SAN DIEGO (Interstat) — The San Diego State Aztecs used a dominant fourth quarter to pull away from the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels for an 80-62 victory in a Mountain West women’s basketball game Wednesday night at Viejas Arena.

A crowd of 2,135 watched the Aztecs outscore the Rebels 25-11 in the final period, turning a competitive contest into a decisive win and improving their season record to 21-4. UNLV fell to 17-9.

The game’s most critical sequence came early in the fourth quarter, just as UNLV had shown signs of a potential rally. Trailing 60-55 entering the final frame, the Rebels saw San Diego State’s Naomi Panganiban score on a driving layup. After a UNLV miss, Kennedy Lee connected on a three-pointer, pushing the Aztec lead to 10 points at 62-55 and forcing a UNLV timeout just 49 seconds into the quarter.

UNLV’s Trystan James answered with a three-pointer to cut the deficit back to seven, but the Aztecs responded with a decisive 8-0 run over the next two minutes. The surge was fueled by free throws from Kaelyn Hamilton and a jump shot from Panganiban off a UNLV turnover, extending the lead to 70-58 and effectively sealing the outcome. The Rebels, plagued by offensive struggles all night, could not mount another challenge.

San Diego State’s victory was built on superior efficiency and ball security. The Aztecs committed only six turnovers while forcing 12 from UNLV, converting those into 17 points. They also shot a more effective 40.5% from the field compared to UNLV’s 37.5%, and made 11 three-pointers to the Rebels’ six.

Naomi Panganiban led all scorers with 20 points for San Diego State, adding a block and a steal. Bailey Barnhard provided a strong all-around performance with 14 points, three assists, two blocks and two steals. Nala Williams filled the stat sheet with 13 points, five assists and a game-high five offensive rebounds, while Kennedy Lee scored 16 points and Nat Martinez added 13.

For UNLV, Aaliyah Alexander of Federal Way, Washington, and Meadow Roland of Fresno, California, each scored 18 points. Roland, a 6-foot-2 forward, also contributed two assists and two blocks. Mariah Elohim of Westlake Village, California, added eight points.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair. San Diego State led 16-14 after a first quarter defined by early turnovers and physical play. The Aztecs expanded their lead to 38-35 by halftime, thanks in part to a late three-pointer from Nat Martinez. UNLV stayed close behind Alexander’s 13 first-half points.

The third quarter saw UNLV briefly tie the game at 45-45 on a Meadow Roland jumper, but San Diego State closed the period on a 10-3 run, capped by a Mariah Elohim three-pointer at the buzzer, to take a five-point lead into the final quarter and set the stage for the decisive fourth-quarter push.

The win gave San Diego State a regular-season sweep of the series, having defeated UNLV 75-66 in overtime in Las Vegas on Jan. 17. According to Interstat’s ELO system, San Diego State entered the game with a 69.10 percent probability to win.

San Diego State next hosts Fresno State on Saturday. UNLV returns home to face Nevada on Saturday.