LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) — Tested for the first time this season, the Lady Rebels turned to their star center to carry them to victory.

Desi-Rae Young equaled a career high with 24 points and grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds as UNLV (6-0) defeated George Washington (4-3) 73-63 Saturday afternoon at the Thomas & Mack Center.

"Desi's our anchor," UNLV Head Coach Lindy La Rocque said. "That's who we're going to go to late in the game when we need a bucket. Frankly, every one in the country knows it or they're going to figure it out. Sometimes you still can't stop her."

The defending Mountain West champions will face the defending Missouri Valley Conference champions in the title game of the UNLV Thanksgiving Tournament. Illinois State defeated Louisiana Tech 70-53 to join the Lady Rebels in Sunday's 4 p.m. contest at the Cox Pavilion.

UNLV is 6-0 for the first time since the 2011-12 season but, unlike other games this season, it didn't seal today's victory until the fourth quarter.

George Washington used a 6-for-11 3-point shooting performance to rally from a 14-point deficit to trail just 37-34 at halftime.

"They got hot in our gym yesterday. I think they liked playing here and the rims looked good to them. We gave them too many open ones in the first half. We challenged our team at halftime to cut that down and they did."

Tied 54-54 with 10 minutes to play, Young scored nine of UNLV's next 15 as the Lady Rebels opened a 10-point lead. Young buried a second-chance jumpshot from the key and then took a charge on the defensive end. That led to another layup, providing the cushion UNLV used to control the tempo for the final 5 minutes.

Essence Booker dished five of her season-high six assists during the span as she ran the offense to perfection. Booker scored 8 points and had two steals.

Nneka Obiazor counted her second straight double-digit scoring performance, totaling 18 points from 7-for-11 field-goal shooting. 

UNLV's defense held GW without a second-chance point on its seven offensive rebounds.