By Donetta Coleman
The UNLV Lady Rebels cruised to victory over Grambling State 89-49, to finish 1-1 in their annual Thanksgiving Classic.
Essence Booker led the Lady Rebels with 18 points and four assist. Desi-Rae Young finished with 11 points and grabbed nine rebounds, Alyssa Durazo-Fresca had 12 points and Nneka Obiazor added 12 points and seven rebounds for the Lady Rebels.
The Lady Rebels fell short in their first game of the Classic, losing to UT-Arliington 72-75. A slow shooting start for the Lady Rebels allowed the Mustangs to build an early 28-18 lead, but the Lady Rebels locked down on defense in the second quarter and took a 40-34 half-time lead.
On the final possession for the Lady Rebels a three-point attempt bounced off the rim as time expired giving the Mustangs the win.
Desi-Rae Young scored a team high 19 points, teammate Essence Booker added 15 and Nneka Obiazor had 14 points for the Lady Rebels.
The Lady Rebels improved to 4-2 overall, and currently are in second place in the Mountain West Conference. The Lady Rebels have dominated in three of their four wins, beating their opponents by an average of 37 points.
The Lady Rebels will hit the road for a battle with Utah Valley (4-2), Wednesday December 1st airing live on ESPN+.