No. 18 UNLV too much for Jacksonville State 77-58 at the Global Sports Classic

LAS VEGAS – Jacksonville State's defense couldn't slow down UNLV on Saturday.

Ronnie Boggs and Darion Rackley paced the offense for the Gamecocks in their 77-58 loss to UNLV at the Global Sports Classic.

Boggs was the top scorer for the Gamecocks (3-1) with 16 points and nine rebounds. Rackley had nine points and Brian Williams and Rinaldo Mafra had eight each.

Boggs was 7 for 11 from the floor and 2 for 2 on 3-pointers. Rackley and Mason Leggett had two steals each and Nick Cook had two blocked shots.

Boggs tied the game 3-3 on a 3-pointer with 18:15 left in the first half, but a Mike Moser jumper with 17:21 left in the half put UNLV ahead 5-3.

Williams' layup with 7:59 left closed the UNLV lead to 16-11, but the Runnin' Rebels (2-0) went on a scoring spree and the half ended with UNLV up 32-14.

Boggs scored the final points for the Gamecocks with a 3-pointer with 1:30 left to make it 74-58.

"I let the game come to me and knocked down shots when they came to me," Boggs said. "I also had a couple of turnovers that I wish I could have had back."

Moser scored 19 points with 10 rebounds, while Justin Hawkins added 16 points for UNLV.

Anthony Bennett had 12 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks for UNLV.

Katin Reinhardt and Anthony Marshall each had 11 points for the Rebels, who outrebounded the Gamecocks 41-24.

UNLV, which never trailed, built a 36-16 lead with 19:36 left. The Gamecocks cut it to 62-51 with 5:44 remaining, but the Rebels scored the game's next five points.

The Gamecocks' 3-0 start was their best since they became a Division I program before the 1995-96 season.

The Rebels, who led 32-14 at halftime, ended the first half on 14-2 run. In the first half, Moser finished with 12 points and Hawkins had 11. The Gamecocks were 5 of 23 from the field in the half.

This was the second game of the Classic for the Rebels. They defeated Northern Arizona 92-54 earlier in the week at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

This was Jacksonville State's first game in the Classic and on the road.

The Gamecocks travel to Oregon for their second game Monday. The final two rounds will be played at the Thomas & Mack Center next Friday and Saturday.

UNLV will play Oregon in the third round next Friday night.