LAS VEGAS – There were some first-game jitters, but the UNLV Lady Rebels picked up a 73-57 victory against Loyola Marymount (Calif.) at Cox Pavillion on Monday.
The Lady Rebels once again displayed their scoring depth. Five players hit double figures, led by guard Aaliyah Alexander’s 16.
Forward Meadow Roland notched her first collegiate double-double (11 points, 10 rebounds). Senior guard Kiara Jackson scored 14 points with six assists. McKinna Brackens scored 10 points, while Amarachi Kimpson chipped in with 13.
“I can go down the line of just being every person did something really great.,” Lady Rebels coach Lindy La Rocque said. “It wasn’t our best game by any means, but that’s not expected in Game One. We did a lot of positive things, and then we still have more things to work on and improve on. We’re going to do that.”
The team also unveiled their championship banner from the 2023 season.
“What we’ve done in the last couple of years has been really special,” La Rocque said. “So I think it’s really important to publicly have a celebration with the people that do it with us.”
Here are some takeaways from the Lady Rebels’ game:
Attack the Basket
Eighteen of the Lady Rebels’ first 22 points came from layups.
It wasn’t through one method that the UNLV dominated the points in the paint. The Lady Rebels got to the hoop via dribble penetration, post feeds, and second-chance opportunities.
In all, the Lady Rebels scored 44 points in the paint.
“We just kind of put an emphasis on attacking the basket,” Alexander said. “So I think we were able to do that in the game.”
Brown’s Value
Forward Alyssa Brown didn’t score, but she helped the Lady Rebels in other ways. She collected four points with seven rebounds, three blocks, and two steals in 24 minutes.
Brown, who was selected to the preseason All-Mountain West team, also drew a charging foul at 1:07 of the third quarter.
“She’s an emotional leader first and a physical leader. She’s the president of our charge club,” La Rocque said. “She does a lot of the dirty work. She got down there and took a charge for us. … She’s mature, and she can handle kind of the ebbs and flows of the game.”
Lady Rebels Put It Away
The Lady Rebels forced three turnovers and held the Lions to without a point over the final 4:38 of the third quarter.
UNLV went on a 12-0 run during that same span to put the game effectively away.
“Historically, our teams have been really good at making adjustments at halftime and then coming out and executing in the third quarter,” La Rocque said. “We felt like we could stretch the lead there, but we had to talk about it at halftime. Then come out of the second half with the right mindset to get really some defensive stops and continue to attack the basket offensively.”
Paul Delos Santos is the Las Vegas sports insider for Dice City Sports. Follow him on X at @PaulDelos_.
