BYU men's basketball overcame an early deficit to defeat UNLV 89-77 in an exhibition game held at the Thomas & Mack Center on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. The Cougars used a dominant second half to overcome a former Mountain West Conference foe in Las Vegas.
The Rebels held a 32-22 lead with 8:02 remaining in the first half, aided by a 53% field goal percentage and five made 3-pointers. UNLV extended their advantage to 42-30 at the 3:05 mark, but BYU closed the half with an 11-0 run, trailing only 42-41 at the break. In the second half, the Cougars outscored the Rebels 48-35 and executed an 18-5 run to take a 66-64 lead with just under eight minutes remaining.
Collin Chandler led BYU with 23 points, including 14 points scored in the second half, while also recording four rebounds and five assists. Jaxon Kohler and junior guard Rob Wright III both contributed 19 points. Freshman Bruce Branch III, celebrating his 18th birthday, added 14 points, eight assists, and four rebounds. For UNLV, Sebastian Mack scored 26 points but did not score after the 9:37 mark of the second half.
The Cougars' victory in Las Vegas follows a period where the BYU football team suffered its first loss of the season in Orlando. BYU finished the exhibition game shooting 33% from the 3-point line and was outrebouded 41-34 by the Rebels, though they recorded nine steals.
BYU is scheduled to open the 2026-27 season on Monday, Nov. 2, against Ohio State at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City.
