LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) — UNLV honors its local first responders and veterans and military members for Heroes' Night at the Thomas & Mack Center Saturday as the Lady Rebels host Utah State at 4 p.m.
Essence Booker and
Desi-Rae Young lead the efficacious Lady Rebels' who average a 10-point margin of victory through their best start to a season in 18 years. UNLV (12-4 overall, 4-1 Mountain West) has eight straight victories over Utah State (5-10, 0-5).
COVID-19 Requirement: Proof of vaccination required for fans at the Thomas & Mack Center through CheckVax™ mobile verification.
More details here.
A live video stream is available on the Mountain West Network. Live audio, featuring Wyatt Tomchek on play-by-play, can be heard at UNLVRebels.com.
- All-time series: UNLV leads 27-4.
- Streak: UNLV has won last eight meetings.
- First meeting: Jan. 30, 1975. Utah State won 70-63 at Logan, Utah.
- Last meeting: Jan. 27, 2021. UNLV won 73-62 at Logan, Utah.
Lady Rebels' last time out: UNLV 73, Boise State 51
- Essence Booker scored a career-high 28 points, hitting a UNLV single-game record 14 of 14.
- Booker scored 13 of UNLV's 16 first-period points.
- The game was paced by 50 whistles. Each team had 25 fouls called among nine players.
- UNLV reserves scored 27 points as Nneka Obiazor came off the bench for 13 points, nine rebounds and a career-high three blocks. Keyana Wilfred (5 points) and Alyssa Brown (4) added season-high scoring performances.
- Desi-Rae Young, UNLV's leading scorer and rebounder, totaled 10 points and six rebounds after fouls limited her to 16 minutes. It was her least amount of playing time since UNLV's rout of Southern Utah in their second game of the season.
- Dominique Leonidas, who had been averaging 20.3 points per Mountain West game, led Boise State with nine points.
- UNLV stifled Boise State, who didn't convert a field goal attempt for eight minutes, going 1-for-10 in the first period, and 4-for-22 in the first half.
- Boise State finished the game shooting 15-for-57 (26 percent) without a made 3-pointer for the first time this season.
- UNLV led 35-17 at halftime and stretched its lead to 25 points early in the fourth period.
Short memories
- The Lady Rebels have only suffered consecutive defeats once under Lindy La Rocque.
- Under La Rocque, UNLV is 11-1 following a loss (in the same season of play) with an average margin of victory of 17 points in those nine games.
Start me up
- UNLV's 12-4 start is the program's best in 18 seasons.
- The 2003-04 Lady Rebels (26-8, 10-4 MW) reached 15-3 before suffering a fourth loss.
Ten Commandments
- Nneka's Obiazor's 13-point performance keeps alive her streak of scoring in double digits in every home game this season.
- A transfer from Youngstown State, Obiazor has only one career home game in which she has not reached double figures: her very first collegiate game, an 8-point outing.
Scouting Utah State
- Utah State has struggled in conference play and has been outscored by an average of 73-56.
- The Aggies shoot 34 percent from the field and 24 percent from 3-point range against Mountain West opponents.
- Kaylin Randhawa leads the Aggies in scoring at 14.8 points per game.
- Among conference teams, Utah State trails only UNLV in free throws made and attempted.
Setting records in the classroom
