Mack's career-high 31 points propel UNLV to season opening win

LAS VEGAS – It wasn’t always pretty, but Sebastian Mack made it memorable. 

The newcomer poured in a career-high 31 points as the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels completed a successful second-half comeback, taking down the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks 89-77 in their season opener at Thomas & Mack Center Tuesday night. 

A senior, Mack is an offseason transfer from Missouri, but his UNLV debut on Las Vegas soil was more like a homecoming. He was a four-year standout at Coronado High in Henderson before graduating in 2023. 

Mack’s performance certainly resembled that of somebody comfortable with where they’re at.

“[Being able to come back and perform] has been great,” he said. “Seeing all my family and friends come and support, bringing that attention to UNLV has been good for me. It’s the best decision I’ve made.”

Mack led all scorers at halftime with 17 points — with the Rebels trailing 47-43 — and picked up right where he left off after the interval, adding 14 more to propel his team to victory. 

He shot 10-for-20 from the field and 4-for-9 from three, converting seven of eight free throw attempts. Afterward, Mack cut a calm figure and didn’t pay his individual accomplishment much mind. He was focused on one thing.

“The only thing I’m going to look at is the win,” he said. “First one of the season, and we’re just going to try to build off that.”

The victory was hard-earned in the end, though in the early stages of the game it felt like the Rebels would be no match for their opposition. 

UNLV came flying out of the gates, building a quick 13-4 lead punctuated by a 24-foot triple from Cam Miles, set up by an offensive rebound and kick-out from Tyrin Jones followed by a swing pass from Dontrez Williams.

However, the Lumberjacks responded with a 17-4 run of their own and led by as many as 12 later in the first period. 

One of 11 newcomers, freshman guard Kota Suttle Jr. — who was dubbed MVP of the second half by second-year head coach Josh Pastner — put UNLV’s defensive woes down to a lack of discipline, something that the Rebels were able to figure out in the locker room. 

“Today, I thought we ended up winning the game because of our press,” Pastner said of his side’s second-half improvement. “I love after a win when you can hug somebody and say ‘Viva Las Vegas,’ but now I’m saying, ‘Viva The Press.’” 

Suttle Jr. was the catalyst for the hosts on that side of the ball after the break, finishing his debut with three points and two steals. 

UNLV’s starting lineup featured four new faces, with all five players scoring in double figures. Florida State transfer Miles posted 15 points and four assists — drawing praise from Pastner for his rapid growth from the preseason scrimmages to this game. 

Pastner also likes the potential of 6-foot-11 big man Jeremy Foumena, who notched a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double in his first game in a Rebels uniform.

Fan favorite and Vegas native Jones added 12 points, eight rebounds, and four stocks (two steals, two blocks). Williams chipped in 12 points on 4-for-4 shooting. 

Williams’ first-half buzzer-beater sliced NAU’s advantage to just four points. UNLV got its lead back, at 54-52, with 14:45 remaining in the second following a steal and breakaway slam by Miles.

Foumena and Miles then combined to give the Rebels some separation, up 69-62, with a little over 10:16 left to play. Foumena’s monster dunk through contact got the modest crowd in attendance off their seats. Jackson Kiss grabbed the offensive rebound off Foumena's ensuing free-throw miss and dished it to Miles for a 26-foot triple — his second — forcing NAU into a timeout. 

Mack put the finishing touches on the win down the stretch. He cracked his career-high with a 30-footer — his fourth three of the night — giving UNLV its largest lead of the game at the time at 79-67 with 6:04 remaining. 

Mack added a layup some three minutes later to cap off a tremendous debut. “I love Sebastian, and I’ve been hard on him since the first day he has been here,” Pastner said.

Pastner revealed that the reason for his approach with Mack is because of how highly he thinks of him and his abilities. He quoted the great Pat Riley as he went into detail about what he expects from the former Pac-12 All-Freshman Selectee (UCLA 2023-24).

“Consistency is more important than occasional greatness,” Pastner continued. “You can’t just have a couple of good games. Your standard has to be at such a high level that your consistency becomes more important than the occasional great game. So, I’ve been on him, and he has responded. 

“[Mack] has been a great leader for us. I’m proud of him. He had a couple too many turnovers (6)… But he is a really good player. He’s tough, a hard-nosed dude.”