(1) UNLV vs (2) Wyoming | 2023 Mountain West Conference Tournament: Championship | 3.8.23

VIDEO CREDIT: ‪@KTNV‬ & ‪@CampusMania‬
LAS VEGAS (AP) - Desi-Rae Young scored 28 points and pulled down 17 rebounds to lead No. 21 UNLV to its 22nd win and second-straight NCAA Tournament with a 71-60 win over Wyoming on Wednesday night in the Mountain West Conference Tournament championship game.
Essence Booker added 19 points for the Rebels (31-2), who are headed to the NCAA's for the 10th time. Alyssa Frescas-Durazo added 12.
Young, the tournament MVP, or Booker seemed to have an answer every time the Cowgirls challenged, especially when Wyoming hit five-straight 3-pointers to cut a 13-point deficit in the middle of the third quarter to 50-49 late in the period. Booker hit a jumper and the Rebels took a 52-49 lead into the fourth quarter.
The lead got back up to 10 but a Tess Barnes 3 made it 61-55. Young then scored twice. Barnes made the Cowgirls 11th and last 3-pointer at the 2:29 mark to make it a seven-point game but Booker scored the final six points for UNLV.
"These girls know how to win," third-year coach Linda La Rocque said. "They knew it was winning time, they know how to get defensive stops, get every rebound and execute on the offensive end. There was no doubt in my mind."
Barnes scored 13 points for the Cowgirls (22-10), who were playing for their third NCAA berth. Emily Mellema and Grace Ellis both had 10. Leading scorer Allyson Fertig was held to half her average, scoring just seven as she battled foul trouble.
Both coaches - Heather Ezell in her first year leading Wyoming after years as an assistant, an La Rocque - gave birth earlier in the season. They also played against each other in college, when La Rocque's Stanford team beating Ezell's and Iowa State 74-53 in the 2009 Elite Eight.

[@tommygun5498]

Congratulations, on the most wins in UNLV Lady Rebels history.
31 wins.

[@randalllundgren6035]

I'd like to see them get to Lisa sweet 16 that would be so cool

[@randalllundgren6035]

UNLV women's team is awesome they might be able to meet the men

[@ronscorner99]

This team should be at the 2nd spot of AP poll. How they select teams in that poll? Big joke.

[@elmotheplatypus44]

They’ve played one power 5 school, unranked Oklahoma State, and lost. Hope they play well can show out in the tournament tho!

[@tommygun5498]

@@elmotheplatypus44 UNLV was down, 2 Power Fowards in the OSU game.
Oklahoma St., is an NCAA tournament team.

[@SingleMomming]

Just thinking that . At lease top10 .

[@ronscorner99]

@@SingleMomming or top five..the 31-2 record is no joke. It's an absolute grind. They're next to SC for me in standing. What's up with AP poll? Only famous get recognized? Big joke.🤣🤣🤣

[@thatguybill34]

*All roads go through South Carolina.*

[@ronscorner99]

Yo so fond of SC, i like that but Iowa will never give up easily, watch...or to our surprise, Stanford will seek revenge.