Jan. 21, 2005

FORT COLLINS, Colo. -

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Having lost back-to-back games for the first time all season, the UNLV women's basketball team (9-7) come into Saturday's game at Colorado State looking to avoid their first-ever 0-3 start in the Mountain West, after upset losses at San Diego State and Wyoming to begin the conference season.

To move into the win column in the conference standings, UNLV will have to accomplish something they have not done in five years, beating Colorado State on its home court. The Rams have won four straight against UNLV in Fort Collins, including a 74-36 win in 2002-03, and a 79-65 win over the Lady Rebels in last year's contest on Feb. 21.

Most important for UNLV will be finding its scoring after two of its worst offensive games of the season. After a stretch of four games in which they scored over 80 in all four, the Lady Rebels have averaged just 51.5 points in their last two games, including a season-low 43 at Wyoming. One of the Lady Rebels' strengths, getting to the free throw line, has been the key factor in the two losses, as they are just 9-of-17 combined for the two games, after finishing the non-conference season averaging 24 attempts a game.

Saturday's game is the third of three on the road to begin the MWC season for the Lady Rebels, the only team to play its first three games of the year on the road. However, the good news is UNLV will play five of its final seven games at home in the Cox Pavilion.