How to watch UNLV women's basketball
- What: NCAA Tournament first round
- Who: No. 10 UNLV vs. No. 7 Creighton
- When: Saturday, 4 p.m.
- Where: Pauley Pavilion (Los Angeles)
- TV: ESPNews
The UNLV women are still searching for that elusive NCAA Tournament win, as Creighton sent the Scarlet and Gray packing in the first round on Saturday, 87-73.
UNLV made six of its first nine shots in the fourth quarter, but it didn't cut into the deficit at all, as Creighton made 6-of-8. When Lauren Jensen splashed her fifth 3-pointer of the game with four minutes left, it pushed Creighton's lead to 83-67 and pretty much stuck the dagger in UNLV's comeback hopes.
Jensen was completely unstoppable all day, finishing with 25 points on 8-of-12 shooting. She knocked down 5-of-7 from 3-point range, leading an effort that saw Creighton make 15 3's as a team.
Desi-Rae Young poured in 30 points to lead all scorers and was nearly perfect on the day, converting 15-of-19 from the field.
It's a tough end to another spectacular season for the UNLV women, who came into the game with a 30-2 record and having won 15 straight contests. The team is now 0-3 in NCAA Tournament games over the last three years, and with Young out of eligibility, next season's squad will be markedly different.
UNLV women trail Creighton heading into fourth, 65-53
If the UNLV women want to extend their season, it's going to take a miraculous fourth-quarter comeback, as Creighton ended the third with a commanding 65-53 lead.
Lauren Jensen and Morgan Maly opened the second half by making consecutive 3-pointers to push Creighton's lead to 50-36, and UNLV did its best to tread water through the next media timeout. The Scarlet and Gray finally notched their second 3-pointer of the day when Kiara Jackson swished one from the left wing to make it 56-43 with five minutes left in the quarter. At that point, UNLV was 2-of-12 from long distance.
Desi-Rae Young has been unstoppable in the post, but it hasn't make a bit of difference. While Young has made 10-of-13 from the field for a game-high 20 points, Creighton has gotten multiple 3's from four different players to bury Young's production. As a team the Bluejays are a scorching 13-of-27 from long distance.
Jensen leads Creighton with 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting (4-of-5 from 3-point range).
Creighton can't miss, UNLV trails at halftime in NCAA Tournament
The 3-point line has been very, very unkind to UNLV today, and at halftime Creighton has a 44-32 lead over the Scarlet and Gray in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Creighton is a blistering 10-of-19 from 3-point range while UNLV is just 1-of-9, and that tells the story of the half. Creighton's Lauren Jensen leads all scorers with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting (3-of-4 3FGs).
It looked like the Bluejays might pull away midway through the second quarter when they pushed their lead as high as 11 points, but UNLV scored seven in a row — five points courtesy of reserve forward Nneka Obiazor — to stay within reach.
The final 90 seconds were disastrous for the Scarlet and Gray, however. Creighton's Morgan Moly drilled back-to-back 3-pointers, then Kiani Lockett came up with a steal at midcourt and cruised in for a layup to make it an 8-0 run for the Bluejays.
UNLV had one final possession, but Kiara Jackson's layup attempt rolled out. A Creighton halfcourt shot by Jensen went in to close out the half, but it was ruled she didn't get it off in time — a small break for UNLV.
Desi-Rae Young has 12 points and eight rebounds to lead UNLV. She is 6-of-9 from the field, but the rest of the team is just 8-of-23 combined.
It's hard to imagine UNLV mounting any sort of comeback today if Creighton continues to nail 3-pointers at this rate. Let's see if Lindy La Rocque can come up with a plan to keep Creighton from getting so many open looks.
Creighton leads UNLV women, 23-16
Creighton's shooters couldn't miss for a few minutes there, as the Bluejays used a barrage of 3-pointers to take a 23-16 lead over UNLV at the end of the first quarter.
Lauren Jensen and Jayme Horan have done the damage, making a combined 5-of-5 from long distance to help Creighton close the quarter on a 9-2 run. Jensen leads all scorers with nine points.
UNLV slowed as the quarter went on, making just three of its final 10 attempts. Desi-Rae Young started 3-of-3 from the field but missed her next three; she has six points and four rebounds to pace the Scarlet and Gray.
Lindy La Rocque will have to figure out a way to cover Creighton's shooters, or it's going to be a long day on the defensive end.
UNLV women take early lead over Creighton in NCAAs
The analytics projected this to be a high scoring game, and we're seeing that play out in the opening minutes, as UNLV has run out to a quick 10-7 lead over Creighton with 4:43 left in the first quarter.
UNLV got into its offense right away, winning the tip and then going right to Desi-Rae Young in the post. Alyssa Brown made a nice entry feed, and Young finished the play with a short turnaround shot to put the Scarlet and Gray ahead, 2-0.
Creighton then tallied two layups before Young scored in the post again to even the score at 4-4. Young then drove and dished to Brown for a layup to make it 6-4 in favor of UNLV, but Creighton's Lauren Jensen popped open for a 3, which she knocked down. Kiara Jackson and Young scored on consecutive possessions to push UNLV back in front.
UNLV is 5-of-8 from the field, and Young is leading the way with six points on 3-of-3 shooting. Turnovers have hindered the Scarlet and Gray, as they've tossed it away twice, both on poor passes. Creighton is 3-of-10 from the field.
UNLV women look to advance past Creighton in NCAA Tournament
If the UNLV women’s basketball team has made one thing clear this week, it’s that they’re not just happy to be here.
Making the NCAA Tournament is old news for Lindy La Rocque’s squad. Now, the 10th-seeded Scarlet and Gray are heading into their first-round NCAA Tournament matchup with No. 7 Creighton (4 p.m., ESPNews) with aspirations of earning the program’s first postseason victory since 1991.
Can the Scarlet and Gray play the part of bracket busters? Three keys to watch:
Star performance
Simply put, UNLV needs senior forward Desi-Rae Young to play like the dominant post player she is and has been for the past three years.
Young was unstoppable in 2023-24, earning her second Mountain West Player of the Year award by posting 17.9 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. Creighton will undoubtedly tailor its defensive gameplan to slow her down, but Young and her teammates can’t let that happen.
In last year’s NCAA Tournament loss to Michigan, Young only took 12 shots and finished with 11 points and eight rebounds — a decent performance for most, but not up to Young’s superstar standards. UNLV has to get her the ball early and often and force Creighton to blink first.
Five-out
UNLV will get a taste of its own medicine on the defensive end, as Creighton is also capable of spreading the floor with shooters at every position.
The Bluejays have three starters averaging more than 15 points per game, and five different players make better than 34% from 3-point range. It’s a diverse, efficient attack reminiscent of the one La Rocque has installed at UNLV.
While UNLV ranks 17th in the nation in scoring at 79.2 points per game, Creighton checks in at 54th with an average of 73.3 points.
“They’re very offensively potent,” La Rocque said. “All of their players can shoot the 3. They really space the floor, they can play a five-out offense, so we’re going to have our work cut out for us defensively.”
Point production
Young isn’t UNLV’s only all-conference talent, as junior point guard Kiara Jackson joined her as an All-Mountain West first teamer this season.
Jackson was the only player besides Young to start all 32 regular-season games, and she enjoyed a breakout campaign with 11.4 points and a team-best 4.7 assists per contest. She is also one of the team’s most deadly shooters, hitting at 39.5% from 3-point range.
La Rocque said Jackson’s ability to push the tempo is one of her most valuable assets, and her overall command of the offense could end up being the deciding factor in a close tournament game.
“It’s Kiara’s team,” La Rocque said. “We are only going to go as far as her and Desi take us. She’s our leader, our floor general. She’s a point guard and it’s her team out there, and she’s stepping into that and owning it.”
Who: No. 10 UNLV (30-2, 17-1 MWC) vs. No. 7 Creighton (25-5, 15-3 Big East)
When: Saturday, 4 p.m.
Where: Pauley Pavilion (Los Angeles)
TV: ESPNews
UNLV leaders
Scoring
Desi-Rae Young: 17.9 points
Rebounds
Desi-Rae Young: 9.1 rebounds
Assists
Kiara Jackson: 4.7 assists
Creighton leaders
Scoring
Lauren Jensen: 17.1 points
Rebounds
Morgan Maly: 6.6 rebounds
Assists
Molly Mogensen: 4.1 assists
Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.
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