LAS VEGAS — Cam Miles scored a career-high 20 points, Tyrin Jones tied his career high with six blocked shots and UNLV held off a second-half rally by Samford for an 88-79 victory Saturday afternoon at the Thomas & Mack Center.
The Runnin' Rebels (2-0) won their second consecutive game to open the 2026-27 season under second-year coach Josh Pastner, using balanced scoring, strong free-throw shooting and a defensive effort that limited one of the nation's better perimeter-shooting teams.
Miles, a sophomore guard, connected on four 3-pointers and made all eight of his free throws to lead five UNLV players in double figures for the second straight game. Jones finished with 17 points and five rebounds to go along with his six blocks, while Sebastian Mack added 17 points and five rebounds.
Dontrez Williams and freshman Jackson Kiss each scored 10 points. Kiss, the Mountain West Preseason Freshman of the Year, made all four of his field-goal attempts and contributed six rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot.
UNLV overcame an early eight-point deficit to take a 45-40 halftime lead but had to withstand a determined comeback by Samford (1-1), which tied the game at 72 with 7:45 remaining.
The Runnin' Rebels responded with six consecutive points, including a basket by Kiss and two by Mack, to regain control at 78-72 with 6:01 left.
Miles then delivered one of the biggest shots of the afternoon, connecting on a 3-pointer with 5:12 remaining to extend UNLV's advantage to 81-74. Samford never got closer than five points the rest of the way, and another Miles 3-pointer with 1:25 remaining gave the Runnin' Rebels their largest lead at 88-78.
UNLV shot 50% from the field, making 29 of 58 attempts, and converted 25 of 32 free throws. The Runnin' Rebels also dominated the glass, outrebounding Samford 38-28, including an 11-5 advantage in offensive rebounds.
That advantage translated into a 13-3 edge in second-chance points, helping UNLV overcome Samford's second-half surge.
"Our guys did a great job of adhering to the game plan," Pastner said. "Samford is a great three-point shooting team, and today they shot 25% from three ... Other factors for us in the win, free-throw shooting was really imperative for us, and we had 11 offensive rebounds ... The press has been good for us. It's going to be part of our identity."
Samford was led by Cooper Noard, who scored 20 points and made three 3-pointers. Cade Norris added 17 points and five assists, while Will Shaver recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Isaiah Campbell-Finch also finished with 14 points.
UNLV's defensive game plan focused on limiting Samford's perimeter shooting, and the Bulldogs finished just 5 of 20 from beyond the arc.
The Runnin' Rebels also forced 11 turnovers while committing only eight, turning those opportunities into a 21-8 advantage in points off turnovers.
Jones continued to establish himself as one of the Mountain West's top shot blockers, matching his career high of six blocks previously set against Saint Joseph's last November and Wyoming in the conference tournament in March.
The sophomore now has 79 career blocks, including eight through the first two games this season.
Miles has scored 35 points and made six 3-pointers through two games, providing another scoring option alongside Mack, who opened his UNLV career with a career-high 31 points against Northern Arizona.
Mack has totaled 48 points in the first two games, averaging 24 per contest.
The Runnin' Rebels have also demonstrated improved ball security, committing just 18 turnovers through their first two games while forcing 29. They have outrebounded both opponents by a combined 75-54 margin.
UNLV also extended its streak of consecutive games with at least one made 3-pointer to 1,297, the second-longest active streak in NCAA Division I men's basketball. The Runnin' Rebels have made at least one 3-pointer in every game since the shot was introduced during the 1986-87 season.
The victory sets up a more challenging stretch of the schedule for UNLV, which will conclude its season-opening three-game homestand against Stanford on Friday at 6 p.m. at the Thomas & Mack Center.
The Runnin' Rebels will then face No. 17 Kansas on Nov. 17 in the Players Era event at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas.