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LAS VEGAS — No. 22 Utah State had another nail-biting win in their sights.
Drake Allen's dunk with just over five minutes left in the game had the Aggies up 7 points and poised for another comeback on the road.
But the Runnin' Rebels put their feet on the gas and managed to run over the Aggies, despite many opportunities to avoid the upset.
"We played really bad and should've won," Aggies coach Jerrod Calhoun said.
Utah State lost 65-62 to UNLV on Wednesday, snapping the team's six-game winning streak.
Tucker Anderson led Utah State (16-2, 6-1 MW) with 19 points, five rebounds and two assists. Ian Martinez was the only other Aggies player in double figures with 15 points.
Following Allen's dunk to give the Aggies a 7-point lead, UNLV reeled off a 12-2 run. A layup in traffic by Dedan Thomas Jr. with 1:56 remaining gave the Runnin' Rebels a 63-62 lead, and the Aggies had several attempts at the rim to retake the lead but missed them.
Thomas then made a fadeaway jumper with 18 seconds left to take a 65-62 advantage. A Mason Falslev 3-point attempt to tie the game missed and sealed the upset for the Rebels.
"I thought we mismanaged the game offensively," Calhoun said.
Calhoun said he was disappointed with the team's decision-making against UNLV (10-7, 4-2 MW). He pointed to an ill-advised 3-pointer by Allen and Karson Templin attempting a layup in traffic off an offensive rebound instead of kicking the ball out as moments that could've been handled differently.
"You shoulda, coulda, woulda," Calhoun said. "These are all just crazy plays in the game of basketball."
Utah State was outrebounded 37-34 and committed 12 turnovers to UNLV's seven. The Runnin' Rebels had a clear advantage in the paint, too, outscoring the Aggies 36-20.
In a game with a small margin for error, the Aggies also missed seven free throws.
"We have certain guys that just can't make them," Calhoun said of the team's recent free-throw struggles. "To me, when you can't do something, you have to practice. So, obviously, we'll spend a lot more time doing pressure free throws. But you can't really simulate free throws. It's just you and the ball and the basket, and you have to make them."
The game as of right Wednesday will be counted as a Quad 2 loss for Utah State.
