LAS VEGAS — UNLV’s final non-conference game wasn’t about style points. It was about rhythm, readiness, and reinforcing what has to carry into Mountain West play.

The Runnin’ Rebels handled La Sierra 89-47 Monday night at the Thomas & Mack Center, forcing mistakes early, owning the paint, and using the margin to stretch the rotation, exactly the type of tune-up that matters when the schedule tightens.

“It gave us a great opportunity to play everybody,” head coach Josh Pastner said afterward, pointing to the rotation squeeze that comes with league play. “Because it’s conference, you’re tightened up the rotation. So in a game like this, you’re able to play everybody… because you just never know.”

UNLV enters January with momentum, but also with a clear understanding of what must stay sharp.

UNLV’s identity was obvious from the opening stretch: pressure the ball, speed the game up, and turn defense into points.

The Rebels forced 24 turnovers and turned them into 34 points, consistently disrupting La Sierra before possessions could develop. UNLV’s length and activity created the type of “strike mode” offense that Pastner wants, quick scores before the defense settles.

“The best way to do that is to get stops or to force turnovers so you can get out and go,” Pastner said. “We did a good job of that tonight.”

That formula won’t always be available at this level once conference play begins, but the habits translate. Ball pressure, hands on passing lanes, and finishing possessions are the backbone of UNLV’s preferred pace.

If the turnovers built the lead, the interior control kept it stable.

The Runnin’ Rebs dominated the glass 50-30, collected 20 offensive rebounds, and outscored La Sierra 52-12 in the paint. The gap in physicality showed in second-chance opportunities and rim protection. The Rebels also finished with 11 blocks.

Pastner highlighted the production from his bigs specifically, calling out Jacob Bannarbie and Emmanuel Stephen for controlling the “five spot” as a tandem.

“We talked about them… as a two-headed monster in the five spot,” Pastner said. “Today, they had twenty rebounds between the two, so that was a great stat line there for them.”

That’s the type of baseline UNLV needs against Mountain West frontcourts, not just scoring, but possession control.

Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn led the Runnin’ Rebels with 19 points on 6-of-9 shooting and 3-of-4 from three, but the bigger takeaway was balance.

Tyrin Jones continued to look like a dependable interior finisher with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Howie Fleming Jr. impacted every part of the game: 11 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals, the kind of all-around output that keeps the Reb’s tempo functional.

Pastner called Fleming “a stat sheet stuffer,” and the numbers backed it up.

There were small things to clean up, including Gibbs-Lawhorn’s six turnovers, something Pastner addressed directly.

“He had silly turnovers… I thought he got loose with the ball,” Pastner said, while also noting Gibbs-Lawhorn is learning the point guard role in real time. “He’s learning every time he steps on the floor.”

That’s the tradeoff UNLV is still navigating: aggressive pace and creation with ball security.

Even in a 42-point win, Pastner pointed to moments he didn’t like, particularly late in the first half and early in the second. “I felt the first 15–16 minutes of the first half we were at a high level,” he said. “I felt the last three, four minutes of the first half, we had a slippage.”

He also mentioned two back-screen coverages coming out of halftime that were simply missed, the kind of mistake that won’t be survivable in league play. “There’ll be some opportunities for film for us to clean up,” he said. That framing matters. This game wasn’t a referendum. It was a rep and a reminder that conference pace punishes lapses.

One key personnel note: Walter Brown did not play due to illness, which Pastner confirmed postgame.

“Walter Brown did not play, he was sick,” he said, adding he expects Brown to return soon. Pastner also acknowledged he personally was battling illness leading into the game, but never considered missing it. “You probably have to cut my right leg off me not to coach a game,” he said. “I was in brutal shape the last two days… but you just gotta tough through it.”

UNLV now turns the page quickly. Mountain West play resumes Saturday at 2 p.m. vs. Air Force, and Pastner emphasized the shift in cadence.

“It’s two games a week. It’s go time,” he said. “We don’t have any buys all the way through.”

UNLV didn’t shoot it well from three (6-of-25), but still scored 89 because the process was intact: pressure, paint touches, extra possessions, and transition conversion. The more meaningful indicators were the ones that translate: turnovers forced, points off turnovers, rebounding margin, and defensive activity. UNLV closed 2025 with a clean win and a deeper rotation that got real minutes, the kind of night that matters more in January than it does in December.

“Good win for us closing out 2025,” Pastner said. “Now it’s conference play.”