LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — For the second consecutive season, the UNLV women’s basketball team is the top seed in the Mountain West tournament.
The Rebels, the first team to go undefeated in the conference since Colorado State in 2015-16, open play Monday in the MW tourney at the Thomas & Mack Center.
The Mountain West tourney winner clinches a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
The Rebels, unbeaten in 18 conference games, 28-2 overall and No. 22 in The Associated Press rankings, will play the winner of Sunday’s game between Nevada-Reno (8) and Fresno State (9). Tipoff is 2 p.m.
The conference’s top three teams earned first-round byes.
Other games Sunday pit seventh-seeded Air Force vs. No. 10 San José State and No. 6 Boise State against No. 11 Utah State.
Semifinal games are scheduled for Tuesday, with the final (7 p.m. Wednesday) being televised by the CBS Sports Network.
First-round, quarterfinal and semifinal games will be livestreamed by the Mountain West Network.
The Rebels are defending tournament champs. After winning last year’s MW tourney, which also was held at the Thomas & Mack, UNLV lost its first-round NCAA Tournament game, 72-67 to Arizona.
Conference awards
UNLV’s Lindy La Rocque was named Mountain West coach of the year Sunday in voting by conference coaches.
Other UNLV players honored included Kiara Jackson as the conference’s sixth person of the year (first player off the bench) and seniors Essence Booker and Justice Ethridge and junior Desi-Rae Young as first-team all-conference.
