Nov. 20, 2003

LAS VEGAS - The UNLV women's basketball season is ready to tip off the 2003-04 season for real as the Lady Rebels host Centenary in their home opener on Friday afternoon. The game is part of a doubleheader with the Runnin' Rebels at the Thomas & Mack Center, as the UNLV men will play Delaware State at 7:30 p.m..

The Lady Rebels, coming off a 17-12 record and a trip to the WNIT last season, split their two exhibition games last week. UNLV dropped to NWBL 83-75 on Nov. 11, but rebounded with a 72-64 win over Latvian Select on Nov. 14. Sophomore guard Sheena Moore led the Lady Rebels with 18 points in each game, while junior transfer forward RanDee Henry scored 18 and 17 points over the two contests. Junior forward Sherry McCracklin, a preseason all-conference selection, is the lone returning starter for UNLV.

Centenary, who finished last season at 8-20, are beginning their first year of competition in the Mid-Continent Conference this season. They return three starters, including senior forward Alexis Pettway and senior guard Julie Danieles. Danieles scored a game-high 20 points in the Ladies 81-66 exhibition win over Texas A&M-Commerce on Nov. 15 in Shreveport, La., while Pettway added 17 points and 10 rebounds. Centenary shot 11-of-23 from behind the arc for the game, helped by freshman guard Holli Wilkins' 5-of-6 performance from downtown.

This is the first meeting between Centenary and UNLV. The Lady Rebels are 11-2 all-time against Mid-Continent opponents.

Next for UNLV after the Centenary game will be its first road game of the year at PAC-10 rival UCLA on Sunday, Nov. 23 at 2 p.m. in Pauley Pavilion.