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Another UNLV Thanksgiving Classic is in the books and the host again leaves with an undefeated record.
UNLV capped this year’s Thanksgiving tournament with a, 64-49, over East Carolina Friday, Nov. 29 from the Thomas & Mack Center. The program has now compiled six straight wins in the self-created tournament after losing the inaugural game.
“All wins are good wins,” head coach Lindy La Rocque said. “Especially during a holiday like this when there’s a lot family and different distractions that can be happening.”
Friday’s win ends a five-game homestand for the Lady Rebels where they went 4-1. They will now return to the road for the first time since Nov. 12.
UNLV will now embark on a three-game road trip that will take the club through Texas and Illinois. All three opponents will be from Power conferences.
Lady Rebels are now 5-2 this season with both losses coming to Power conference schools. La Rocque has a 3-9 coaching record versus schools from such conferences.
“It’s nice that we have a full week to not just prepare but to get ready and improve ourselves,” La Rocque said. “Once you get into the rhythm of games, you’re always looking to the next opponent. Here this week, we’ve got a couple of days to just work on us before we turn our attention to them.”
That road trip will start with a matchup on the road against Baylor Sunday, Dec. 8 from Waco, Texas. Tip-off is scheduled for 12 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN+.
The first five minutes of the game were a nightmare for the Pirates. The team attempted just four shots while being forced into three turnovers. By the end of the first quarter, it would shoot 4-for-12 from the field with eight total turnovers.
In the two games played during the Thanksgiving Classic, the Lady Rebels held opponents to 40-of-123 shooting for a field goal percentage of 33%. They also limited opponents to just two makes from three-point range on 11 attempts.
“Each year we get different teams,” La Rocque said. “East Carolina and even UCF for example, they’re on the other side of the country. So we don’t always match up against those teams but you can in a postseason opportunity. Before I saw [East Carolina] the other day, I had never seen them play and the same for Central Florida.”
The Lady Rebels would run its first quarter lead to 11 points. Ultimately, they led by as many as 19 while never trailing.
“I do think we were pretty locked in defensively,” La Rocque said. “To hold them to 49 points, that’s a great defensive effort. Thirty-seven percent from the field, zero threes made so I think our defense was pretty good — and forcing 22 turnovers. It doesn’t get much better than that.”
Known as a team that likes to press, UNLV had to endure a bit of its own medicine early in this one. East Carolina went into its press about halfway through the first quarter.
More often than not, the Lady Rebels would find a break in the defense and get to the basket for a finish.
“Since we don’t run this type of press, it’s hard to simulate in practice,” La Rocque said. “I thought we did a pretty good job, especially there in the first half. But we were a little on our heels when they amped up the pressure. We have to know and expect that to happen.”
The team left the first quarter with its 11-point lead along with a 8-for-12 shooting mark as five different Lady Rebels scored. By halftime, three players had eight points which matched the total 24 points put forth by the Pirates.
Senior guard Kiara Jackson had a perfect first half with eight points on 3-of-3 from the field including two made threes. She’d finish with six assists and three rebounds to go along with those eight points.
Sophomore forward McKinna Brackens scored nine of her 17 points in the second half highlighted by seven points in the third quarter. In her first collegiate season with extended minutes, she is averaging more than 11 points and more than seven rebounds a game.
“If there was a real tournament and we had a tournament MVP, it would be McKinna Brackens,” La Rocque said. “I think she’s very deserving. I’m proud of her last few games.”
Fellow sophomore Amarachi Kimpson added 13 points on 5-of-11 from the floor with two made threes. She has reached double-figures in 20 of her 42 career games as a Lady Rebel.
Redshirt freshman Meadow Roland provided some great minutes late and posted 12 points and five rebounds in her first 17 minutes of action.
”Meadow is long,” La Rocque said. “You have to remember she’s a freshman, Amarachi is a sophomore. This time last year, Amarachi wasn’t playing. Meadow right now is playing more minutes as a freshman than Rachi did as a freshman.
”I use Rachi as a reference because we all know how she finished last year.”
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