Dec. 17, 2005

Box Score

LAS VEGAS - UNLV held Jackson State to just six points over the first 14 minutes of the second half on the way to a dominating 73-39 win over the Lady Tigers in first round action of the second annual Duel In The Desert Saturday night in the Cox Pavilion. The Lady Rebels, playing in the Scarlet bracket, improved to 6-2 on the year, and will play Texas A&M in the Scarlet championship game on Sunday night at 7:30 pm.

In other action during the tournament, 22nd-ranked Utah posted a 73-62 win over No. 23 NC State, while No. 13 Notre Dame topped Arkansas State 77-54 in the Gray bracket. Utah and Notre Dame will play in the Gray championship game at 2:30 pm, while Arkansas State and NC State will play in the Gray consolation game at Noon. Detroit, who lost to Texas A&M 72-54 in the second Scarlet contest, will meet Jackson State in the Scarlet consolation game at 5 pm. All four games on Sunday will be in the Cox Pavilion.

The 39 points scored by Jackson State marked the first time in three years UNLV has held an opponent under 40 points, the last time coming in a 55-38 win at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Dec. 7, 2003. The Lady Rebels also posted more then 50 rebounds for the second time this season with 52, and held the Lady Tigers to just 23% shooting from the floor, including 6-of-39 in the second half for 15.4%.

Up 34-18 at halftime, UNLV opened the second half on a 16-2 run over the first five minutes, taking a 30-point lead, 50-20, on Kameca Simmons' layup with 14:46 on the clock. The Lady Rebels would actually outscore Jackson State 30-6 over the first 15:46 of the second stanza, leading at one point 62-24. UNLV would lead by as much as 38 three times, the last on Faye Muller's turnaround jumper with 3:36 to play, making the score 71-33.

A 6-0 and a 7-0 run in the first eight minutes sparked UNLV to a 15-4 edge. JSU hung close for most of the half, but the Lady Rebels closed with nine unanswered points, four from Sequoia Holmes and five from Sheena Moore, to take a 16-point edge into the halftime break.

Sherry McCracklin was 6-of-6 from the floor and led UNLV with 14 points, while also adding a game-high three blocks. Two players just missed a double-double, Sequoia Holmes (11 points, eight rebounds, five assists, five steals), and Kisha Lee, who had 10 points and nine rebounds in her first career start. Freshman Shamela Hampton came off the bench to post a career-game, with nine points and a game-high 10 rebounds. UNLV shot 46.8% the game, held a 52-35 edge on the boards, and recorded 11 steals and nine blocks.

Shelita Burns led JSU with eight points and six rebounds, while Shanika Jones added five.