LAS VEGAS – If there is one thing about head coach Lindy La Rocque’s Lady Rebels this year that’s for certain, it’s that they will never stop competing.
UNLV should have been out for the count when Arizona State’s Madison Morson drilled an enormous corner triple to give the Sun Devils a 59-54 lead with 2:46 remaining in the fourth quarter at Cox Pavilion on Tuesday.
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In a closely contested back-and-forth, even a hint of daylight can be enough separation. But the Lady Rebels didn’t fold.
Soon to be down seven, Marley Washenitz — formerly of ASU — and Meadow Roland came up with a pair of gutsy jumpers to slice the Sun Devils’ lead to just three points with 1:14 remaining. UNLV’s defense then locked in, giving the Lady Rebels the ball back with plenty of time to work.
The ensuing offensive possession ended with Trystan James getting to the free-throw line.
With a chance to make it a one-point game chess match, James missed both attempts, which ultimately proved decisive; UNLV lost 65-58. However, the Lady Rebels’ overall performance spoke volumes of the spirit and character of this team.
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“I was proud of our fight,” La Rocque said. “To be able to take that with us. We don’t want to be put in that position [of playing from behind], but we have the skills and the talent to fight back and make plays. [This was] a good opponent that challenged our toughness and different things that we want to continue to get better at… Those are things we can’t replicate in practice.”
The Lady Rebels never led by more than one early on and trailed by as many as 12 points; however, the resolve to hang in there against a still undefeated Sun Devils (3-0) side is a solid foundation to build on.
Another positive was the continued ascension of redshirt senior Jasmyn Lott offensively. She backed up her 22-point eruption from UNLV’s win over UTSA last Friday with a team-high 16 points today.
Lott’s increased confidence showed in how purposefully she got to her spots, knocking down 5 of 12 tries from the field (2-of-5 3PT). She added three rebounds and two steals.
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“I think the last game helped her for sure,” La Rocque said. “Just that confidence and infusing that… And I think it’s our staff and just her believing in us when we’re telling her things and hopefully each game that confidence continues to build because we need her to get to her spots, be aggressive, look to score, all the things that she’s really good at.”
As a unit, however, the Lady Rebels struggled with efficiency on offense, allowing the Sun Devils to gain control of the game. They finished 22-for-61 (36%) from the field and 7-for-27 (26%) from beyond the arc.
Meadow Roland and Marley Washenitz, like Lott, also shot 5-for-12. Roland posted 11 points, four rebounds, and five assists.
Washenitz made a tremendous impact on both ends off the bench for a second straight game. She chipped in 12 points, six rebounds, and four steals. Freshman guard Jayla Constant added 9 points and four assists on 4-for-17 shooting.
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Lott poured in a quick five points in the first quarter, but ASU took a 15-13 lead into the second. The visitors’ sharpness gave them an early edge as they shot 47 percent from the field to UNLV’s 26 percent.
The Sun Devils extended their advantage to 32-24 at halftime with four of their starters having scored six or more points, led by Heloisa Carrera with 8. Nobody on the Lady Rebels had more than three besides Lott, who led all scorers with 10.
The hosts put together an excellent third quarter to get right back into the game, outscoring ASU 22-16 to cut their lead to two points.
UNLV tied things up with 1:12 remaining in the frame, 46-46, on a nice back-door cut and finish inside by Constant, converting a pass from Washenitz.
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The Lady Rebels matched the Sun Devils step for step in the fourth, but the visitors were able to escape with the win after knocking down a couple more clutch shots down the stretch. Morson paced ASU with 17 points on 7-for-10 shooting.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
