UNLV has grown used to being the hunted. The defending Mountain West champion, fresh off a 26-win season, is no longer sneaking up on anyone, and Sunday’s 85-78 win over DePaul was proof that every team on the schedule will throw its best shot.

But behind Meadow Roland’s double-double, Aaliyah Alexander’s control, and a composed closing stretch that showcased Lindy La Rocque’s depth, the Lady Rebels absorbed every blow and finished with authority to move to 2-0.

DePaul’s energy hit immediately. The Blue Demons, long known for pace and perimeter freedom, jumped out to a 9-2 lead and shot 55% in the opening minutes, forcing UNLV to adjust defensively.

La Rocque’s group didn’t flinch. Shelbee Brown stabilized the interior with second-chance buckets, Alexander attacked from the elbow, and Roland began establishing deep position. The game’s first quarter featured six lead changes and ended 26-24 for DePaul, which was a reminder that UNLV would have to earn this one possession by possession.

UNLV’s identity started to surface midway through the second quarter. The Lady Rebels slowed the tempo, forced DePaul into longer possessions, and began controlling the glass.

Roland’s relentlessness on the boards gave UNLV a new life; she had nine rebounds by halftime, while Alexander continued to manufacture points off the dribble. Destiny Leo’s perimeter shooting helped stretch the floor just enough to create mismatches, and Teagan Colvin’s efficiency at the stripe (5-for-5) ensured every trip mattered.

By halftime, UNLV led 40-36, having flipped the script with physicality and poise.

The third quarter defined the afternoon. After DePaul briefly reclaimed the lead 52-51 behind Kate Novik (20 points, 5 assists), UNLV countered with a burst that looked like a program flex.

Colvin’s and-one layup ignited a 10-0 run that included Roland’s work on the glass, Brown’s put-backs, and Leo’s three from the wing. Alexander’s jumper at the 1:02 mark pushed it to 63-53, their largest lead of the night.

Roland dominated that stretch. Altering shots, cleaning up misses, and controlling tempo from the block. DePaul had no answer for her combination of size and patience.

To their credit, DePaul didn’t fade. The Blue Demons clawed back behind Natiah Nelson (17 points, 6 rebounds) and Ally Timm (13 points), capitalizing on a brief UNLV dry spell to make it a two-point game at 80–78 with under a minute left.

That’s when Mariah Elohim, who had been quiet all game, delivered the knockout. With 27 seconds on the clock, she calmly rose from the right corner and buried a three to make it 83-78. Roland’s free throws in the final seconds sealed the win.

It wasn’t flashy; it was a professional win. The kind that championship teams grind out.

La Rocque’s team didn’t need to rely on any one star. Instead, it showcased its biggest advantage: adaptability. Roland was the stabilizer, Alexander the metronome, Leo the spark, and Elohim the closer.

DePaul’s quickness exposed moments of miscommunication defensively, but UNLV’s rebounding and maturity carried the day.

Through two games, the Lady Rebels are shooting 46% from the field, have doubled opponents on the glass, and have already produced two different leading scorers.

The competition now spikes. UNLV welcomes No. 16 Baylor to Cox Pavilion on Friday (6 p.m. PT, CBS Sports Network) in what will be the program’s highest-profile nonconference home game in years.

It’s the next step in a brutal early slate that also includes Montana State, Arizona State, and Thanksgiving matchups against Creighton and Northern Iowa at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Two games in, the formula looks familiar: inside dominance, unselfish offense, and composure when the game tightens. Those traits have defined the La Rocque era, and they showed up again Sunday against a Big East opponent that refused to go away.