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The undefeated start to the year for the UNLV Lady Rebels continued in a big way when they saw a familiar foe over recent years, evening the score in the process.
UNLV got the better of Northern Arizona, 85-69, Wednesday, Nov. 29 from the Rolle Activity Center in Flagstaff, Arizona. It marked the first time the program had won in Flagstaff since 1999 as the team improved to 2-2 against the Lumberjacks over the last four years.
Additionally, the team extended its road record to 3-0 in the early going of the year while pushing its overall win total to 7-0. All the team’s wins this year have come by double-digits with the average margin of victory coming by 29 points per outing.
UNLV will put its unbeaten start on the line against Arizona from the Thomas & Mack Center Saturday, Dec. 2. Gametime was originally scheduled for 2 p.m. but has since been moved to 5 p.m.
After once being up by as many as 17 points in this one, the Lumberjacks raced back to cut the deficit down to just two points. Junior guard Kiara Jackson drilled a three-pointer as part of five straight points to push the lead back to seven. That three-pointer was the first for the Grand Prairie, Texas native in the last three games.
Jackson finished with 17 points and a career-high nine assists in a game-high 38 minutes played. She did commit her first turnover in the last three games after having just six coming into Wednesday’s contest.
As a team, UNLV had trouble taking care of the ball including turning the ball over nine times in the first half which is their season average in a full 40-minute game.
Jackson’s individual run sparked a 14-0 run by the Lady Rebels to close the game. In addition, the team held the Lumberjacks without a point through the final 5:19 of regulation.
Through the first 20 minutes of play, Northern Arizona racked up 43 points which was just 11 points off of the season average allowed by this UNLV defense. In response, the Lady Rebs held their opponent to 26 points in the second half.
Fifth-year guard Ashley Scoggin led the team in scoring with 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the floor including six points in the last 1:56 of the game as part of that 14-0 run. To open that sole scoring run, the 5’7 guard converted the second and-one basket on a three-pointer for UNLV on the night.
Scoggin pumped out three made threes starting with two in the first quarter as the team went on to shoot 8-of-15 from long range. Coming into play, the Lady Rebs were 11th in the nation in attempts and fourth in the country in makes.
That opening quarter UNLV scored 30 points for the team’s third 30-point quarter of the year. It’s the second straight game with a 30-point quarter with all three coming in the last five outings for the program.
Senior center Desi-Rae Young picked up a second foul early in the second quarter and would be relegated to the bench. As a pick-me-up, the team swiftly went on an 11-4 run to go up 10 points with its leader on the bench.
Young would find a rhythm in the second half to finish with 13 points and 14 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season and the first in three games. This season, she is averaging 16.9 points per game to go along with 10 rebounds per contest.
She was aided by the strong paint presence of junior forward Alyssa Brown, who turned in 13 points, five rebounds and four assists. Young and Brown’s combined effort helped UNLV turn in 44 points in the paint.