Dec. 27, 2001
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THIS WEEK
vs. UC Santa Barbara * Dec. 30 at 4:30 p.m.
vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi * Jan. 2 at 7:35 p.m.
vs. Northern Arizona * Jan. 4 at 5 p.m.
THREE'S COMPANY
The UNLV women's basketball team prepares for a three-game homestand this week, before heading to Albuquerque for an ESPN2 nationally-televised Mountain West Conference opener versus New Mexico on Jan. 6, 2002 at noon (PST). The Lady Rebels, who are currently 9-1 overall, return to the Thomas & Mack Center hosting UC Santa Barbara on Sunday, Dec. 30 at 4:30 p.m., prior to the UNLV men's basketball game versus Old Dominion at 7:05 p.m. UNLV will then ring in the New Year with games slated against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Wednesday, Jan. 2 at 7:35 p.m. and Northern Arizona on Friday, Jan. 4 at 5 p.m. Both games to be played in the Cox Pavilion. The Lady Rebels hold a 5-0 undefeated record at home and will look to extend that streak to eight. All games will be broadcast live in Las Vegas on KENO 1460 AM and via an Internet link on unlvrebels.com.
80's NIGHT PROMOTION
The Lady Rebels' home game against UC Santa Barbara on Sunday, Dec. 30 at the Thomas & Mack Center will feature the UNLV Sports Marketing department's 80's Night promotion. The 80's theme will be used in all promotions, entertainment and music throughout the night. Admission is $3 for adults and $1 for kids. The game will be part of a doubleheader with the UNLV men's basketball team, who squares off against Old Dominion at 7:05 p.m. For more information on tickets, please call 895-UNLV.
A LOOK AT THE OPPONENTS
UC Santa Barbara (4-4): Vying for its first two-game win streak of the season, UC Santa Barbara is coming off an 11-day layoff. The Gauchos last defeated Saint Mary's College, 84-61, on Dec. 19. Kayte Christensen, a 6-foot-3 senior forward, turned in her fourth double-double of the season against the Gaels. She currently leads UC Santa Barbara with 14.0 points per game and 8.0 rebounds per game. Last season, UCSB made its fifth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament, after winning the Big West Conference regular season and tournament championships. The Gauchos were later defeated in the first round by Purdue and finished the year with a 22-9 overall record. UCSB comes in with the nation's fifth best recruiting class on their current roster and sixth strongest schedule in the latest RPI ratings.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (6-7): In only its third year of existence, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi women's basketball program looks to register its third straight winning season in 2001-02. So far this year, the Islanders have taken wins against UTEP, Southeastern Louisiana, Denver, Mercer, Murray State and Sam Houston State. Junior forward Kristin Rogers is the team's leading scorer averaging 13.5 ppg and 5.8 rpg. One of the few independents in women's college basketball, TAMCC returns four starters and 10 letterwinners from last year's 16-11 squad. They host Montana State on Dec. 30, before heading to Las Vegas.
Northern Arizona (7-4): Prior to making their trek over the Hoover Dam, the Lumberjacks hope to gain their eighth win of the season, visiting Mountain West Conference rival Wyoming on Dec. 29. If Northern Arizona can pull off the victory in Laramie, they would tie the 1994-95 and 1995-96 NAU teams for the most wins posted before conference play. NAU has already knocked off Loyola Marymount (78-63) and Wichita State (83-63) enroute to their current 7-4 mark. Sophomore Lynsie Blau and junior Joy Dixon both lead NAU in scoring with 10.1 ppg. The Lumberjacks are looking to rebound from a 13-17 record from last season, under the guidance of sixth-year head coach Meg Sanders.
SERIES HISTORY
The Lady Rebels dominate the all-time series against two of this week's opponents. UNLV leads UC Santa Barbara, 25-8, and Northern Arizona, 10-1. The last meeting versus both teams came in the 1999-2000 season when UNLV matched up against UCSB in the preseason WNIT. The Gauchos would defeat the Lady Rebels, 77-56, in the season opener. NAU wouldn't be as lucky, as UNLV rolled to a 71-57 victory in Flagstaff, Ariz. It will be a first time meeting between Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and UNLV.
UNLV COACH REGINA MILLER
Regina Miller enters her fourth season as head coach. In the Miller Era, the Lady Rebels have posted three consecutive winning seasons, with last year's team making their first postseason tournament appearance since 1994. Miller has compiled a current 62-34 (.646) career winning record at UNLV, the best coaching record in the last decade of the program. With the success she has established in a short period of time in Las Vegas, Miller is looking to keep the program heading in an upward direction in 2001/02.
BACK TO THE MACK
Three doubleheaders are on tap this season, in conjunction with UNLV men's basketball games in the Thomas & Mack Center. The Lady Rebels will take on UC Santa Barbara on Dec. 30, Brigham Young on Feb. 28 and Utah on March 2, as part of the return to the Mack. Both doubleheader games against BYU and Utah will have a tip-off at 5 p.m., while the UCSB game was rescheduled to a 4:30 p.m. start.
FR?HLICH REACHING MORE MILESTONES
Senior All-American candidate Linda Fr?hlich could become the first Lady Rebel to reach 2,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds. Fr?hlich needs just 19 points to reach the 2,000 plateau (1,981 points to-date) and 64 rebounds (936 rebounds to-date) to reach 1,000 rebounds. Fr?hlich needs to grab 159 more boards to surpass two-time All-American Pauline Jordan's (1987-90) all-time school record of 1,094 career rebounds.
LADY REBEL CAREER REBOUNDING LEADERS
Games Reb. Avg.1. Pauline Jordan (1987-90) 98 1,094 11.22. Linda Fr?hlich (1998-Present) 92 936 10.23. Angela Christian (1983-87) 123 926 7.54. Kathie Calloway (1978-82) 120 922 7.75. Geannine Jordan (1986-90) 126 827 6.66. Misty Thomas (1982-86) 114 790 6.97. Angalete Dye (1995-99) 103 730 7.18. Teresa Jackson (1989-93) 120 695 5.89. Merlelynn Lange (1988-92) 111 688 6.210. Janice Fuller (1975-77) 41 513 12.5
INVINCIBLE
Looking through the UNLV men's basketball records history, the all-time leading scorer is former Runnin' Rebel star Eddie Owens who played from 1973-77. In his four seasons at UNLV, Owens played in 118 games and racked up 2,221 career points. If Fr?hlich continues to average her current 22.0 ppg, she could very well become UNLV's (men's and women's) true all-time leading scorer.
LAST TIME IN THE POLLS
The last time the Lady Rebels beat a nationally ranked opponent came in the 1993-94 season, also the same year in which the team last advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Under then UNLV coach Jim Bolla, UNLV defeated 21st-ranked Hawai'i, 74-70, on Jan. 5, 1994 and then again on March 12, 1994 in the championship game of the Big West Tournament. The Lady Rebels defeated 24th-ranked Hawai'i, 78-60, earning the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. UNLV has not been ranked among the top 25 since Jan. 18, 1994, when the Lady Rebels were ranked 25th in the nation with a 10-2 record.
BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT
It only seems appropriate with an All-American candidate and current 9-1 record that the Lady Rebels would return to the national spotlight. Receiving votes throughout the year in both the USA TODAY/ESPN Coaches Top 25 and Associate Press Top 25 polls, the UNLV women's basketball team and leading scorer Linda Fr?hlich will make their national debut on ESPN2 against New Mexico at the Pit in Albuquerque on Jan. 6, 2002. The Lady Rebels' last appearance on national television dates back to a Jan. 27, 1993 home game featured on ESPN versus Big West Conference rival Long Beach State at the South Gym on campus.
MWC NOTEBOOK
The Mountain West Conference is 14-1 in its last 15 non-conference games since Dec. 16. UNLV and New Mexico are each in the midst of a five-game win streak. The Lady Rebels are tied for first-place in the current MWC standings with No. 15 nationally ranked Colorado State. Both teams are 9-1 this week.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Lady Rebels have posted a 5-0 record at the Cox Pavilion, their new home arena in 2001/02. Last season, UNLV tabulated a 12-4 record at home in the Thomas & Mack Center. The Lady Rebels are halfway through a five-game holiday homestand which first began on Dec.19 versus Eastern Washington and will end on Jan. 4 against Northern Arizona.
A STAR IS BORN
Voted as a Vegas 100 by Las Vegas Life Magazine, Linda Fr?hlich was named the city's Best Sports Star in the publication's December 2001 issue - the second year for the magazine's "Best of the City" top 100 picks. Back in 1998, Fr?hlich was named the Best of Las Vegas after receiving National Freshman of the Year honors.
LADY REBELS ON THE AIR
The 2001/02 season marks the 18th year and 15th consecutive season that Lady Rebel basketball games will be broadcast over the radio waves. It will also be the third year for all of the women's basketball schedule to be heard over the Internet and throughout the world on www.unlvrebels.com. Bob Blum, the dean of West Coast broadcasters, begins his 15th season calling play-by-play for Lady Rebel Basketball on KENO 1460 AM. Joining him for her fifth season on air will be former Lady Rebel Cheryl Kosewicz. Blum will host the Regina Miller Show 10-minutes prior to the tip-off for each game.
LADY REBELS ON NATIONAL TELEVISION
The Lady Rebels will enjoy their share of radio and television coverage in the 2001/02 season. An ESPN2 game at New Mexico on Jan. 6, 2001 highlights the schedule, meanwhile KTUD, UPN Channel 25 * Cable 14, will continue their television coverage of Lady Rebel Basketball with Tim Neverett and Trip Mitchell calling the action for a total of eight games this season (tape delays). The Northern Arizona non-conference game on Friday, Jan. 4, the first of eight on UPN, will be aired on Saturday, Jan. 12 from 2-4 p.m.
