LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The 21st-ranked UNLV women’s basketball team is one step away from clinching its second straight Mountain West tournament championship and an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.
The Rebels held off San Diego State 71-68 on Tuesday night in a semifinal clash at the Thomas & Mack Center and face No. 2 seed Wyoming in Wednesday night’s championship game.
Tipoff at the Thomas & Mack is scheduled for 7 p.m, and the contest will be carried by the CBS Sports Network.
Wyoming (23-9) reached the title game by stopping No. 3 seed Colorado State 65-56.
In the UNLV triumph over the Aztecs, Essence Booker scored 22 points, Desi-Rae Young supplied 20 points and 13 rebounds and Justice Ethridge added 15 points. It was the Rebels’ 21st consecutive victory.
San Diego State hit five of six 3-point attempts to close within 60-59 with 1:15 remaining. Booker then scored six of the Rebels’ next nine points for a 69-62 lead with 22 seconds to play.
“We knew it was going to be like that: a battle for 40 minutes,” UNLV coach Lindy La Rocque said. “I’m shocked it didn’t go more minutes because we kind of expected that going into the game.”
Booker was 13-of-14 at the free throw line and hit all eight fourth-quarter attempts.
Ramos scored 17 points to lead 5-seed San Diego State (23-10). Abby Prohaska added 15 points, Yummy Morris had 14 and Kim Villalobos scored 10.