Jan. 14, 2006
Box Score
LAS VEGAS - Sheena Moore finished with 23 points and Sherry McCracklin added a season-high 19 to lead UNLV past San Diego State 71-54 in Mountain West Conference women's basketball action on Saturday night from the Cox Pavilion. The win, UNLV's fourth straight at home, gave the Lady Rebels a 10-4 record overall, and 2-1 in league play, while SDSU dropped to 3-11, and 0-4 in the conference.
UNLV shot over 50% for the third time in five games, hitting 23-of-45 from the floor, and were 20-of-32 at the line (62.5%). The Lady Rebels also turned in a 5-of-8 (62.5%) performance from behind the arc, highlighted by Moore hitting all four of her attempts. The rebounding battle also went UNLV's way, 42-25.
San Diego State led just once, on a jumper from Michelle Strawberry one minute into the game for a 2-0 Aztec advantage. Moore answered back just 17 seconds later with a trey, and she would score seven points in the first five minutes, with her jumper at 15:02 giving UNLV an 11-2 lead. UNLV held SDSU scoreless for a seven-minute span, but Strawberry's jumper at 11:49 was part of a 10-2 run that cut the lead to just one at 13-12. The Aztecs stayed within striking distance the rest of the half until the final minutes. Following a pair of SDSU free throws made the score 21-18, in the last 1:49 Moore would bury a trey, Sequoia Holmes added a layup, and Brittney Thomas drained a three-pointer to end the half, an 8-0 UNLV run to give them a 29-18 halftime edge.
UNLV was in control for most of the second half, as the Aztecs were only able to cut the lead to single digits three times. The last came with 2:19 left to play in the game, after Audrey Green's layup brought SDSU within nine, 63-54. San Diego State was then forced to send the Lady Rebels to the foul line, and UNLV would score the final eight points of the game to claim the 17-point victory.
Moore finished the game 8-of-13 from the floor, and added five rebounds and four assists, while McCracklin was a perfect 5-of-5 from the field, and 9-of-13 at the line. Nikki Hitchens posted nine points, Faye Muller added five points and eight rebounds, and Sequoia Holmes finished with five points, six rebounds, and a career-high eight assists.
Strawberry tied Moore for game-high honors with 23 to lead San Diego State. Also in double figures was Shanna Demus with 12, while Veronica Shaw posted 10. No other Aztec scored more then four points. SDSU was held to 34% (17-of-50) from the floor, and was 6-of-22 (27.3%) from downtown, though they did shoot 77.8% (14-of-18) at the line.
UNLV returns to action on Wednesday, Jan. 18 at Colorado State in Fort Collins, Colo., with a 6 pm (PST) tipoff.
