The Lady Rebels’ Texas road trip ended with their toughest performance of the season, falling 75-50 at Rice on Saturday afternoon at Tudor Fieldhouse. UNLV dropped to 5-4 while the Owls improved to 7-3 behind a sharp perimeter showing from senior guard Dominique Ennis.
UNLV briefly took the lead late in the second quarter after battling back from a slow start, but a disastrous third quarter, only seven points on 2-for-14 shooting, changed the game completely.
A promising push, followed by a sharp turn
After trailing by double digits early, UNLV steadied itself in the second quarter with shot making from Destiny Leo, who hit two threes to help the Lady Rebels outscore Rice 19-14 in the frame. A layup from Aaliyah Alexander gave UNLV a 25-22 lead with 3:12 left in the half. It was the final lead of the day for the Scarlet and Gray.
Rice answered with two late threes. One followed an offensive rebound, and the other came after a turnover on what should have been UNLV’s last shot of the quarter. The Owls took a 31-25 lead into the break and took control immediately after halftime.
UNLV opened the third quarter 0-for-6 from the field while Rice surged ahead with a 14-2 run. Ennis hit multiple deep shots during that sequence. Rice shot 60 percent in the quarter while UNLV struggled to execute in half-court sets and in late-clock situations. Rice outscored UNLV 24-7 in the period, pushing the margin to 23 points and putting the game out of reach.
Offense stalls despite balanced scoring
Jasmyn Lott finished with 10 points, eight rebounds and a block. Teagan Colvin added 8 points with three assists. Shelbee Brown and Meadow Roland each scored 8 as well. Leo scored 6. Mariah Elohim added 4. Destiny Brown scored 4. Alexander scored 2. Trystan James scored 2. Ongolea Afu scored 2. Alexis Swillis scored 2.
James, from Monroe, Louisiana and Duncanville High School, recorded her first career points as a Lady Rebel. Swillis, from Fresno, California and Clovis West High School, also scored her first points for the program. Afu, from Sandy, Utah and Jordan High School and Murray State College, added her first UNLV points as well.
UNLV shot 35.1 percent from the field and 3-for-10 from three. The Lady Rebels again won the rebounding battle 38-37. Roland and Brown combined for 13 rebounds. UNLV finished with eleven turnovers and only five assists.
Rice’s shooters create separation
Ennis, the all-time three point leader in Rice history, led the Owls with 20 points on 6-for-14 shooting and 5-for-10 from three. Victoria Flores added 16 points, including 3-for-4 from deep, and had six assists. Aniah Alexis scored 12. Shelby Hayes added nine points and eight rebounds.
Rice finished 12-for-22 from three and repeatedly capitalized on scramble situations and late closeouts.
Owen: “We have a long way to go”
Associate head coach Roman Owen did not hold back in his postgame comments, speaking with UNLV radio broadcaster Wyatt Tomchek after the loss.
“Credit to Rice,” Owen said. “They wanted it a lot more than our team did today. That starts in practice. Yesterday was not our best effort in terms of preparation, and we have to be a lot better if we want to go where we want to go.”
He pointed to two late second quarter breakdowns that shifted momentum, both tied to execution.
“It is execution in every facet of the game for us, and we have to be a lot better than that,” he said.
The staff used the fourth quarter to extend minutes to younger players, including James, who brought noticeable energy in her longest run of the season.
“We have a long way to go,” Owen said. “That is the message, and this will give us a lot of film in terms of what we have to do.”
What’s next for the Lady Rebels
UNLV continues its December road stretch next Saturday, traveling to Cincinnati on Dec. 13 at 11 a.m. PT on ESPN+. The Lady Rebels then open Mountain West play on Dec. 17 at Grand Canyon, a nationally televised matchup on CBS Sports Network. After back-to-back road tests, UNLV finally returns to Las Vegas on Dec. 20 to host New Mexico at The Pavilion at 1 p.m. PT on the MW Network/SSSEN, marking the team’s first home appearance in nearly two weeks.
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