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Gauchos surprise cold-shooting UNLV

Dec 16, 2010 - 5:56 AM Las Vegas, NV (Sports Network) - James Nunnally scored a game-high 23 points to go with seven rebounds, as UC Santa Barbara stunned the cold-shooting, 22nd-ranked UNLV Runnin' Rebels, 68-62, at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Jaime Serna and Orlando Johnson each posted 12 points and Johnson also grabbed 15 rebounds for the Gauchos (5-3), who have won three straight.

Chace Stanback led UNLV (9-2) with 16 points and Tre'Von Willis added 14 points. The duo pulled down eight and seven rebounds, respectively, but combined to make just 9-of-28 shots from the floor. The Rebels made just 29 percent of their shots in a second consecutive loss.

Neither team jumped out in the first half, leading to a 30-30 stalemate as the teams went to the locker room.

The Gauchos, leading 40-39, ran off eight straight points to take control, especially with the Rebels having trouble finding their stroke. Nunnally's trey capped the stretch for a nine-point lead with just under 14 1/2 minutes to go.

Oscar Bellfield's three brought the home team within 50-45 with just under 12 minutes to play, but back-to-back layups for the visitors a little later extended the margin to double digits at 56-46.

Willis and Bellfield drained back-to-back treys to make it a four-point game, and after two Gauchos free throws, Derrick Jasper converted from in close with just under four minutes showing.

Jasper converted on 1-of-2 foul shots moments later for a one-possession game, and Willis calmly sank two shots from the charity stripe to bring the Rebels within one.

However, Johnson made a pair of foul shots, then after a UNLV turnover, Serna drained a mid-range jumper for a five-point edge. Another empty trip for the Rebels and a pair of Nunnally free throws iced the outcome with 1:18 to play.

Game Notes

The Rebels were just 6-of-29 from beyond the arc, including a 4-of-17 effort from two of their sharpshooters, Stanback and Willis...The Gauchos shot 50 percent for the game and made 9-of-19 from beyond the arc...UNLV grabbed 24 offensive rebounds, a stunning 19 more than its opposition, and got to the foul line 34 times, yet made just 20 and failed to capitalize on its second and third chances...UNLV still leads the all-time series, 29-9.