The Nevada women’s basketball team fell to in-state rival UNLV on Saturday, Feb. 15, never holding a lead in the game. The loss marked the Wolf Pack’s seventh straight defeat against the Rebels, with their last victory coming in a 71-64 road win on March 2, 2022.
The Rebels jumped out to a 9-0 lead, scoring on four of their first five shots before Nevada forward Lexie Givens put the Pack on the board with a pull-up three. A forced turnover by guard Izzy Sullivan led to an Audrey Roden layup, sparking a run. Roden followed with a mid-range jumper, then forced a turnover that set up a Sullivan jumper to cut the deficit to one.
Nevada struggled in the second quarter, failing to capitalize on turnovers and missing open layups. UNLV’s defense stifled the Pack, who shot 3-of-12 to close the half and had zero free throw attempts compared to UNLV’s 11. The Rebels led 32-19 at the break. Roden, Sullivan and Dymonique Maxie each led Nevada with four first-half points.
UNLV opened the second half with a jumper and forced a quick turnover. Forward Imbie Jones answered with a hook shot, but back-to-back Rebel layups and a steal by guard Kiara Jackson pushed the lead to 45-23 midway through the third. The Pack closed the quarter on an 8-0 run but continued to struggle with turnovers and rebounding.
Both teams traded buckets in the fourth quarter with the Rebels leading by as many as 20 points before the Pack went on a 6-0 run in the final minute and a half to close out a 64-50 loss.
The Pack’s 50 points were a season-low. They committed 15 turnovers, were outrebounded 34-23 and managed just four offensive boards. Nevada shot 18 percent (3-17) from deep and the bench contributed only six points.
Givens led the team with 12 points, while Maxie added 11. Roden finished with nine points, three rebounds, three assists and four steals.
Nevada women’s basketball head coach Amanda Levens noted that despite falling short offensively, the team remains confident in its ability to bounce back.
“I don’t think we scored the ball well today,” Levens said. “We have some really good opponents coming up. I think our team is feeling good about how we have been playing and they understand what they need to do to give us a chance to win.”
James Wolfgang Perez can be reached via email at dominicgutierrez@unr.edu or via X @JamesWPerezUNR
