The UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team cruised to an easy 77-52 win over Air Force yesterday. The impressive performance has fans buzzing, especially after a season with mixed results, an article from UNLV's official athletics site detailed the win that brought UNLV's season record to a balanced 13-12, pushing Air Force further into a slump at 3-22.

It was a group effort from the Runnin' Rebels with five players hitting double-digits, Bear Cherry nailed it with a perfect shooting night dropping 15 points, while teammates Julian Rishwain, Jailen Bedford, Brooklyn Hicks, and Jaden Henley each put up more than 10 points, Sports Illustrated reported; in contrast, Air Force's Luke Kearney managed 17 points and six rebounds in a valiant, but not nearly enough, solo act.

The Rebels' dominance kicked into gear during the first half after an initially tight game, this surged them to a 14-point lead with less than seven minutes to halftime that ballooned to a 22-point cushion by the interval, UNLV's head coach Kevin Kruger praised the team's preparation, stating "Really happy and proud of our group. We had a good two days of prep. We had to turn around pretty quickly and start getting ready for Air Force mentally, which is tough. Our guys did a great job from the start of setting the tone and making things difficult for them. We had a lot of deflections. The energy level was there and it was combined with the mental approach that was needed, so it ended up being a good night for us," according to UNLV's site. UNLV executed at both ends, shooting an impressive 54.7% from the field and handcuffing Air Force to a paltry 32.1% shooting performance, all while winning the boards and capitalizing on turnovers.

Not only was it a show of offensive firepower but a demonstration of UNLV's hardwood tenacity, notably leading in points in the paint, bench scoring, fast-break points, and holding the lead for a generous 38:12 minutes of the game, they've made at least one 3-pointer in a NCAA-record 1,252 straight games; and with this reinforced by their performance yesterday, the Rebels are positioned to carry this momentum into their next bout against Fresno State confirmed by Sports Illustrated.

The upcoming game is set to light up the court on Saturday. Tickets for the upcoming Rebels home games are available at UNLVtickets.com, by phone, or at the Thomas & Mack Center Box Office. Fans are encouraged to secure their seats soon, as availability may be limited.