Jan. 18, 2006

Box Score

FORT COLLINS, Colol - Senior guard Sheena Moore scored 19 of her season-high 26 points in the second half and UNLV won for the first time in six years in Fort Collins with a 67-62 win over Colorado State in Mountain West Conference women's basketball action on Wednesday night from the Moby Arena. With the win, the Lady Rebels improved to 11-4, and are tied for second in the league at 3-1, while the Rams dropped to 7-8, and 1-3 in MWC play.

The Rams actually held a 33-29 halftime advantage, but UNLV opened the second half on fire scoring eight unanswered points, part of a 19-6 run over the first six and a half minutes that gave the Lady Rebels a 48-39 edge. UNLV hit its first seven attempts from the floor in the second half during the run, including three treys from Moore.

Colorado State stayed close, and closed within five, 48-43, before UNLV looked to have put the game away with an 8-0 run for its largest lead of the game, 56-43 with 9:07 to play. The Lady Rebels then went cold, hitting just two free throws over the next five minutes. Meanwhile, Melissa Dennett and Molly Nohr combined for nine points to cut the lead to just three, 58-55 with just under four minutes to play. The teams then traded baskets, and after a Dennett free throw brought CSU within two, 60-58 with a minute to play, Nikki Hitchens converted a layup on the other end while drawing a foul with 36 seconds on the clock. She missed the ensuing free throw, but Sherry McCracklin grabbed the offensive rebound for UNLV and was fouled. McCracklin would make one of two at the line for a five-point lead, 63-58, and Moore was four-of-four at the line in the final 23 seconds to give UNLV the victory.

The Rams took an early 11-3 lead after hitting their first three attempts from behind the arc. The Lady Rebels climbed back into the game with its defense, tying the game on a pair of Moore free throws at 13-13. The game was close the rest of the half, with two lead changes and six ties, but Colorado State broke a 29-29 tie with four points in the final minute to take a 33-29 lead into the break.

Moore finished the game 7-of-12 from the floor, 4-of-8 from three-point range, and was a perfect 8-of-8 at the line to lead UNLV. Also in double figures was Sequoia Holmes with 15 points and seven assists, while Colorado native Faye Muller posted a career-high 13 points, to go along with a team-high eight rebounds. McCracklin was held to her lowest point total of the season at one, but came up with a key steal in the final minutes of play in addition to her offensive rebound. UNLV shot 50% for the game, including 60% in the second half, and was 5-of-14 from three-point range for 35.7%. The Lady Rebels also hit 14-of-20 at the line for 70%. UNLV won despite being outrebounded by 11, 35-25, but were able to turn CSU's 16 turnovers into 19 points.

Dennett scored a game-high 28 points, but no other Ram finished in double figures. After hitting three treys in the first half, Sara Hunter was held scoreless in the second half and fnished with nine, while Vanessa Espinoza added eight. CSU was held to 30% from the floor in the second half, and 38.2% (21-of-55) for the game.

UNLV will return to Las Vegas for its next game, as the Lady Rebels will host Utah on Saturday, Jan. 21 at 7 pm in the Cox Pavilion.