Dec. 28, 2003
Final Stats
LAS VEGAS - RanDee Henry scored 20 points and Sherry McCracklin posted her eighth double-double of the season to lead UNLV past Mississippi State 62-51 on Sunday afternoon in women's collegiate basketball action from the Cox Pavilion. The Lady Rebels won their third straight game to improve to 8-2 on the season, and are a perfect 6-0 at home, while Mississippi State fell to 5-5 for the year.
UNLV's three starting forwards combined to shoot 18-of-28 from the floor and scored 47 of UNLV's 62 points. McCracklin, the nation's leading rebounder, posted 13 points and 13 rebounds, while Nikki Hitchens was the third Lady Rebel in double figures, hitting 6-of-7 from the floor for 14 points. UNLV shot 41.9 percent (23-54) for the game, and held their opponent under 35 percent for the third straight contest, as Mississippi State was just 20-of-58 (34.5 percent) for the game. UNLV also outrebounded the Lady Bulldogs 43-34.
The Lady Rebels never trailed in the game. UNLV opened up a nine-point lead, 24-15, with 3:42 left in the first half before Mississippi State made a run to cut the lead to three. McCracklin's putback of a missed Sheena Moore shot with 12 seconds left gave UNLV a 28-23 lead at the end of the first 20 minutes.
Mississippi State's Tan White, who scored a game-high 31 points, tied the score for the last time on a jumper at 13:18 to make the score 37-37. UNLV then took control of the game by holding the Lady Bulldogs without a point for the next six minutes, while running off nine unanswered points for a 46-37 advantage. A trey from White brought MSU within seven, 50-43 with 6:08 left, but that was the closest they would come, and the Lady Rebels finished with the 11-point victory.
UNLV hit 1-of-11 from three-point range, but were 15-of-24 at the line, while Mississippi State was made just eight trips to the charity stripe (6-of-8). White was the only Lady Bulldog to post double figures, as she was 12-of-29 from the floor, and 4-of-9 from behind the arc. Tiania Burns added nine points and seven rebounds.
The Lady Rebels will host Cal Poly in the Thomas & Mack Center in a doubleheader with the men's team on Tuesday, Dec. 30 at 5 pm. At halftime of the Cal Poly game, UNLV will retire the jersey of former three-time All-American Linda Fr?hlich.
