Photo Credit - UNLV Athletics
LAS VEGAS — The equation was straightforward in theory. Wednesday afternoon, UNLV proved it was straightforward in practice.
After outlining the path, pregame value the ball, control the glass, attack the paint, and let discipline create separation, the Lady Rebels did exactly that, pulling away from Fresno State Bulldogs for an 85-59 Mountain West win at The Pavilion.
The margin grew loud by the end. The method was quiet.
UNLV absorbed Fresno State’s physicality early, adjusted without panic, and steadily applied pressure until the game broke open. What followed looked less like a single hot stretch and more like a team executing a plan it understood.
The Second Quarter Answered Everything
The warning signs were there in the first quarter. Fresno State slowed the tempo, leaned on the glass, and forced UNLV into a 3-of-11 start from the field. The Bulldogs led 14-12 after one, and the game had the early feel of exactly what Fresno State wants.
Then UNLV flipped the math.
The Lady Rebels outscored Fresno State 27-11 in the second quarter, shooting 11-of-17 and going 5-for-5 at the free-throw line. Fresno State, meanwhile, managed just 4-of-13 shooting and went the final 3:10 without a field goal.
That stretch was the game.
The patience UNLV emphasized pregame showed up possession by possession. Instead of forcing pace, the Lady Rebels attacked the paint, punished fouls, and turned Bulldog pressure into points. The physical defense that Fresno State relies on to shorten games became a liability.
Balance Over Volume
The separation only widened after the break, and it came without a single player hijacking the offense.
UNLV placed five players in double figures, a direct reflection of the balance emphasized entering the matchup.
Mariah Elohim led the way with 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including three three-pointers, providing pace and spacing when Fresno State tried to recover.
Shelbee Brown finished with 15 points and nine rebounds, controlling the glass and anchoring the defensive tone.
Jasmyn Lott added 15 points, five assists, and five rebounds, steadying possessions and punishing transition windows.
Meadow Roland posted 14 points and eight rebounds, shooting 6-of-8 and finishing efficiently inside.
Aaliyah Alexander rounded out the group with 13 points and five assists, going 6-for-6 at the line and continuing to function as UNLV’s connective tissue.
UNLV shot 52.5 percent from the floor, assisted on 19 of 31 field goals, and outrebounded Fresno State 38-30, the margins that mattered most pregame.
Fresno State’s Formula Ran Out of Leverage
Fresno State never stopped competing, but its margin for error vanished quickly.
The Bulldogs finished 21-of-56 (37.5%) from the field and just 2-of-12 from three, unable to generate enough clean perimeter looks once UNLV collapsed driving lanes and secured rebounds. Their best offensive moments came in transition, but they were short-lived.
Jaisa Gamble led Fresno State with 13 points, while Djessira Diawara added 11 on a perfect 4-of-4 from the floor. Danae Powell chipped in nine points and seven rebounds, but Fresno State’s pressure-heavy style never regained control once UNLV settled.
Control, Not Emotion
The most telling stretch came early in the fourth quarter. Fresno State briefly found fast-break baskets and trimmed the margin, but UNLV responded without urgency or force. A short run, a defensive reset, and the lead quickly ballooned past 20 again.
That response mirrored exactly what UNLV wanted to test coming out of the break: not whether it could win, but whether it could manage.
Under Lindy La Rocque, UNLV increasingly looks like a team built to handle conference games on their terms. Wednesday wasn’t about overwhelming talent or riding a single scorer. It was about structure, patience, and leverage.
The pregame equation held.
UNLV valued the ball, attacked the paint, converted at the line, and let discipline do the rest. In Mountain West play, that’s not just a formula for one afternoon.
It’s an identity taking shape.
