BOX SCORE
QUOTES
LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- On his 22nd birthday, senior forward Derek Drews hit 7-of-12 shots, including a career-high-tying five three-pointers, to lead all scorers with 19 points, but Western Michigan fell to UNLV, 70-61, in front of 6,701 at the Orleans Arena on Sunday.
The Broncos (2-8) also received 10 points from David Kool, nine points and six rebounds from Shawntes Gary and eight points, two rebounds and two assists from Michael Redell against the Runnin' Rebels (8-2).
WMU shot 44.0 percent (22-50) overall, including 8-of-22 three-pointers, but UNLV countered by hitting 21-of-34 free throws and outscored the Broncos 32-20 in the paint. The Broncos were whistled for 14 more fouls than UNLV (28-14) and the Rebels forced 18 turnovers to outscore WMU, 21-10, in points off turnovers.
Drews hit his third three-pointer of the first half with 2:15 remaining to give WMU the lead, 27-26, but UNLV countered with eight-straight points to end the half and the first three points of the second half to go up by 10, 37-27, and the Broncos had to fight from behind the rest of the way.
A three-pointer by Joe Darger gave the Runnin' Rebels their largest lead, 44-31, with 15:17 to play, but the Broncos responded with an 8-0 run with a three-pointer from Drews and five consecutive points by Gary to pull within five, 44-39, with 12:25 to play. A three-pointer by Andre Ricks, playing in his first game since Nov. 18 because of a wrist injury, hit a three-pointer with 10:21 to play to cut the deficit to three, 47-44, but UNLV made a steal and converted a layup to go back up five.
The Broncos cut the lead to four on a pair of occasions after a jumper in the paint by Kool, 50-46, and pull-up jumper by Ricks, 52-48, with 8:21 to play, but UNLV pushed the lead back to seven. The Broncos cut the lead to four one more time after Redell made a steal and went coast-to-coast, 55-51, with 6:46 remaining, but they wouldn't get any closer.
UNLV opened the scoring with a jumper from leading-scorer Wink Adams, but WMU answered on its first possession with a layup by Flenard Whitfield off a feed from Martelle McLemore. Whitfield knocked down a pair of free throws moments later to even the score, 4-4, with 17:13 to play, but then UNLV went on a 7-0 run before WMU called timeout with 13:18 to play.
A pair of three-pointers from Drews helped the Broncos cut the margin to one basket, 13-11, but UNLV scored on two straigh possessions to go back up six, 17-11, with 8:59 to play in the half and eventually built its advantage to eight, 21-13, with 6:16 to play when the Broncos pushed back. Gary hit a jumper in the paint and Kool followed with a jumper after a turnover by the Runnin' Rebels. UNLV missed a pair from the charity stripe and Redell hit a three-pointer to cut the lead to one, 21-20. A layup by the Rebels put them back up three, but then Redell hit a free throw and Kool knocked down a triple to give WMU its first lead, 24-23, with 3:12 to play in the half to set up the closing stages of the half.
Adams led UNLV with 18 points and Rene Rougeau contributed 11 points, seven rebounds and three blocks.
The Broncos are back at University Arena on Thursday, Dec. 18 in the second half of a doubleheader at 8 p.m. against Iona (4-5) of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
