Lady Rebels end postseason drought, will host again Sunday — PHOTOS

The UNLV women’s basketball team offered a glimpse into its future as it beat Hawaii 63-46 in the first round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament on Thursday at Cox Pavilion.

All of the Lady Rebels’ significant performances came from underclassmen, a reminder that the team can continue its dominance without the graduating seniors who have been a constant throughout the program’s run of four straight Mountain West regular-season titles.

UNLV (26-7) earned its first postseason victory since reaching the Women’s National Invitation Tournament final in 2004. The Lady Rebels will host Florida (17-17) in the WBIT’s second round at 2 p.m. Sunday at Cox Pavilion.

Freshman forward Meadow Roland had 16 points for the Lady Rebels, while sophomore guard Amarachi Kimpson added 14 and sophomore guard Macy Spencer scored 10. Sophomore forward McKinna Brackens had a game-high 12 rebounds.

Fifth-year coach Lindy La Rocque said the younger players made the effort in honor of their older peers.

“As a senior, it’s hard not to think, ‘This could be my last game,’” she said. “That can make you feel a certain type of way and play maybe not always your best. I’m proud of our young group that has stepped up for them. … The only ones in double figures tonight (are) a freshman and two sophomores. So that looks pretty bright.”

The sunny outlook comes after a much darker moment in the wake of UNLV’s loss to San Diego State in the Mountain West semifinals last week. The defeat ended a streak of three straight titles.

Brackens described the locker room as “a foggy, gray, gloomy area to be in” following the pivotal loss. The regret was so deep that Brackens said she approached senior point guard Kiara Jackson and apologized to her, only to be comforted in return.

“It was not a good feeling,” Brackens said. “We were just all kind of sitting there in silence. Everybody was, like, in a trance. It didn’t feel real, honestly. Looking around at the seniors, we didn’t know what was going to happen next. And it felt like us young players, we let them down.”

Milestone win

Brackens added that the underclassmen were also motivated to get the victory Thursday for their coach. With the Lady Rebels advancing to the past three NCAA Tournaments and losing in the first round, this was the first postseason win in La Rocque’s career.

“I think it’s just big for the program,” La Rocque said. “Frankly, it’s been a long time since the program’s 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. You have to feel that and feel what it’s like to continue to play when more and more teams aren’t. We get to play another game. And how cool is that?”

Hawaii (22-10) started on a 8-0 run until Brackens scored the team’s first two points. The Lady Rebels soon went on a 12-2 run to take their first lead of the game with 55 seconds left in the first quarter

At halftime, the Rebels had a 27-20 lead bolstered by Roland’s 11 points and two blocks.

“When we feel like we can’t score, she comes in and finds a way to,” La Rocque said of Roland. “We couldn’t make a shot there in the first half, and when she gets one to go, I think everyone finally took a breath.”

MW rivals soon

UNLV opened the third quarter with a quick 3-pointer from Aaliyah Alexander, followed by a second-chance jumper from Kimpson to increase its lead to 31-20.

The Lady Rebels continued to pull away in the period, outscoring Hawaii 17-9 in those 10 minutes.

Although Hawaii boasted three players listed at 6 feet 4 inches or taller, the Lady Rebels outrebounded them 47-26 and bested them in the paint 28-16.

La Rocque praised the success on the boards as the key to the victory.

“I think everyone can see how big they are. To outrebound them by 21, that won us the game,” she said. “It eliminated their second-chance points. It gave us some second chances offensively.”

Hawaii was led by Lily Wahinekapu’s 18 points, 12 of which she scored in the final period.

Hawaii coach Laura Beeman praised La Rocque for building UNLV into a “powerhouse team in the Mountain West,” noting that the teams will soon share a conference when the Rainbow Wahine leave the Big West in 2026.

La Rocque shared that sentiment.

“They’re going to be a familiar opponent here soon,” she said. “And I’m excited for that.”

Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.