LAS VEGAS — Wink Adams scored 13 points and Corey Bailey added 11, lifting UNLV to a 58-51 victory over Air Force on Tuesday night.
The game was tied 42-42 with six minutes to play before the Rebels (19-5, 8-2 Mountain West Conference) went on a 5-0 run and never trailed again. Bailey capped the surge with a 3-pointer.
Air Force (12-11, 4-6) scored the next four points to pull within one, but Adams converted a three-point play to extend the lead to four. The Falcons committed a shot clock violation on their next possession.
Joe Darger scored nine of his 11 points in the final two minutes, including a 3-pointer with 32 seconds to play to give the Rebels a five-point advantage.
UNLV led 26-24 at halftime, but Air Force used a pair of 3-pointers from senior center Keith Maren to open the second half with a 7-0 run to build its biggest lead of the game at 31-26.
Andrew Henke led Air Force with a game-high 15 points. Maren contributed 11.
AIR FORCE (12-11, 4-6 MWC)
Holland 1-2 0-0 2, Maren 3-7 2-4 11, Anderson 4-12 0-1 9, Washington 4-10 0-0 9, Johnson 0-3 1-3 1, Henke 5-10 1-2 15, Hood 0-0 0-0 0, Brooks 1-3 0-0 2, Kenzik 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 19-48 4-10 51.
UNLV (19-5, 8-2)
Bailey 5-6 0-0 11, Darger 3-8 2-2 11, Adams 4-12 4-6 13, Rougeau 3-8 0-0 6, Terry 3-9 1-2 8, Rutledge 0-0 0-2 0, Wallace 1-1 2-2 5, Hoffman 0-0 0-0 0, Lawrence 0-0 0-0 0, Shaw 2-3 0-0 4. Totals 21-47 9-14 58.
Halftime — UNLV 26-24. 3-point goals — Air Force 9-19 (Henke 4-6, Maren 3-5, Washington 1-2, Anderson 1-6); UNLV 7-19 (Darger 3-5, Wallace 1-1, Bailey 1-1, Adams 1-6, Terry 1-6). Fouled out — None. Rebounds — Air Force 32 (Maren 8), UNLV 31 (Bailey 7). Assists — Air Force 13 (Anderson 3, Henke 3, Maren 3); UNLV 14 (Terry 5). Total fouls — Air Force 15, UNLV 16. A — 10,506.
