LAS VEGAS, Nev. - The Carroll College Men's Basketball team fell in an exhibition contest this afternoon to NCAA Division I opponent UNLV, 87-51 at the famed Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

The Fighting Saints (6-7) took the fight to the Runnin' Rebels for the opening eight minutes, but the Mountain West perennial power pulled away over the next 32 minutes.

On the final day of 2023, the Saints came out swinging in their second exhibition game of the season against an NCAA Division I opponent.

Zane Foster (Puyallup, Wash. / JR) was all over the stat sheet in the opening minutes of the game. The seven-footer scored Carroll's first points of the game, added three blocked shots in the first 10 minutes, and led the Saints in rebounds.

While Carroll featured the tallest player on the court in Foster, the Rebels length and athleticism across their full lineup would shine following the opening half under-12 media timeout.

Following a 9-9 tie game at the 12 minute mark, the Rebels would catch fire from the floor, ending the half on a 33-11 run to carry a comfortable 42-20 lead at the break.

UNLV held Carroll's leading scorer, Andrew Cook (Huntington Beach, Calif. / JR) in check in the first half. holding him to just four points, but had a more difficult time slowing down Kendall Moore (Dayton, Ohio / JR). Moore was able to effectively create enough space to knock down some beautiful mid-to-long range looks.

Little would change in the second half of the game. Carroll did manage to score at a higher clip in the second half, but a steady Rebel squad matched their output from the opening half, finishing off the 87-51 win.

Each team found a chance to get their reserves into the game for some much-needed action leading into league play.

Moore was the leading option for the Saints on the afternoon, finishing 6-9 from the field for a team-high 16 points.

Foster and Cook each scored eight points, with Foster's six rebounds leading the team.

UNLV had five double-digit scorers, led by a 16 point effort from Justin Webster.

Sunday's exhibition does not affect the Saints' record, and the team will head into Frontier Conference play with a 6-7 record and some high hopes for 2024. 

Carroll will open their Frontier slate next Saturday in Great Falls, as they clash with Providence at 4 p.m.

Visit www.carrollathletics.com for a preview of that game, and to stay up to date with everything going on in Carroll Athletics.