San Diego State pulled away in the fourth quarter and handed UNLV an 80-62 loss Wednesday night at Viejas Arena.
The Lady Rebels traded punches for three quarters and stayed within four going to the fourth, but the Aztecs closed the game with a 25-11 final period. UNLV shot 4 of 17 in the fourth, and San Diego State made its best run when the game was still in reach.
Roland and Alexander bring the backbone
Meadow Roland and Aaliyah Alexander carried the offense. Roland finished with 18 points and 15 rebounds while adding two blocks. Alexander matched her with 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting and knocked down 2 of 4 from 3-point range. Mariah Elohim added 8 points off the bench and hit 2 of UNLV’s 6 made 3s.
The Aztecs’ starters had answers all night
San Diego State’s starting group set the tone with balance and shot-making. Naomi Panganiban scored 20 points, and Kennedy Lee had 16 points and 10 rebounds while hitting three 3s. Bailey Barnhard added 14 points and eight rebounds, and Nala Williams posted 13 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.
Extra chances flipped the game
The numbers that stung for UNLV were the extra possessions. San Diego State won the rebounding battle 46-40 and turned 18 offensive boards into 18 second-chance points. The Aztecs also scored 17 points off turnovers, more than double UNLV’s 7.
UNLV finished at 37.5 percent shooting and went 6 of 17 from deep. San Diego State hit 11 of 32 from 3 and shot 62.5 percent in the fourth to break it open.
The loss dropped UNLV to 17-9 overall and 12-4 in the Mountain West. San Diego State improved to 21-4 and 15-1.
Up Next
UNLV hosts the University of Nevada Reno (8-18, 4-12) on Saturday, Feb. 21 at The Pavillion starting at 2 p.m. PT for Senior Day.
Related stories
UNLV Runnin Rebels: Giving Back to Veterans One Free-throw At A Time
Welcome to Dice City Sports — where we provide premium, exclusive, up-to-date news and analysis surrounding the Las Vegas sports scene. Follow along on social media, and check back for new articles daily!
Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
