Nov. 11, 2007
Box Score
LAS VEGAS - Following a game-tying jumper from UNLV with 5.7 seconds left on the clock, Amanda DeCoud drove the length of the court and laid the ball in as the buzzer sounded to give Loyola Marymount a 61-59 victory over the Lady Rebels in women's basketball action on Sunday afternoon from the Thomas & Mack Center.
UNLV had rallied from eight points down to take the lead late, but ended the afternoon with their first loss of the season to even its record at 1-1, while the Lions also are now 1-1 on the season. The loss also marked the first time UNLV lost on a buzzer-beating shot since a 66-64 overtime loss to BYU on March 12, 2003 in the MWC tournament semifinals.
LMU held a nine-point halftime lead, and led by eight, 42-34, with 13:39 left to play in the half. A three-pointer from Dominique Harris started a 10-2 spurt by UNLV, capped by a layup from Sequoia Holmes to tie the game at 44-44 with 9:44 to play. The game was tied three more times, before two straight Lions layups gave them a 54-50 edge with 4:52 left on the clock. UNLV countered with five straight points from Shannon Oberg, off a three-pointer and two free throws, to take a 55-54 edge, and Holmes added a layup for a 57-54 lead with 3:31 to play. However, that was the last UNLV point for over three minutes.
After missing its next three shots, LMU tied the score on a shot from three-point range by Lisa Helmers, and following a Lady Rebel missed field goal, used a layup from Cassady Moore for a 59-57 lead with 44 seconds to play. UNLV then missed a layup on its next possession, but after a timeout from the Lions, stole the inbounds pass, but lost the ball on inbounds pass as well, and were forced to foul. DeCoud missed the front end of a one-and-one with 16 seconds to play. The rebound outlet went to Holmes, who took it in from halfcourt and went in for a layup, which she missed but she got her own rebound and knocked down a shot jumper to knot the score at 59-59, setting the scene for DeCoud's game-winning basket.
The Lions began the game with seven straight points, though UNLV countered with a 12-2 spurt to take a 12-9 edge on a jumper from Shamela Hampton with 13:27 to play in the opening half. Two straight Lions steals turned into back-to-back layups and a 15-12 edge for the visitors. A pair of free throws closed UNLV within 15-14 at 9:10 left in the half, but LMU slowly increased its lead to as high as 11 points in the half, before taking a 36-27 advantage into the locker room.
Holmes scored 12 of her game-high 18 points in the final 11 minutes, and also had a team-high eight rebounds. Brittany Halberg was the only other player in double figures for UNLV with 11 points, and she also had five assists. Dominique Harris finished with nine points, all off three treys, while Hampton added six. The Lady Rebels were held to just 34.5% from the floor, and 13-of-18 from the line, but did knock down six of 12 attempts from three-point range. UNLV was also outrebounded by 11, 50-39, and turned the ball over 19 times, while finishing with seven steals and seven blocks.
LMU was paced by Moore's 12 points, while Helmers and DeCoud each posted nine each. Aleyse Evans finished with six points and a game-high 12 rebounds. The Lions shot 35.3% (24-of-68) from the floor, 40% (4-of-10) from behind the arc, and finished with 20 turnovers, six steals, and two blocks.
