FRESNO, California (UNLVRebels.com) - UNLV used a balanced scoring attack and a smothering fourth quarter defensive performance to claim an eight straight road win, 68-66, over Fresno State Thursday night in Mountain West women's basketball action from the Save Mart Center. The win for the Lady Rebels gives both teams identical 14-8 overall records, and both are now tied for second place in the conference as well at 12-5, just ahead of fourth place New Mexico (7-3).

Five Lady Rebels finished in double-figures, the second-straight game and third overall time this season UNLV has accomplished that feat this season. Fresno State meanwhile was limited to a one-player show for the most part, as Haley Cavinder led all scorers with 26 points on 9-of-20 shooting. The rest of the Bulldogs were held to just 40 points on 16-51 shooting from the floor. 

In what was expected to be a high scoring contest between two of the top offensive teams in the MW, a surprise defensive battle broke out in the first half instead. Fresno State hit a late trey to take a 15-11 first quarter lead, while UNLV closed within 28-27 at the halftime break. Fresno State slowly stretched the lead out in the third quarter however, using a 9-0 run in the final three minutes of the third quarter to grab its largest lead of the game, 52-44 with 55 seconds on the clock.


THE TURNING POINT: Just as it did in its last game, when UNLV answered an eight-point third quarter deficit with an 9-0 run in the win at San Diego State, the Lady Rebels pulled off a nearly identical rally against Fresno State. UNLV scored the last basket of the third, and then six more unanswered to open the fourth to knot the score at 52-52. 

THE FINAL RUN: Despite UNLV's rally, Fresno State would go back up by five with five minutes to go in the game. UNLV responded with a game-deciding 11-2 run, thanks partly to a three-pointer from Bailey Thomas that knotted the score at 59-59, and another three from Nia Johnson to give the Lady Rebels a 64-61 lead. Fresno State did score five straight to knot the game again at 66-66, but UNLV would make two free throws in the final 26 seconds, and then did not allow a shot on the Bulldogs final possession to claim the road victory.

LADY REBEL OF THE GAME: Delaynie Byrne posted her MW-leading seventh double-double of the season with 13 points and 12 rebounds. 

STAT OF THE GAME: UNLV shot 58.3% (7-of-12) from the floor in the fourth quarter, while the Bulldogs made just 5-of-21 attempts for 23.8%.

QUOTEABLE - "This might be the biggest one of the year, home or away. What a gritty, it's hard to put into words to be honest. Just so so proud. Frankly we didn't play great, our free throws, we are going to practice them tomorrow, but we found a way. Credit to our young women, they found a way. They made a huge run on us in the third quarter, we made some clutch baskets to keep in striking distance, and then we locked down on defense in the fourth, we needed to. Bailey is so steady, Nia it wasn't her best game but she had a big three for us, Delaynie with a huge game with her double-double. Fresno State is a heck of a team, they are really good. We've now beaten every team in conference this year, at home or away, we're proud of that. Now we have another game here on Saturday but we're going to enjoy this one right now." - UNLV head coach Lindy La Rocque

LADY REBEL NOTES
* - UNLV has started the season 8-0 on the road for the first-time ever. Only one Lady Rebel team has ever finished a season with a perfect road record, 6-0 in 1976-77.
* - UNLV's eight-game road win streak is tied for the fifth-longest active win streak in the nation. It's the longest in program history since the 1994-95 squad won nine straight, part of an overall 18-game win streak that season.
* - The win was just the third-ever for UNLV at Fresno State in Mountain West play in the Bulldogs' nine years in the conference.
* - This was UNLV's third win over a top-100 NET team this season, along with home victories over Colorado State and New Mexico. Fresno State came into the contest ranked 82nd.
* - UNLV's 12 MW wins ties for the second-most in school history, along with the 2016-17 squad and right behind the 2017-18 team that won the regular season title with a 14-4 mark.
* - With the win over Fresno State, UNLV now has at least one win over every single active team in the Mountain West this season.
* - UNLV is now third in the nation in most free throws made this season with 362. That's despite a poor night at the free throw line, as the Lady Rebels made just 13-of-24, including just 6-of-11 in the fourth quarter.
* - Joining Byrne in double-figures was Johnson with 14 points, Bailey Thomas and Desi-Rae Young with 12, while Anna Blount came off the bench to also score 12 which tied her career-high.
* - UNLV held a commanding 49-42 edge on the boards.
* - There were a total of 10 ties and 17 lead changes in the game.

NEXT TIME OUT: UNLV and Fresno State will tip off in the second game of the series Saturday at 1 pm. It will be the final game of the regular season for both teams, and the winner of the contest will receive the higher seed in next month's Mountain West Championships.