Feb. 21, 2002
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THIS WEEK
at Air Force * Feb. 23 at 4 p.m. (PST)
AIMING HIGH
With March just around the corner, the UNLV women's basketball team looks to finish out the month of February strong. Three games remain on the regular season schedule (Air Force, BYU and Utah) as the Mountain West Conference race heats up. UNLV and New Mexico are tied for second-place in the current league standings with an 8-3 record, while conference leader Colorado State holds the top position at 9-2. The Lady Rebels make their last road trip of the regular season, traveling to Air Force for a Saturday, Feb. 23 meeting in Colorado Springs, Colo. The game will tip-off at 4 p.m. (PST), immediately following the Air Force men's basketball match with Wyoming. Tune into a live broadcast on KENO 1460 AM radio and via an Internet link on unlvrebels.com.
'SWEEP' STAKES
This season, the Lady Rebels have taken series sweeps of New Mexico and San Diego State in conference play. UNLV will go for a third consecutive yearly sweep of Air Force, when the Lady Rebels travel to the Academy for the single-game weekend. The Lady Rebels will have several fans in the stands as the UNLV women's indoor track and field team competes at the 2002 Mountain West Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships from Feb. 21-23 held also on the Air Force campus.
BIRD WATCH
Air Force (4-20): An 11-game losing stretch has the Falcons searching for its first victory in Mountain West Conference play this season. Air Force's last win came nearly two months ago against service rival Navy (85-69) back on Jan. 5. However, under first-year coach Ardie McInelly, the Falcons have put a scare in league opponents at home this year in Clune Arena. Air Force came close to unraveling Wyoming, losing by only four points (70-66), eight points to Colorado State (63-55) and most recently four points to San Diego State (83-79) on Feb. 21. Sophomore Amoy Jackson leads the team in both scoring and rebounding with 10.5 ppg and 5.1 rpg.
SERIES HISTORY
The UNLV vs. Air Force series favors the Lady Rebels 10-1. UNLV captured its 10th victory in its annual meeting with the Falcons, 75-50, on Jan. 24. The Cadets last defeated UNLV, 67-62, back in the 1996-97 season, the first meeting between both schools. In the Mountain West Conference's three-year history, the Falcons have never beaten the Lady Rebels in league competition.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Lady Rebels have posted a 7-0 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. They are currently 13-0 at home (Cox Pavilion and TMC combined). The Lady Rebels also have the third best home attendance figures in the Mountain West Conference averaging 1,866 fans per game.
LAST TIME IN THE POLLS
The Lady Rebels upset 15th-ranked Colorado State on Feb. 14 for their first victory over a nationally ranked opponent since 1994, 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.
2001-02 MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE STANDINGS
MWC PCT% All Games PCT%1. Colorado State 9-2 .818 20-5 .8002T. UNLV 8-3 .727 20-4 .8332T. New Mexico 8-3 .727 19-6 .7604. BYU 7-4 .636 16-8 .6675. Utah 6-5 .545 13-10 .5656. Wyoming 4-7 .364 11-12 .4787. San Diego State 2-9 .182 10-14 .4178. Air Force 0-11 .000 4-20 .167
