The UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (4-4) look to top the Pacific Tigers (5-6) Saturday night as a part of the Jack Jones Classic which will take place at the Lee Family Forum in Henderson, Nevada.
The classic will also feature the Bradley Braves vs. Santa Clara Broncos and the VCU Rams vs. Colorado State Rams.
The Runnin’ Rebels will be playing in their second game in just the past two weeks.
After three straight losses against No. 25 Mississippi State, Northwestern, and Creighton, the Rebels are looking to bounce back against Pacific.
The Runnin’ Rebels will continue to rely on the team’s leading scorer Dedan Thomas, Jr. who is averaging 16.8 points per game. Thomas, along with Jeremiah Cherry, who averages nearly 12 points per game, are going to have to be at their best to defeat the Tigers.
The key for the Runnin’ Rebels is to get off to a strong start and continue to keep up the momentum throughout the game, something at times they haven’t been able to do.
As for the Pacific Tigers, they also come into this matchup on a losing streak, falling to Colorado, 75-66, and Illinois State, 72-61. The Tigers are led by Elias Ralph, averaging 17.3 points per game and Elijah Fisher scoring 16.8 points per game. Ralph also leads the team in rebounds, averaging 8.0 points per game.
In their loss against Illinois State, the Tigers got off to a fast start but could not keep up with the Redbirds. The Tigers got in immediate foul trouble in the first half.
In the last meeting between the two teams, Pacific won 74-66 on December 18, 2019. UNLV leads the series 1-2.
Tip-off will be Saturday night, December 13 at 7:30 p.m. PST.
