LADY REBELS RALLY IN RENO
No. 22 UNLV defeats UNR, 71-66, for first conference clean-sheet since 1985
Even when it all seemed nearly impossible, the Lady Rebels figured out how to do what they’ve done the past 19 games: Win.
UNLV (28-2 overall, 18-0 Mountain West) rallied from 10 down in the second half, defeating UNR (9-20, 6-12) 71-66 to run the table against the Mountain West.
It was UNLV’s first season undefeated in conference play since 1985 when Sheila Strike’s and Jim Bolla’s co-coached squad went 8-0 against the Big West. The Lady Rebels became the fourth Mountain West program to win out and just the second to do so facing an 18-game schedule (Colorado State, 2016).
“It takes such a consistent commitment to each other, to hard work, to practice, to doing the right thing and to staying mentally sharp,” UNLV Head Coach Lindy La Rocque said. “It’s easier not to.
“We’ve been tested in many different kinds of ways, but we’ve risen above every single time. It’s incredibly hard to do what this team has done. We’re going to celebrate it.”
It was a historic finale that almost wasn’t.
UNLV took the floor jet-lagged and visibly off-pace after traveling to Reno game-day morning after its Monday afternoon flight was diverted because of poor weather upon arrival and returned to Las Vegas.
Alyssa Durazo-Frescas was sharp out of the box, scoring eight points in the first period to help UNLV to its early advantage. But Victoria Davis hit three 3-pointers and UNLV’s frontcourt fell into foul trouble quickly. UNR out-rebounded UNLV’s undersized lineup in the second quarter, taking a 39-35 lead at halftime.
It was just the sixth time UNLV trailed at the half this season.
The Wolf Pack scored on three of its first four possessions in the second half and owned a 10-point lead, 45-35, with 7-½ minutes to play in the period. The Lady Rebels closed the deficit to 4 only to have unforced errors let it swell into double digits once again.
Feeling their perfect conference season hang in the balance, UNLV found its championship-winning footing.
UNLV scored 9 unanswered to begin the fourth quarter. Durazo-Frescas buried a set-piece 3-pointer and collected a fast-break layup off a turnover, Desi-Rae Young drove through the lane and drew a shooting foul before Alyssa Brown scored on a putback to go ahead 58-56.
Young scored eight of her game-high 20 points over the final 9 minutes. The junior center finished 8-for-8 at the free throw line. Durazo-Frescas shot 4-for-8 from beyond the arc and scored 18 points.
Justice Ethridge splashed a step-back 3 with 3 minutes to play as the Lady Rebels roared to their largest lead of the game, 67-61.
The tide changed in UNLV’s defensive end. The Wolf Pack capitalized on their own misses with 14 offensive rebounds in the game’s first 24 minutes. They finished with one over the last 16.
UNR missed three layups before Davis hit her final 3 with 20 seconds remaining. Then UNLV finished the game at the free-throw line.
UNR’s Davis finished 7-of-16 from the field and 5-of-9 from beyond the arc for a team-high 19 points.
The Wolf Pack counted 20 more field-goal attempts than the Lady Rebels but trailed in field-goal percentage 36 percent to 49.
Kiara Jackson scored all 11 of her points in the first half to keep UNLV in the contest. She dished a game-high five assists and had two key steals in the second half.
The Lady Rebels enter the Mountain West Championship, played on their home court at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, with the No. 1 seed. They’ll face the winner 8-seed UNR versus 9-seed Fresno State on Monday at noon.
