The Lady Rebels have been outstanding this year, sitting at 21-10 overall while holding the No. 2 seed in the Mountain West. Every player has contributed to that success. However, Meadow Roland and Shelbee Brown have led the way defensively, earning spots on the All-Defensive Team.
Roland is a 6-foot-2 sophomore guard who has developed into a lockdown defender. She is averaging 1.0 steal and 1.8 blocks per game. Her best defensive performance came Dec. 13 against Cincinnati, when she finished with 3 steals and 4 blocks. For a guard, putting up those block numbers is rare, and it highlights the athleticism and energy she brings every night.
Proceeding to Brown, the 6-foot senior averages a team-high 1.9 steals per game. She recorded three steals in eight games this season. She also averages 0.9 blocks, proving that size does not decide who can swat shots.
Together, Roland and Brown bring energy every game and set the standard defensively. Now UNLV is in the Mountain West tournament and pushing toward a championship run.
UNLV opened with a 79-65 win over No. 7 seed Fresno State. Next, the Lady Rebels face No. 3 seed Colorado State in a must-watch matchup that has UNLV fans rushing to grab tickets.
Jesse Vanderveer is a basketball reporter and writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @JesseVanderveer22
