College Basketball: UNLV takes charge in win over Arizona

LAS VEGAS - Instead of absorbing blows from one of college basketball's elite programs, UNLV attacked. Driving hard to the basket, crashing in for offensive rebounds and stepping in to take charges, the Rebels had Arizona on its heels instead of the other way around.

The result was one of UNLV's biggest wins in recent years and a wild celebration inside the Thomas and Mack Center.

Christian Wood had 24 points and 10 rebounds, Rashad Vaughn added 21 points and Patrick McCaw had a key steal in the closing seconds to help UNLV knock off No. 3 Arizona 71-67 Tuesday night.

"I thought we were going to win this game," Vaughn said. "We were focused as a team and at shootaround I had a feeling we were going win this."

Facing the highest-ranked team to play at the Thomas and Mack Center since 1998, UNLV (8-3) refused to back down against an Arizona team that's expected to make a deep March run.

The Rebels were the aggressor most of the game, rallying from an early deficit and making the big plays down the stretch.