UNLV forward Mike Moser is mobbed by fans after the Rebels beat North Carolina in the Las Vegas Invitational championship game, Nov. 26, 2011, at the Orleans Arena. The Rebels upset the top-ranked Tar Heels 90-80.
Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2019 | 2 a.m.
Unlike other decades in the program's history, UNLV didn't experience any shining moments in the NCAA tournament from 2010-19, but that doesn't mean there weren't exciting and memorable games over the last 10 years.
A look at the Runnin' Rebels best victories of the decade, starting with one of the team's signature wins of all-time:
Game of the decade
UNLV 90, North Carolina 80
Nov. 27, 2011 at Orleans Arena
Ask anyone who has been following UNLV basketball for the past 10 years and they'll tell you, unanimously, that this game was the pinnacle of Runnin' Rebels basketball this decade. This is when everything came together for one perfect moment: Dave Rice's first season at the helm, a burgeoning star in Mike Moser, an exciting playing style and an upset that made national headlines. From 2010 to 2019, it didn't get any better than this.
North Carolina came in ranked No. 1 in the nation, while UNLV was 6-0 and looking to make a statement that the program was back and ready to contend at the highest level. The game was nationally televised on ESPN2 and the close confines of the Orleans Arena only added to the buzz, as fans were packed in shoulder to shoulder.
The Tarheels took a 42-38 lead into halftime, but the Rebels knew they had a chance to knock off the defending champs. Anthony Marshall helped set the tone in the first half with a monster dunk, and UNLV came out of the locker room and went on a 14-0 run to seize control.
Forward Mike Moser was unstoppable as he posted 16 points, 18 rebounds and six assists, while Chace Stanback poured in a game-high 28 points as the Rebels put the pedal to the floor in the second half and pulled away from UNC.
When the final buzzer sounded, Rebels faithful stormed the floor to make for one of the most memorable moments in program history.
Runner-up
UNLV forward Christian Wood (5) dunks the ball over the Arizona defense at the Thomas & Mack Center on Tuesday, December 23, 2014.
UNLV 71, Arizona 67
Dec. 23, 2014 at Thomas & Mack Center
Arizona was 12-0 and ranked No. 3 in the country, while UNLV (7-2) harbored tournament hopes due to one of the best freshman classes in the country. Sophomore Christian Wood stole the show with 24 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks and first-year guards Rashad Vaughn (21 points) and Patrick McCaw (13 points, seven rebounds) controlled the perimeter.
Arizona trailed by two points with seven seconds left, but McCaw came up with a steal at midcourt and made a pair of free throws to seal the win. When the buzzer sounded, fans flooded the court at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Honorable mention
UNLV 102, UNR 91 (OT)
Feb. 21, 2016 at Thomas & Mack Center
UNLV trailed by three points with 2.4 seconds left when Patrick McCaw took an inbound pass in the backcourt, dribbled across halfcourt and let fly with a runner from the top of the arc. The shot splashed through with no time on the clock to force overtime, and the Rebels dominated the extra period to earn the unlikely win.
UNLV 86, UNR 78
Feb. 8, 2018 at Lawlor Events Center
In the previous meeting between the two in-state rivals, the Wolf Pack had laid a 94-58 beating on UNLV late in the 2016-17 season. Jovan Mooring remembered that and got his revenge by unleashing a barrage of circus shots on his way to a career-high 31 points.
Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.
Join the Discussion:
Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.
Full comments policy