In a season that might be measured in baby steps, UNLV nudged ever so slightly forward in a 99-85 win over Saint Joseph’s on Thursday night at the Thomas and Mack Center.

The win marked the first time the Rebels (3-2) have won back-to-back games and gone over .500 in Josh Pastner’s maiden season at UNLV. It also reflected an impressive level of maturity coming off an emotional upset win over Memphis.

Not only did the Rebels avoid the dreaded letdown after a big win, but they also handled the long trip to Tennessee and back.

And for the fourth straight game, they scored 90 or more points.

They did so while also answering the gut punch Saint Joseph’s threw to start the second half to flip a 45-40 Rebels’ advantage into a 59-58 lead.

UNLV turned up the heat defensively and went into attack mode to peel off a 14-4 run to go back up 72-63. The Rebels survived one more St. Joseph’s run that trimmed the lead to 78-77 with 7:49 remaining. UNLV reeled off eight straight points to go up 86-77.

They never surrendered the lead while going up by as many as 14 points.

These aren’t season-defining developments, necessarily. But for a program looking to establish positive benchmarks, it’s a step in the right direction.

Dravyn Gibbs-Lawhorn led the way for UNLV with 20 points, Tyrin Jones added 16 points, freshman Issac Williamson had 14 and Jacob Bannarbie and Howie Fleming Jr. each had 12. Six Rebels scored in double figures, including 11 from Walter Brown.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal. com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X