LAS VEGAS, Nev. — UNLV Runnin' Rebels head coach Josh Pastner had plenty of praise to go around Monday — for his players, the fans and Lady Rebels head coach Lindy La Rocque.
"I don't know why we haven't already built a statue of her right here, she's incredible," Pastner said. "What she has done has been unbelievable; she's the gold standard."
The Runnin' Rebels are currently tied for sixth in Mountain West standings. The team is working toward matching La Rocque and the Lady Rebels' 7 conference titles between regular-season and tournament championships.
A key piece of that pursuit is point guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, a now three-time Mountain West Player of the Week.
"Based on his performance, if we were competing for a league championship, I don't even think it would be a question he's the Mountain West Player of the Year," Pastner said. "I believe he should be, I'm really proud of him, and a lot of our guys have gotten individually better and that's a great sign of what you want to see in your program."
Gibbs-Lawhorn scored a career-high 42 points against in-state rival UNR on Saturday. Pastner credited the crowd with helping fuel that performance.
"Basketball, like life, is about energy, the crowd on Saturday night was our MVP and there's no doubt about it, we won the game because they gave us a great jolt," Pastner said.
The Runnin' Rebels' final regular season home game is Tuesday against top of the Mountain West standings Utah State at 8 p.m.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
-
UNLV's La Rocque balances coaching stardom and motherhood in hometown return
UNLV's Lindy La Rocque is building champions — and a family. The Vegas native is proving women can lead, coach, and mother at the highest level.
Next chapter at UNLV: Josh Pastner introduced as Runnin' Rebels head coach
“It starts with me because I have to set the tone," Josh Pastner said about restoring a championship culture to UNLV 35 years after its only national title.
UNLV announces new head coach for Runnin' Rebels basketball team
Previously, Josh Pastner coached at Georgia Tech and Memphis, and was a student-athlete on the 1997 National Championship team at Arizona.
Josh Pastner agrees to become UNLV's coach, AP sources say
Former Georgia Tech and Memphis coach Josh Pastner has agreed to take over UNLV's program, two people with knowledge of the hiring process told The Associated Press on Monday night.
