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Donned as #UNLVStrong heading into play, the UNLV Lady Rebels provided a much-needed lift to the city with a big victory of epic proportions for the program.
With a week off in-between, UNLV picked up its second straight win against a Power 5 school when it defeated Oklahoma, 92-76, Saturday, Dec. 9 from the Lloyd Noble Center. It counted as the first home loss of the season for the Sooners.
After entering the year with a 0-5 record against Power 5 schools, head coach Lindy La Rocque’s second win of this back-to-back comes against her previous school. La Rocque served as a graduate assistant for Oklahoma in 2014-15.
The perfect run to start the year for UNLV has been extended to 9-0 as its three-game road trip continues. A trip to the East coast is next with a game against Seton Hall scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 16 with tip-off slated for 10 a.m.
A six-point lead heading into the fourth quarter was turned into an eventual blowout lead behind a fiery start on both ends of the floor to the final frame. The Lady Rebels held the Sooners without a point for more than four minutes between the close of the third quarter and start of the fourth.
During that time, the back-to-back Mountain West champs went on a 13-0 run while running its lead to 15.
UNLV outscored Oklahoma 29-15 in total over the final two minutes of each quarter of the game including buzzer-beating threes by junior guard Kiara Jackson in the first and second quarters. Freshman guard Amarachi Kimpson also had a buzzer-beating layup to seal the third quarter as part of four straight makes for the visitors.
The defense stood when it needed to for the Lady Rebels after giving up five made threes on nine tries in the first quarter. The Sooners would go 4-for-22 the rest of the way.
Offensively, senior center Desi-Rae Young scorched the nets for a career-high 32 points including 12 in the first quarter and 16 of the team’s first 26 points. In the first half, she rounded up 21 points on 10-of-15 from the field.
As she often does, Young did it on both ends of the floor including drawing a couple of charges in the first half while forcing several turnovers against her defensive assignment.
Fellow frontcourt player Nneka Obiazor added 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting to go along with nine rebounds off the bench. The trio of Young, Obiazor and junior forward Alyssa Brown combined for 27 rebounds led by Brown’s 10 as the team won the rebounding battle by six.
In addition, UNLV won the points in the paint category, 56-36.
Jackson filled the stat sheet with 20 points, six rebounds and five assists.
It’s the fourth game this season that the Lady Rebels have cracked the 90-point mark.
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