LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) — UNLV aims to continue its winning ways over Air Force as the Lady Rebels visit the Falcons Thursday, Jan. 6. Tip off inside Clune Arena is 6 p.m. PT.
The game will stream live on the Mountain West Network. Live audio, featuring Wyatt Tomchek on play-by-play, can be heard at UNLVRebels.com.
The Lady Rebels have not lost at the U.S. Air Force Academy since Jan. 12, 2013, an 81-69 defeat.
- All-time series: UNLV leads 45-5.
- Streak: UNLV has won 17 straight meetings.
- First meeting: Jan. 25, 1997. Air Force won 67-62 at USAFA.
- Last meeting: Feb. 7, 2021. UNLV won 68-57 at USAFA.
Lady Rebels' last time out: New Mexico 71, UNLV 68
- New Mexico's LaTora Duff sank a 3 with 5.4 seconds to play to edge the Lobos over the Lady Rebels 71-68.
- New Mexico hit four of six 3-point attempts in the fourth period after shooting just 9-of-15 through the first three. The Lobos were also a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line over the final 10 minutes while the Lady Rebels were just 5-of-8 for the game, their second fewest free throw makes and attempts this season.
- Four Lady Rebels scored in double figures, led by 17 off the bench from Nneka Obiazor.
- Obiazor scored eight straight points between the first and second periods as UNLV carried a 33-30 lead into halftime.
- Young fought through double-teams to add 12 points and a career-high 16 rebounds for her third double-double of the season. She also dished a career-high four assists.
Short memories
- The Lady Rebels have only suffered consecutive defeats once under Lindy La Rocque.
- Under La Rocque, UNLV is 10-1 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 10-4 start is the program's best in a decade since the 2011-12 team also started 10-4 and finished the season 22-11 (12-6 Mountain West).
- The 2003-04 Lady Rebels (26-8, 10-4 MW) reached 15-3 before suffering a fourth loss.
Preseason hype
- Picked third in the Mountain West preseason poll, the Lady Rebels return four student-athletes from last year's team, including two starters, and welcome eight newcomers.
- Reigning Mountain West Freshman of the Year Desi-Rae Young was named to the 2021-22 Preseason Mountain West All-Conference Team.
Scouting Air Force
- As its namesake suggests, Air Force has one of the staunchest defenses not just in the Mountain West, but among all Division I teams.
- The Falcons lead the conference in steals, 3-point field goal defense and turnovers forced.
- Air Force is ninth nationally in steals per game (13.2), led by senior guard Cierra Winters, who averages 2.92.
- Falcons rank among the top three, and four of the top eight, in steals per game among Mountain West players.
- Senior forward Riley Snyder is the team's leading scorer, averaging 15.3 points.
- Snyder ranks third on Air Force's career scoring list since the Academy joined Division I. Snyder has scored 1,023 points and trails second place by 363.
- Snyder has also made more free throws than any other Mountain West player and has the league's second best free throw percentage (.917).
- Senior forward Haley Jones grabs 8.9 rebound per game, second best in the Mountain West.
Setting records in the classroom
