it. The Grizzlies shot 55.4% from the field and 88.9% at the line, holding the lead for the final 26 minutes.

UNLV’s offense started slow, but looked sharp once it found its footing. Montana came out swinging, taking an early 15-4 lead, but once the Rebels started to attack gaps, drew help, and lived in the paint (Kimani Hamilton and Ladji Dembele combined for 20 paint points before the break), they took a brief 33-32 lead. At the six-minute mark, Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn hit a transition jumper to give UNLV a 33-32 edge, which ended up being UNLV’s last lead of the night.

From there, Montana’s composure took over. The Grizzlies closed the Half on a 15-8 run, sparked by Money Williams’ patient pacing and Te’Jon Sawyer sealing deep against switches.

By halftime, it was Montana 47, UNLV 45, a close score on the scoreboard, but the cracks were visible.

First half highlights:

Monatna came out of the halftime break swinging. Over the first four minutes, Montana turned a two-point game into a double-digit margin.

Kenyon Aguino scored six straight out of the break, two layups and a pair of free throws as UNLV’s rotations broke down on weak-side help. A Tyler Thompson layup made it 57-45, capping a 10-0 Grizzlies burst that silenced the Mack and flipped control of the night.

In total, Montana went on a 17-2 run spanning just three minutes of game time, pushing the lead to 12 before Jacob Bannarbie finally stopped the bleeding.

Even when UNLV cut it to single digits, the Grizzlies always had an answer. Every time Gibbs-Lawhorn hit a tough pull-up or Naas Cunningham got to the stripe, Williams came back with a poised mid-range jumper or a kick to the corner for three.

By the 10:50 mark, it was 74-59 Montana, and the Rebels never got closer than nine again.

Statistically, UNLV wasn’t blown out. The Rebels shot 50.7% from the floor and scored 93 points, but context matters. Montana controlled everything in between.

It was the difference between organized patience and hurried effort.

Money Williams was the engine: 30 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, and 12-for-23 from the field. He dictated tempo, pulled UNLV’s bigs into space, and never blinked under pressure.
Sawyer (18 pts, 9 reb) anchored the interior, while Aguino (15 pts) and Tyler Isaak (10 pts) converted nearly every paint touch.

Montana’s ball control, with just 13 turnovers, neutralized UNLV’s pressure defense.

Gibbs-Lawhorn finished with 26 points and 6 assists, his 20 in the second Half keeping UNLV within striking distance. But the rest of the roster never found rhythm from deep, going 3-for-18 after the break.

Hamilton added 16 points, Cunningham 13, and Dembele 10, while Tyrin Jones (9 pts, 7 reb) provided one of the few consistent sparks on the glass.

The stat that stung most: UNLV’s free-throw margin (-7) in a 9-point loss.

Montana: 76 possessions, 1.34 PPP
UNLV: 74 possessions, 1.26 PPP

That gap… a few clean looks, a few lost box-outs, a few missed free throws. is all it takes in November when one side executes cleaner.

Every November loss under a new staff carries two meanings: what you did wrong, and what you now know matters.

Josh Pastner’s team still has a defined identity, fast tempo, pressure defense, and balanced scoring, but Tuesday showed the other side of that coin. Energy without precision can appear chaotic against a team that plays at its own rhythm.

Montana’s experience exposed the details: communication on switches, rebounding technique, and shot selection under fatigue.

The good news? UNLV’s offense is real. Ninety-three points on 50% shooting isn’t empty, it’s efficient. The challenge is converting that efficiency into consistency.

It wasn’t effort that failed UNLV on Tuesday night; it was execution in the margins.
Montana didn’t win because they were faster, stronger, or more athletic. They won because they were older, steadier, and sharper in the moments that define early-season basketball. Every rotation, every box-out, every free throw, the Grizzlies won those by inches, and those inches added up.

For UNLV, this was a mirror game. The offense was effective: 93 points, 50% shooting, with balanced scoring across the board. But the details missed rotations, untimely fouls, and 10 wasted possessions turned what could’ve been a controlled win into a night spent chasing tempo. Montana forced the Rebels to play at their rhythm, and that was the difference between organized urgency and rushed aggression.

There’s no panic in this loss. The system works. The identity is clear: fast tempo, downhill attacks, collective defense. But in November, style points don’t travel. Discipline does.

As UNLV heads to Memphis next, the question isn’t whether they can score; it’s whether they can sustain their poise when the game slows down. The tools are there. The talent is there. Tuesday night was simply a reminder that if the Rebels want to play in March, they’ll need to start winning the little possessions that decide games in November.