Playing its fourth straight game away from Las Vegas and more than three weeks removed from its last home game, UNLV could not overcome Cincinnati’s size and rebounding Saturday, falling 65-48 at Fifth Third Arena. The Bearcats out-rebounded the Lady Rebels 48-33 and outscored UNLV 39-21 after halftime.
La Rocque’s pregame concern shows up on the glass
UNLV coach Lindy La Rocque warned about Cincinnati’s size before tipoff. In a pregame interview with UNLV play-by-play announcer Wyatt Tomchek, she pointed directly to rebounding as a potential swing factor.
“They’ve got big bodies,” La Rocque said. She added that UNLV’s posts needed to box out and guards had to track long rebounds.
That concern became reality after halftime. Cincinnati consistently won physical battles inside and turned missed shots into points.
Ndiba leads Bearcats as UNLV struggles to respond
Alliance Ndiba powered Cincinnati with 18 points and 13 rebounds. Destiny Thomas added 8 points and 9 boards, helping control the paint on both ends.
UNLV was led by Jasmyn Lott, who scored 16 points. Aaliyah Alexander added 12, but consistent scoring support was limited.
As Cincinnati’s rebounding edge grew, UNLV was unable to generate the stops or clean possessions needed to mount a comeback.
Fast start from Lott keeps UNLV close early
Lott hit early 3-pointers, but Cincinnati’s shooting efficiency set the tone in the opening quarter. The Bearcats led 20-16 after one, shooting 8-of-13 overall while UNLV went 6-of-17 and 2-of-8 from deep.
Lott paced UNLV with 8 points on 3-of-5 shooting, including two 3s. Meadow Roland added 4 points and sparked the defense with three first-quarter steals.
Roland’s late jumper pulled UNLV within 18-16 with 21 seconds left. However, Mya Perry answered at the buzzer to keep Cincinnati in front. The Bearcats also controlled the glass 10-6 despite six turnovers.
Defense turns the game before halftime
UNLV flipped momentum in the second quarter, outscoring Cincinnati 11-6 to take a 27-26 halftime lead. Cincinnati briefly pushed ahead 24-18 behind second-chance points from Thomas and Kylie Torrence.
Still, UNLV’s defense settled the game. The Bearcats missed 13 of their final 15 shots in the quarter as pressure ramped up.
Lott knocked down a transition 3 to cut the deficit to 26-23 with 2:47 left. Then Alexander scored the final four points of the half to cap a 7-0 run. Roland also added two free throws and reached four steals by the break.
Second-chance points swing control back to Cincinnati
Cincinnati took control in the third quarter, outscoring UNLV 22-10 to build a 48-37 lead. The Lady Bearcats controlled the paint behind Alliance Ndiba and Destiny Thomas, repeatedly extending possessions with offensive rebounds.
UNLV stayed close early with baskets from Lott and Roland. However, the offense stalled late in the period.
Reagan Jackson’s transition 3 pushed the margin to double digits. UNLV then went scoreless from the field over the final 3:24 as Cincinnati carried momentum into the fourth.
Cincinnati pulls away late as UNLV cannot close the gap
Cincinnati kept the pressure on in the fourth quarter, outscoring UNLV 17-11 and stretching the lead to 20 with 2:44 left. UNLV struggled to string together stops and scores in the final stretch, and the deficit never dropped into single digits.
Alexander hit a late 3-pointer with 33 seconds left, but the Lady Rebels missed all four free throws in the quarter and could not generate enough clean possessions to make a push
What’s next for the Lady Rebels
UNLV opens Mountain West play Tuesday, Dec. 17, at Grand Canyon in Phoenix at 5 p.m. PT on CBS Sports Network.
The Lady Rebels then return to Las Vegas to host New Mexico on Friday, Dec. 20, at 1 p.m. PT at The Pavilion on the MW Network/SSSEN.
They close out the month Tuesday, Dec. 31, against Fresno State at noon PT at The Pavilion on the MW Network/SSSEN.
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