Dec. 16, 2005

LAS VEGAS -

UNLV game notes vs. Jackson State
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After playing five of its first seven games away from Las Vegas, the UNLV women's basketball team will now start a five-game homestand, beginning with this weekend's second annual Duel In The Desert.

This year's eight-team tournament features UNLV, along with three top-25 teams (No. 13 Notre Dame, No. 22 Utah, No. 23 NC State), and two more teams that played in the postseason in 2005 (Texas A&M, Arkansas State). Detroit and Jackson State complete the field. UNLV finished as runner-up in the Gray division last year to Iowa State, while Virginia Tech won the Scarlet bracket with an overtime victory over Texas Tech.

Saturday's first round action includes NC State and Utah at 12 pm and Arkansas State and Notre Dame at 2:30 pm in the Gray Bracket. The Scarlet Bracket sees UNLV and Jackson State at 5 pm, while Texas A&M takes on Detroit at 7:30 pm. All games will be played in the Cox Pavilion, with the consolation and championship games to be played on Sunday. Also, any fan that brings an unwrapped toy to the game will receive admission for just $4.

This will also be UNLV's first regular season games in the Cox Pavilion this season, after winning both games of the Lady Rebel Shootout in the Thomas & Mack Center on Thanksgiving Weekend. The Lady Rebels are 41-9 all-time in the Cox in their four years in the arena.

The Lady Rebels will look to continue their high scoring ways this weekend, as they rank fifth in the Mountain West Conference with a 67.6 ppg average. They are also one of the top rebounding teams in the league and have an impressive +7.4 rebound margin after the first seven games of the season and are in the top three as well in both blocks and steals.

One Lady Rebel closing in on a milestone is senior forward Sherry McCracklin, who is just 33 points away from becoming the 16th Lady Rebel to score 1,000 points at UNLV.