Jan. 25, 2003

Box Score

LAS VEGAS - Against the second best team in the Mountain West Conference, the UNLV women's basketball team came out on top, winning its first game in the last six meetings versus league rival Brigham Young, 73-69, Saturday night at Cox Pavilion.

Before a season home record crowd of 1,132, the Lady Rebels stunned the Cougars with a game-opening 23-4 run. UNLV could not miss from the floor shooting 70 percent from the field (17-24) and leading BYU to turnover the ball 13 times in the first half alone.

Sophomore Sherry McCracklin (Hazel Crest, Ill.) scored 12 of her career-high 22 points in the first half, as the Lady Rebels pushed their lead out to as many as 28 points.

In the second half, the Cougars retaliated back from a 47-21 halftime deficit with a 40-14 scoring run. BYU's Jen Overdiek and MWC top returning player Erin Thorn combined for 30 of the team's 40 points in that particular stretch. Thorn, who ended the contest with a game-high 25 points, buried a three-pointer with 4:59 remaining to tie the game up for the first time, 61-61.

BYU (12-5, 3-1 MWC) and UNLV traded leads four times in the final minutes of regulation. With the pressure mounting and three BYU players in foul trouble, the Lady Rebels turned up the pressure and forced three disqualifications.

With 1:45 left, McCracklin was fouled on the layup and went to the free throw line for the three-point play to put UNLV up by one, 69-68. Freshman Sheena Moore (Lansing, Mich.) followed with an off balance jumper in front of the basket to bring the lead to two. An intentional foul committed by BYU's Danielle Cheesman with 32 seconds left sent McCracklin to the line again, where she made both.

Senior All-America candidate Constance Jinks (Chicago, Ill.) scored 17 points in the win, while Moore added 10. Senior Julia Gray (Riverside, Calif.) led the defensive charge once again with four of the team's 13 steals of the night and nine points. Senior Dishawn McCracklin (Hazel Crest, Ill.) brought down a game-high 10 boards.

Last season, the Cougars won all three contests versus the Lady Rebels including a 61-46 victory for the MWC championship crown. UNLV snaps BYU's nine-game win streak versus league opponents.

Next up, the Lady Rebels (11-5, 2-1 MWC) go on a five-day road trip to contend with conference foes Air Force on Thursday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. (MST) and New Mexico on Saturday, Feb. 1 at 7 p.m. (MST).

ONCE NOT ENOUGH?: The UNLV vs. BYU game will be rebroadcast locally on Sunday, Jan. 26 on KTUD channel 25 / cable 14 at 4 p.m.

INTERESTED IN BECOMING A BOOSTER?: An organizational meeting for the formation of the Lady Rebel Basketball Booster Club will be held on Monday, Feb. 10 at 6:30 p.m. in the Thomas & Mack Center Meeting Room C (located on the backside of the facility).