UNLV basketball rolls in Pastner's Memphis homecoming

UNLV head basketball coach Josh Pastner watches play during the second half of an NCAA basketball game between UNLV and Montana at the Thomas & Mack Center Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. Photo by: Steve Marcus

Josh Pastner returned to Memphis to earn the most impressive win of his young UNLV coaching tenure, leading the Rebels to a 92-78 road win over the Tigers at FedExForum.

The victory was especially meaningful for Pastner, who spent seven seasons as Memphis’ head coach. A pregame video tribute honored his tenure with the Tigers, but Pastner’s squad showed no mercy, snapping Memphis’ 11-game home winning streak.

The Rebels (2-2) desperately needed the bounce-back performance after surrendering more than 100 points in a loss to Montana last week. UNLV responded emphatically behind career performances from Howie Fleming Jr. and freshman Issac Williamson, who combined for 50 points.

“Good win for us, really proud of our guys,” Pastner said. “We had a little bit of a tough stretch to start the season. We’ve had some injuries and we are trying to figure it all out as we go, taking over a new job and trying to establish culture. Things in Year One, you’re trying to establish and set the tone for the long haul. So I was really proud of our guys and how they responded and understood what we needed to do and what we are trying to do in the big picture of things.”

Fleming Jr. scored 25 points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds for his first double-double of the season. The senior was nearly perfect in the first half, scoring 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting as UNLV built a 49-36 halftime advantage.

Williamson matched Fleming’s 25 points in just his second college game, connecting on 6-of-10 three-pointers while adding five steals. The freshman shot 8-of-13 from the field.

After Memphis (1-2) scored the game’s first five points, UNLV exploded on an 18-3 run, making all five of its initial field goal attempts. The Rebels pushed their lead to as many as 21 points in the second half.

UNLV’s defense stifled Memphis’ leading scorer Dug McDaniel, holding him to just 1-of-10 shooting with six turnovers. The Rebels forced 18 turnovers, converting them into 30 points.

UNLV has now scored at least 90 points in three straight games, averaging 91.8 points per contest this season.

“I thought our fight and our toughness, to be able to win a game like this on the road, was going to have to be at a high level and our guys really did a nice job executing in the game plan,” Pastner said.