Nov. 3, 2004

LAS VEGAS - For the second time in a month, the UNLV women's basketball team lost a returning starter to injury as junior guard/forward Nikki Hitchens will be out until December after suffering an MCL injury in practice, head coach Regina Miller announced on Wednesday.

Hitchens suffered an injury to the MCL in her left knee in practice on Oct. 15, results from an MRI revealed last week. She is currently rehabilitating her knee, and is expected to make a return to the court in December. Hitchens was one of three players to start all 34 games for the Lady Rebels last year who finished with a 26-8 record, and averaged 5.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. She is the second starter to go down with an injury in October, as preseason All-America candidate and All-Conference forward Sherry McCracklin has been out since the first week of October with an Achilles injury, but is still on track to make a return in December.

UNLV will open the season on Nov. 14 in Seattle, Wash., against No. 14 Minnesota in the WBCA/BTI Classic.