LAS VEGAS, Nev. - UC Santa Barbara took a two-point lead late in the second half but couldn't withstand a late Nevada rally and fell 67-66 in the final game of the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic in Las Vegas on Thursday.

On the strength of three Gabe Vincent three-pointers, UCSB (1-9) overcame an eight-point deficit to take a 60-58 lead with just under three minutes remaining, but the Wolf Pack (11-2) went on a 7-0 run to claim a 65-60 edge en route to the win.

Vincent was fouled while attempting a three-pointer with 6.4 seconds to play and made all three free throws to cut the lead to 65-63, but D.J. Fenner made a pair of free throws after he was fouled by Eric Childress with 4.8 seconds to play to extend the lead to 67-63. Childress then nailed a three at the buzzer for the final margin of 67-66.

UCSB had a 39-38 halftime lead but Nevada quckly turned that around at the outset of the second half. Marcus Marshall, who finished with 25 points and made 7-of-14 three-point attempts, started the second half with a three to give his team a 41-39 lead. They maintained the lead until .

Trailing 53-45 with 14:23 left in the game, the Gauchos went on an 15-5 run to take their 60-58 edge. Vincent, who finished with a team-high 23 points, scored nine of his points, all on threes, during the run.

"Tonight was something we can build on," Vincent said. "I thought we showed a lot of heart. We had a lot of guys contribute and that's what we're going to need as the season goes on." 

The Gauchos got off to a quick start and took their biggest lead of the first half when Jalen Canty found Vincent cutting to the basket for a lay-up to give them a 19-7 lead with 12:22 to play. It was the team's biggest road lead of the season and biggest against any Division I opponent.

"I was proud of the way we fought tonight," said Santa Barbara head coach Bob Williams. "That (Nevada) is a very good team and we never gave an inch. Even when we stopped making shots in the second half, we found a way to keep it close and give ourselves a chance."

The Wolf Pack fought back and took a 30-27 lead on a slam dunk by Jordan Caroline with 4:22 remaining in the first half. But UCSB didn't give in and finished the half on a 12-8 run to take a 39-38 lead at the break. It was just the third time this season that the Gauchos had a lead at halftime and it set the stage for an exciting second half.

Alex Hart had 10 points and 11 rebounds for his second career double-double and it came on his birthday. Jarriesse Blackmon added nine points on 4-of-5 from the field, including his first three-pointer of the year. As a team, the Gauchos shot 36.6% overall, but after making 17-of-34 in the first half, they were just 9-of-37 in the second half, 24.3%. However, they committed a season-low five turnovers.

Marshall's 25 points was supplemented by 20 from Jordan Caroline. The duo combined for 45 of their team's 67 points. Caroline added 12 rebounds. Nevada helped keep UCSB in the game by making just 14-of-31 free throw attempts. 

UCSB returns home for its final two non-conference games. The Gauchos will host Cal State Bakersfield on Tuesday, Dec. 27 at 7:00 p.m. and then they will close out the 2016 calendar year on Friday, Dec. 30 with a 7:00 p.m. game against Seattle. Both games will be at the Thunderdome.