Dec. 3, 2005

Box Score

BERKELEY, Calif. - UNLV used a balanced scoring effort and a huge rebounding advantage to cruise past Albany 78-56 in the first game of the Contra Costa Times Classic on Saturday afternoon from the Hass Pavilion. With their third straight win, the Lady Rebels (4-1) advanced to the championship game, and will meet the host California Bears on Sunday at 3 pm.

The Lady Rebels had seven players score seven or more points, including three off the bench. They also held a 55-36 edge on the boards, the first time in three years UNLV has grabbed over 50 rebounds in a game, the last being 56 against Centenary in the 2003-04 season opener on Nov. 21, 2003.

The game was tied once, at 2-2, but UNLV scored the next nine points while hitting its first six shots from the floor, and never looked back in claiming its third-straight win. The Great Danes (2-4) would cut the lead to single digits twice in the half, the last at 22-13 on a pair of Jen Schumacher free throws. UNLV answered back with a 12-2 spurt, featuring six points from Kameca Simmons, and Albany would not threatened again. The Lady Rebels led by as many as 29, 69-40 with nine minutes left, before finishing with the 22-point win.

Simmons, who was born in the nearby Oakland area, and Sheena Moore led the Lady Rebels with 12 points each, while Simmons tied her career-high with five assists. Sherry McCracklin joined them in double figures with 11, Sequoia Holmes added seven points and 10 rebounds, and Kisha Lee posted seven points and eight rebounds. The Lady Rebels shot 42.3% (30-71) for the game, and were 40% from downtown (6-15), but hit just 12-of-20 at the line for 60%. They also finished with a season-high 13 steals.

Tanika Thrower led the Great Danes with 12 points, while Kirsten Peterson finished with 10 points and seven rebounds. Albany was held to 32.8% (19-of-58) from the floor, and were forced into 20 turnovers.