Feb. 5, 2004
Box Score
LAS VEGAS - BYU could not stop the inside game of UNLV junior forwards RanDee Henry and Sherry McCracklin, as the two combined for 45 points and 33 rebounds to lead the Lady Rebels to a 77-64 win in Mountain West Conference women's basketball action on Thursday night from the Cox Pavilion. UNLV rebounded from its first loss of 2004, a 70-66 setback at New Mexico on Jan. 31, by scoring 50 points in the second half to improve to 16-3 overall, its 11th win in the last 12 games. UNLV is also perfect at home at 12-0.
The Lady Rebels are 5-1 in conference play, just one game behind front-runner Utah (6-0), who UNLV hosts in Las Vegas on Sunday. BYU fell to 11-9 overall, and 1-5 in conference play. It was just the second win for UNLV over the Cougars in the last nine meetings.
The key to the game was the rebounding battle, as UNLV dominated the boards 49-33, including 24-10 on the offensive side. Henry set a new career-high with 20 rebounds, becoming the second Lady Rebel (along with Sherry McCracklin) to grab 20 or more rebounds in a game this season, and added 25 points for a 20-20 performance. McCracklin also posted a double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Henry and McCracklin would combine for 33 rebounds, matching BYU's total as a team.
BYU held a 28-27 halftime advantage, but the Lady Rebels scored five straight to begin the second half and take a 32-28 lead. The lead would change hands eight more times over the next five minutes, but after a Jennie Overdiek jumper brought BYU within one at 43-42, a 9-1 UNLV spurt over the next 2:39 pushed the advantage back up to 52-43 on Sheena Moore's trey at 10:11 left in the game. The Cougars hung tough, and cut the lead down to three at 52-49 with 8:41 on the clock. UNLV again answered with an 11-4 run to put the game away, taking a 63-53 lead with 5:06 left. BYU would come no closer then eight the rest of the game.
Moore also finished in double figures for UNLV with 19. The Lady Rebels were just 3-of-21 from three-point range (14.3%) and 22-of-60 (36.7%) from the floor, but hit 30-of-42 (71.4%) at the line, including 23-of-27 in the second half.
BYU was paced by Ambrosia Anderson with 13 points, while Kali Taylor posted 13 points off the bench. Overdiek added 10 points. The Cougars shot 42.1% (24-57) for the game, and were 3-of-12 (25.0%) from behind the arc
The Lady Rebels next host Utah in a matchup of the top two teams in the conference. Tipoff is set for Sunday, Feb. 8 in the Thomas & Mack Center at Noon. The game is UNLV's "Break the Record Attendance Day", as the Lady Rebels will look to bring in a new record home crowd, and they will also be making their first TV appearance of the season, as Fox Sports (Rocky Mountain) will broadcast the game.
