In the kind of game that reveals roster limitations more than scheme or effort, UNLV walked into its first-ever appearance at the Players Era Festival and battled Maryland possession for possession… right up until the legs, the fouls, and the depth finally cracked.

Maryland closed the night on a 23-11 run and handed UNLV a 74-67 loss, dropping the Rebels to 3-3 with Alabama looming less than 24 hours away.

It was a game with stretches where UNLV looked legitimately in control, leading by as many as eight in the first half and seven early in the second. But the combination of foul trouble, injuries, and a brutal rebounding deficit eventually swallowed up the margin.

UNLV was out-rebounded 46-34, including 16-10 on the offensive glass. Maryland’s second-chance points, especially in the final eight minutes, were decisive.

“We had opportunities to extend it,” UNLV head coach Josh Pastner said. “We missed open shots, missed a couple fast-break opportunities, and those turned into five- or six-point swings. Our lack of size caught up to us late.”

For the first 30 minutes, UNLV played with real sharpness.
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn controlled the offense, Kimani Hamilton was active on the break, and Issac Williamson hit timely shots to stall Maryland pushes. UNLV forced 15 first-half turnovers and dictated rhythm.. just not the scoreboard.

The Rebels built leads of 28-20 and 43-36, and each time had a chance to push the game into real separation. Each time, the door stayed open.

A missed transition layup.
A wide-open three that rimmed out.
A blown 2-on-1.
Free throws that didn’t drop.

Instead of stretching the cushion, Maryland kept surviving. Buzz Williams called his team “discombobulated” early but credited their ability to simplify and stabilize.

“We made incredibly poor decisions early,” Williams said. “But once we simplified things, we found some continuity. We were lucky to still be in it with how high our turnover rate was.”

UNLV led 49-45 with 11:27 remaining, the final time the Rebels would play from in front.

Once the game hit the final stretch, the two themes that had lingered all night finally took over.

UNLV finished with 12 second-half team fouls, and key pieces were limited:

Maryland kept grinding out bonus trips and stayed patient while UNLV juggled lineups.

This was the separator.

Maryland grabbed:

Pharrel Payne, 20 points on 7-for-8 shooting and 8 rebounds, was the problem UNLV never solved. Maryland’s guards took advantage of every scramble that followed.

“The zone gave us good minutes,” Pastner said. “But being that small inside, we had no choice. And that hurt us on the glass in ways we haven’t seen this year.”

The one issue that keeps shadowing this group showed up again:

“We just haven’t shot it well this year,” Pastner said. “And I thought it would be one of our strengths.”

Al Green’s late run, three threes in crunch time, mattered for confidence moving forward, even if it didn’t change the outcome.

Maryland’s head coach pointed to three keys to the win:

UNLV has less than a day to recover before facing No. 8 Alabama. Pastner made it clear the priority is hydration and energy.

“We’re really banged up,” he said. “We have to hydrate, clear our minds, and be ready.”

Despite a 3-3 start, his message hasn’t changed:

“We’re going to be a good basketball team. We’ve gotten better since the start. We just need to get healthy, get our guys together, and the shooting will come.”