Feb. 24, 2001
Box Score
LAS VEGAS - Constance Jinks hit an 18-foot jump shot from the top of the key with two seconds remaining in regulation to give UNLV its first lead of the second half and a 68-67 victory over Mountain West Conference rival San Diego State at the Thomas & Mack Center on Saturday.
The Aztecs (13-12, 5-7) had a one-point lead and the ball with eight seconds left, but a costly turnover on an inbounds play led to Jinks' game-winner.
UNLV (17-7, 7-5) trailed by as many as 18 in the second half before a 16-1 run over 5:00, fueled by a vocal crowd of 811, pulled the game within three points. As both teams battled down the stretch, the Rebels were able to even the score at 64 on a Jinks jumper at 1:16.
With a minute to play, SDSU's Sophia Sledge hit a driving layup on the baseline to put the Aztecs back up by two. Jinks then missed a pair of free throws at the other end of the court, forcing UNLV to foul. Sledge answered with one of two free throws to give SDSU a 67-64 lead with 18 seconds left.
After a UNLV timeout, Jinks missed a three-pointer to tie the game, but Linda Fr?hlich grabbed her seventh offensive rebound of the night for an easy putback, setting the stage for Jinks' heroics.
The last bucket was two of Jinks' 26 in the game while Fr?hlich's putback gave her a game-high 29 to go with 15 rebounds. The Rebels' two leading scorers were the only two in the scoring column for UNLV in the second half.
San Diego State was led by Jamey Cox, who scored 24 on 5-of-8 three-point shooting. Claire Swinbank scored 14 of her 20 in the second half.
Saturday's game was the final regular season home contest for four UNLV seniors: Dayna Gambill, Brooke Ingalls, Marenna Nyffeler, and Tiana Sanders, who all earned a spot in the starting lineup.
The victory was especially key for the Rebels in the MWC race, as they move into a potential three-way tie for third place. New Mexico, who will play Wyoming on Saturday night, could join both UNLV and BYU at 7-5 in the league with a win.
A sweep on next week's road trip to Wyoming and Colorado State would guarantee UNLV at least a share of second place. The Rebels will face the Cowgirls on Thursday, March 1, at 7:00 p.m. MST in Laramie, Wyo., before heading to Fort Collins, Colo., on Saturday, March 3 to challenge CSU.
