La Rocque earns first postseason win as Lady Rebels advance to second round of WBIT

The UNLV Lady Rebels have their first postseason win since 2004 as head coach Lindy La Rocque earned her first career postseason victory.

In the second annual Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament, No. 2 UNLV disposed of Hawaii, 63-46, as part of a first round matchup from the Cox Pavilion Thursday, March 20. It was a meeting of the regular season champions from the Mountain West and the Big West.

Both teams will be a part of the Mountain West Conference beginning in 2026.

”I think it’s just big for the program,” head coach Lindy La Rocque said. “It’s been a long time since the program has won in postseason. There’s such a thing as postseason culture in a program and we have that.

”Now, this is our first win and I think that’s really special because frankly, regardless of the tournament or the location or who you’re playing you have to feel that and feel what it’s like to keep playing when more and more teams aren’t. We get to play another game.”

A win means advancing as the program improves to 26-7 on the year. In addition to picking up postseason win No. 1, La Rocque continues her run of not losing back-to-back games since her first season as a head coach.

”I don’t think we were aware,” sophomore forward McKinna Brackens said. “But that is crazy to think about. We also play for Lindy too, she’s very passionate and that goes onto us. It affects us too and makes us want to play hard for her as well.”

UNLV will now host Florida of the SEC Sunday, March 23 from the Cox Pavilion in the second round of the WBIT.

“I felt like we had some really good practices Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday,” La Rocque said. “Now, we know we’ve got an SEC team in Florida coming to our place on Sunday so we’re going to need two really good practices to get ready for [it].”

Hawaii punched first in the form of an 8-0 start as UNLV struggled from the field. The home team needed more than three minutes to score its first points of the game.

Not long after, the Rainbow Wahine would go without a point for more than four minutes as the Lady Rebels closed the opening frame on a 12-2 run. There was another drought of more than four minutes in the second quarter.

“I feel like we got into the groove more,” Brackens said. “We started off kind of slow, they got out early. I feel like as the game was progressing we got into our groove. We started to get connected, talking and getting together on defense more.”

Things really changed in the third quarter as UNLV would go up by its largest lead of the game at 18. It also took control of the rebounding margin after outrebounded its opponent, 13-3, in the 10-minute quarter.

By the final buzzer, the Lady Rebels won the rebounding battle by 21 for a final tally of 47 including 13 offensive boards. Brackens led all players with 12 rebounds in the win.

Redshirt freshman Meadow Roland led the team in scoring with 16 points on 7-of-13 from the field while two blocks in 24 minutes of action off the bench. Her effort helped the team win the points in the paint battle, 28-16.

Roland also accounted for the game’s first free throws in the third quarter of a game that featured just 12 total free throw attempts. Ten of those combined attempts came in the fourth quarter.

“When we feel like we can’t score, she comes in and finds a way to score,” La Rocque said. “She makes me look really smart and good. She just kind of has that knack for the ball. She’s so long, she’s so versatile.

”We couldn’t make a shot in the first half, it felt, and she gets one to go. And then I think everyone took a breath. She’s just aggressive offensively.”

Spencer drilled the team’s first made three-pointer after the team opened the game with 10 straight misses from deep. That was on the backend of five straight points for the sophomore from Katy, Texas.

She finished with 10 points off-the-bench as well on 50% shooting.

”She came in and dropped some good threes for us,” Brackens said. “That’s one of my best friends so for her to have that good night it was good.”

Kimpson added 14 points as the only Lady Rebel starter in double-figures. She scored her 14 on 5-of-11 from the floor.

Spencer and Kimpson combined for four of the team’s six made threes on 26 total attempts.

”Our young players are playing hard for their seniors,” La Rocque said. “Sometimes as a senior, it’s hard not to think that this ‘could be my last game,’ because there’s the reality of it.

”I’m proud of our young group that has stepped up for them. Amarachi, Meadow and Macy Spencer, they were the only ones in double-figures tonight. And its a freshman and two sophomores so that looks pretty bright.”