LAS VEGAS – Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg was pleased with the Cyclones' effort against No. 18 UNLV. He was less enthused about their execution.
Will Clyburn had 21 points and 15 rebounds, but Iowa State shot 33 percent in an 82-70 loss to the Runnin' Rebels on Saturday night in the consolation game of the Global Sports Classic.
"We counted at least 10 wide-open layups that we missed, and you can't do that if you want to beat a great team like UNLV," Hoiberg said.
Clyburn contributed the shooting woes, going 6 for 17 from the field. But he also had four assists during a strong all-around performance.
"Will gave us a great effort," Hoiberg said. "He had eight offensive rebounds, and I was very impressed with his effort."
Freshman Anthony Bennett scored 22 points for UNLV (3-1), which began to pull away late in the second half. After Clyburn's tip-in at 7:24 cut Iowa State's deficit to 57-54, the Rebels closed the game with a 25-16 run.
"It's difficult to get into a rhythm against Iowa State," UNLV coach Dave Rice said. "Anthony Marshall is as good as any guard in the country, and I thought he was very good at pushing the tempo and getting misses when Iowa State scored."
Marshall added 16 points for the Rebels, and Mike Moser had 15 points and 12 rebounds. But UNLV was outrebounded 46-45 by Iowa State.
"They were relentless on the offensive boards, and that's how we need to be," Rice said. "But I was proud of our shot selection."
The Rebels used a pair of runs to seize momentum midway through the first half, but Iowa State (4-2) managed to stay close.
Tyrus McGee added 12 points while Melvin Eljm scored 10 for Iowa State.
UNLV put together a 6-0 spurt to open an 11-point lead late in the second half. Bennett punctuated the victory with a two-handed dunk in the final minute.
Until UNLV pulled away, the only consistent part of the game was sloppiness. Both teams had more turnovers than steals or assists. UNLV turned the ball over 16 times, while grabbing 10 steals and dishing out 14 assists. Iowa State managed just four steals and 10 assists, but coughed the ball up 15 times.
Iowa State shot a dismal 33.3 percent (27 of 81) from the field, including 8 of 28 (28.6 percent) from beyond the arc. UNLV hit 43.1 percent (25 of 58) of its shots, including a 4-for-10 night from the 3-point line.
The Rebels also enjoyed a big advantage at the free throw line, making 28 of 35 foul shots, compared to 8 for 9 for the Cyclones.
UNLV led 36-34 after a back-and-forth first half.
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