Illini Drop Loss to UNLV, 89-82

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Trent Frazier scored a career-high 16 points - including 12 in the first half - in Illinois' 89-82 loss against UNLV at the MGM Grand Garden Arena Saturday night.

Mark Smith led the Illini with 17 points - shooting 4-of-5 from three-point range.

The Runnin' Rebels wasted no time with their offensive game, hitting their first six shots from the field, while opening a 14-4 lead before back-to-back baskets by Shakur Juiston made it 29-19 midway through the first half.

But Illinois answered with a 12-0 run, led by freshman Frazier, to take a two-point lead with six minutes left in the half. UNLV answered with a 14-2 run of its own.

The Runnin' Rebels hit 16 of 31 from the field in the first half to lead by nine at the break. After its slow start, the Illini shot 44.8 percent (13 of 29) from the field, including 5 of 11 from 3-point range, over the first 20 minutes.

Early in the second half the Illini went on an 18-5 run to take a 54-52 lead, with all of the Rebels' points coming from the charity stripe. UNLV's first field goal of the second half came from Tervell Beck at the 11:52 mark, tying the game at 54-all.

The teams traded leads midway through the second half, but the Orange & Blue couldn't recover from foul trouble that saw Smith and Mark Alstork foul out down the stretch. The Rebels shot 48 free throws on the night, making 33, while the Illini were just 11-of-15 from the charity stripe. Illinois tied a program record with 36 fouls in the game.

The Illini lost more than the game. Leading scorer Leron Black only played 12 minutes before leaving with an undisclosed injury. The junior forward watched the rest of the game from the bench with his left arm in a sling. Black, who averages 14.8 points per game, saw his career-long active streak of seven-straight games scoring in double figures come to an end.

Illinois hosts Longwood on Wednesday at 7 pm at State Farm Center.

TEAM NOTES

• Illinois' 36 fouls tied for the most in program history (36 vs. Arizona, 3/25/2001).

• Illinois' bench scored 44 points.

• Illinois led for 4:48, including 3:53 of the second half.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

• Freshman guard Trent Frazier scored a career-high 16 points, including 12 in the first half.

• Junior guard Aaron Jordan was 2-of-3 shooting from three-point range. He is 20 for his last 28 from three dating back to the second half of the Marshall game.

• Junior Leron Black snapped a career-long active streak of seven-straight games scoring in double figures. Black left the game with an injury after scoring two points in 12 minutes.

• Freshman guard Mark Smith scored a team-high 17 points, his second-best scoring game of the season (21 vs. DePaul).