UNLV women’s basketball stayed unbeaten in Mountain West play Wednesday night, using rebounding and second-chance offense to beat Utah State 69-58 at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas.
The Lady Rebels improved to 10-5 overall and 5-0 in league play. Utah State fell to 6-8 and 2-3.
A quick reset after 4-0
Utah State scored the game’s first four points, and UNLV turned it over three times in the first 1:45. However, the response came fast and it came from the perimeter.
Jasmyn Lott buried a 3-pointer at 6:14 of the first quarter, and Meadow Roland followed with two 3s of her own as UNLV surged ahead. The Lady Rebels ended the period up 20-12, shooting 7-of-11 overall and 4-of-6 from deep in the first 10 minutes.
UNLV created its biggest cushion in the second. After Utah State opened the quarter with a basket, the Lady Rebels scored nine straight to stretch the lead to 29-14. UNLV carried a 39-28 advantage into halftime, even with a few empty trips, because it kept generating extra possessions on the glass.
Rebounds and second chances set the terms
UNLV’s edge was simple and decisive. The Lady Rebels out-rebounded Utah State 47-32 and turned that work into 19 second-chance points.
That mattered on a night when UNLV finished with 17 turnovers and Utah State scored 14 points off giveaways. Still, UNLV’s rebounding erased mistakes and kept Utah State from stringing together long runs. The Lady Rebels also shot better, finishing 26-of-62 (41.9%) compared with Utah State’s 23-of-66 (34.8%).
The frontcourt delivered the backbone. Roland posted 18 points and 14 rebounds with three blocks. Shelbee Brown added 16 points and 16 rebounds plus three assists. That formula has fit Brown lately, and it came two days after the Mountain West Network named her the conference’s women’s basketball player of the week. Lott led all scorers with a career-high 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting, going 3-of-6 from 3 and 2-of-2 at the line.
The third-quarter answer, the late finish
Utah State made its strongest push early in the third, trimming the margin to 39-33 behind Marina Asensio. However, UNLV answered with a stretch built on paint touches and stops, pushing the lead to 52-36 with 3:47 left in the third. The Lady Rebels entered the fourth up 56-43.
The Aggies did not go away. Asensio finished with 16 points, and Sophie Sene recorded 14 points and 10 rebounds. Utah State’s late seven-point run cut UNLV’s lead to 66-58 with 2:50 left.
This time, UNLV delivered the closing shot. Aaliyah Alexander hit a 3-pointer with 25 seconds remaining to seal it. She finished with seven points, three assists and three steals as UNLV stayed perfect in conference play.
Up next for the Scarlet & Grey
UNLV hits the road for a two-game Mountain West swing, starting with a matchup at Wyoming on Saturday, Jan. 10 at 1 p.m. PT in Laramie, Wyo. After that, the Lady Rebels stay on the road to face San Jose State on Wednesday, Jan. 14 at 7 p.m. PT in San Jose, Calif. Next, UNLV returns to Cox Pavilion to host San Diego State on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 2 p.m. PT in Las Vegas.
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