It didn’t take long for UNLV to show it was in tune with where it wants to be. The Lady Rebels were crisp, confident, and decidedly better than their opponent at every position, overwhelming Southern Nazarene 78-41 in a first-game romp on Wednesday night at the Pavilion.

Meadow Roland made a quick statement with 15 points and 10 rebounds to start the game. At the same time, Destiny Brown was a total force inside, with 16 rebounds, four blocks, and an overall physicality that was too much for Southern Nazarene to handle. Shelbee Brown was a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor for 14 points, and Teagan Colvin was a calming presence as the floor general with 12 points and six assists.

The Rebels dominated in all the meaningful stats: +19 on the glass, 48 points in the paint, and a 27-7 advantage on second-chance points. It wasn’t pretty, but it was complete. A statement-type tune-up before the real stuff starts next week with Washington State.UNLV outscored the Storm 48-16 in the paint, 27-7 on second-chance points, and 17-0 in transition. They also controlled the glass 54-35 and held Southern Nazarene to just 21.9% shooting from the field and 16.1% from deep.

The Lady Rebels closed the first quarter on a 17-4 run and poured in 26 points in the second frame to build a 47-20 halftime lead. From there, it was all about game management, cycling in depth, maintaining a high tempo, and locking down defensively.

UNLV also outscored the Storm 48-16 in the paint, 27-7 on second-chance points, and 17-0 in transition. They controlled the glass 54-35, held Southern Nazarene to 21.9% shooting from the field and 16.1% from beyond the arc.

The Lady Rebels went on a 17-4 run to close the first quarter, then lit up the Storm for 26 points in the second quarter for a 47-20 halftime lead. From that point, it was about game management, adding depth to the rotation, playing with pace, and maintaining defensive soundness.

There's a lot to like for UNLV in its only exhibition game. Nice, crisp play, rebounding was dominant, and veterans had an attitude about them that screamed “regular season.”

UNLV begins its official campaign on November 5 against Washington State, marking the start of its non-conference slate designed to challenge before its Mountain West season opener.