Senior Day jitters, then the UNLV punch
UNLV spent the first half letting Nevada hang around. Then the Lady Rebels flipped the switch after halftime and turned Senior Day into a runaway, beating the Wolf Pack 81-64 at The Pavilion.
Nevada led 23-21 after the first quarter and kept finding ways to steal late momentum. UNLV answered with its best stretch of the half in the second quarter, taking a 43-37 lead into the break, but it still felt a step short of clean. The Wolf Pack had already piled up 11 points off turnovers in the first quarter alone.
Third quarter takeover changed the tone
Whatever was said at halftime worked.
UNLV opened the third by stretching the lead, then kept stacking stops until Nevada’s offense turned into one shot and a sprint back. The Lady Rebels won the third quarter 14-12 and carried a 57-49 lead into the fourth. More important, the game started to look like UNLV basketball again, tougher on the glass and sharper on the ball.
Second-chance points told the story in that stretch. UNLV won the third-quarter hustle battle 8-0 in second-chance points, turning missed shots into extra possessions and extra stress for Nevada.
Summers lights the fuse, Rebels run away
UNLV saved its cleanest closing work for last.
Sydni Summers drilled a 3 early in the fourth, and UNLV kept pouring on points as the lead ballooned. The Lady Rebels outscored Nevada 24-15 in the final quarter, with Summers hitting three 3-pointers in the period to keep the crowd loud and the finish drama-free.
Nevada won the points-in-the-paint battle 42-30 and finished with 18 fast-break points, but UNLV’s second-half control was the difference.
Up next: two road tests, then one last home night
UNLV heads back on the road for two straight Mountain West games: at Colorado State on Feb. 25 at 5:30 p.m. PT, then at Fresno State on Feb. 28 at 2 p.m. PT.
The Lady Rebels close the regular-season home schedule March 4 against Boise State at 6:30 p.m. PT at The Pavilion, the final home game before the Mountain West tournament.
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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.
