Nov. 25, 2005

Final Stats

LAS VEGAS - Trailing by eight points with just over six minutes left, UNLV's Sheena Moore hit back-to-back treys to spark an 18-2 run and rally the Lady Rebels to a 72-62 win over Stephen F. Austin in the second game of the Lady Rebel Shootout on Friday afternoon in the Thomas & Mack Center. The win improves UNLV to 2-1 on the year, and sends them to the championship game for the sixth straight year to face Tennessee Tech (3-0), an 82-67 winner over Chattanooga (1-2) in the first game. UNLV and Tennessee Tech will tipoff at 3 pm, while SFA (1-2) and Chattanooga will play in the consolation game at 12:30 pm.

The Lady Rebels, down by seven to begin the second half, tied the score twice in the first six minutes, but could not take a lead over SFA. After two free throws from Sherry McCracklin brought UNLV within four at 50-46, Ladyjack Kirby Killingsworth nailed her third trey of the game, part of a 7-2 spurt to give SFA a 57-48 lead with 7:12 on the clock. Moore would then come down and bury a three-pointer to cut the lead to six, but Evelyn Edwards answered with a layup for a 59-51 edge with 6:42 to play.

That would be the final Ladyjack point for the next 4:20. Moore sank another three-pointer for UNLV, and McCracklin added four more points as the Lady Rebels would score 15 unanswered points. Kisha Lee's tip-in of a missed McCracklin layup gave UNLV its first lead of the game, 60-59 at 4:19, and following a layup by Kameca Simmons, Sequoia Holmes converted two layups off Ladyjack turnovers to give UNLV a 66-59 edge with 2:35 on the clock. Two straight baskets from LaToya Mills brought SFA within three, but Lee would hit two free throws and add a layup to push the lead back to nine, before a Killingsworth three-pointer accounted for the final score. On the game-deciding run, 10 of UNLV's 15 points came off SFA turnovers.

UNLV began the game missing its first two shots and two free throws to fall behind 6-0 just two minutes into the half. Nikki Carr's second three-pointer of the half gave SFA its largest lead of the game, 20-9. Back-to-back treys from Moore and Nikki Hitchens brought the Lady Rebels back into the game. SFA then extended the lead to 25-19, before a 6-0 run, capped by a Moore jumper, knotted the score at 25-25. Turnovers hurt UNLV's chances to take the lead, as they committed seven over the final three minutes, and the Ladyjacks took advantage to score the final seven points and take a 32-25 edge into the break.

Moore was one of five players in double figures, hitting 16 points to go along with five rebounds and four assists. McCracklin posted 13 points and nine rebounds, while Hitchens registered 11, and Holmes and Lee both finishing with 10. UNLV shot 53.1% in the second half, and finished at 42.6% (26-61) for the game, and were 6-of-9 from downtown for 66.7%, but hit just 14-of-24 at the line for 58.3%. The Lady Rebels also held a 47-38 edge on the boards.

SFA was paced by Mills and Killingsworth, both with 18 points, while Mills grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. Carr finished with 12 points, with Edwards chipping in 10. The Ladyjacks shot 38.2% for the game, 38.1% from three-point range, and were 6-of-11 at the charity stripe for 54.5%.

In the first game, Tennessee Tech shot over 56 percent for the game, and hit seven of its first nine shots from behind the arc to hand Chattanooga the 15-point loss. Three players all scored 20 or more for the Golden Eaglettes, with Meagan Lyons finishing with a game-high 25 points. Emily Christian posted a double-double with 22 points and 14 rebounds, while Kendall Cavin added 20 points. Chattanooga was paced by Katasha Brown with 17 points, while Tiffani Roberson and LaShandra McCoy both finished with 14. The Lady Mocs did shoot 50 percent of the game, but were just 2-of-14 from three-point range.