Friday night belonged to two Lady Rebels. One is a legend. The other played like she plans to become one.
UNLV retired Desi-Rae Young’s No. 23 jersey before tipoff at The Pavilion. Then Jasmyn Lott scored a game-high 22 points and the Lady Rebels beat UTSA 69-51 in their home opener.
The win moved UNLV to 1-1. It was the first win of the season, and it came on a night built for emotion.
A Legend Goes Up to the Rafters
Young is a Las Vegas native, a former All-American, and a two-time Mountain West Player of the Year. UNLV says she is only the fourth Lady Rebel in program history to have her jersey retired, and the first in 23 years.
Her numbers explain why. Young finished her career with 2,017 points, second in school history, and 1,081 rebounds.
She also helped lead UNLV to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances. That is the standard this program now plays under.
Here is the detail most fans miss. Even with the jersey in the rafters, the No. 23 will remain available to players in the program moving forward, according to UNLV.
Lott is one of the current players who shared the floor with Young. Her postgame words were simple and direct.
“Nobody deserves it more than her,” Lott said. “[Young] is UNLV.”
Lott Took Over After Halftime
UNLV did not shoot its way to this win early. The Lady Rebels led just 27-21 at halftime.
Lott had 9 points at the break. Then she took over.
She scored 11 points in the third quarter alone. UNLV outscored UTSA 26-16 in that quarter and carried a 53-37 lead into the fourth.
- Jasmyn Lott: 22 points, 6-for-13 shooting, 3-for-7 from three, 7-for-7 at the free throw line
- Meadow Roland: 11 points and 4 assists
- Norah Moo: a team-high 11 rebounds
- Jayla Constant: 7 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists
- Final: UNLV 69, UTSA 51
Lott finished one point shy of tying her career high. That is not a hot streak. That is a senior setting the tone.
The Number That Matters, and What Is Next
Here is the fresh insight from this win. UNLV shot just 20-for-61 from the field, 32.8 percent, and still won by 18 points.
That tells you where this team can win on a cold shooting night. Defense, rebounds, and free throws carried the night while the offense found its rhythm.
Now the test gets bigger, fast. Use it this way:
- Next home game: Arizona State visits The Pavilion on Tuesday, November 10, at 6:30 p.m. PT, per the official UNLV schedule.
- What to watch: whether Lott stays aggressive early, instead of waiting until the third quarter to take over.
- What to watch: whether UNLV shoots better than 32.8 percent against a stronger opponent.
Young showed Las Vegas what a Lady Rebel standard looks like. On Friday night, Lott and this group took a first real step toward living up to it.
