UNLV Runnin' Rebels Win Their First Mountain West Road Game Over San Jose State Spartans

The UNLV Runnin' Rebels men's basketball team went on the road to face the San Jose State Spartans and came away with a much-needed road win. It was their first road win in Mountain West Conference play this season. They won the game by a score of 76 - 62. With this win, the Rebels move back ahead of .500 at 9 - 8 overall and 4 - 2 in Mountain West play. San Jose State drops to 1 - 6 in the Mountain West and 6 - 12 overall. This was another tough loss for the Spartans, but a big win for UNLV. Rebels' head coach Josh Pastner spoke about the win following the game.

"Really proud of our guys. Really great win. Winning is hard," Pastner said. "Winning on the road is especially hard. I told our guys for the last 48 hours, to win this game you've got to be so defiant to compete for every inch and you can't give an inch, that's what it comes down to. We found a way to really have a high level of compete. I was extremely proud of our young men for growing into the grit and toughness that we talked about, and the competitive fire and competitive excellence."

It was Howie Fleming Jr who led the way on offense for the Rebels. The senior guard finished the game with 21 points, shooting 6 - 11 from the field, 3 - 6 from the field, and 6 - 6 from the free-throw line. He also chipped in with a team-high eight assists to go along with three rebounds and a steal. Tyrin Jones (12), Kimani Hamilton (11), and Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn (10) all also scored in double-digits in this game.

Melvin Bell Jr was the star of the game for the Spartans. The freshman guard led the team with 22 points and pulled down a team-best eight rebounds. He also contributed with one assist and one steal.

Next up for the Rebels are the Utah State Aggies back in Las Vegas. These teams will face off on Tuesday. Currently, the Aggies are ranked at No. 23 in the country. If UNLV can pull off that win on their home court, it will be massive for coach Pastner and this program. That game will be nationally televised on FS1 at 11:00 PM EST.

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