Nov. 14, 2008

Box Score

LAS VEGAS - Senior guard Brittany Halberg knocked down six three-pointers for a career-high 22 points, and was one of five players in double figures as UNLV won its season opener in Kathy Olivier's debut as the Lady Rebels head coach, a 92-71 win over Sacramento State in women's collegiate basketball action from the Cox Pavilion on Friday night in front of 1,046 fans.

The win gave Olivier, a Lady Rebel alumni, a victory in her first game as UNLV's head coach, and kept alive a streak for the program as all eight coaches in the school's history have won their opening contest.

One of the key factors in the game was UNLV's three-point shooting, with its 12 made three-pointers tying the school record. The Lady Rebels also scored their most points in a game since a 92-66 win over Canisius on Jan. 2, 2005 in Las Vegas.

UNLV never trailed in the contest, and held a lead of 5-15 points for the majority of the contest. Sacramento State would never go away however, as everytime the advantage stretched to double figures, the Hornets would fight back and cut the deficit to single digit. Missed free throws also played a big factor in keeping the score close, with UNLV finishing the night hitting just 20-of-36 from the line for 55.6 percent.

Sacramento State's Nneka Payne's three-pointer with 4:06 to play brought the visitors within eight points, 73-65. A three-pointer from Halberg and a Shamela Hampton layup pushed the edge back to 13 points, 78-65, before Payne answered back with a layup for the Hornets. UNLV then put the game away by hitting back-to-back-to-back three-pointers from Halberg, Jamie Smith, and Erica Helms. The final three-pointer completed a 14-2 run over a 2:11 span, putting UNLV up 87-67 with just 1:36 left on the clock.

The game was scoreless for the first 2:20, before a Halberg trey put the host team up 3-0. An 8-0 run, featuring two shots from behind the arc, gave the Lady Rebels a 19-8 edge with 11:42 to play in the opening half. The Hornets would close to within five, 24-19, on an Erica Edwards trey, but did not score for the next five minutes. UNLV would open up a 15-point edge and went into halftime with a 37-24 lead.

Sac State would come as close as six points in the second half following a Payne three-pointer that made the score 45-39 with 13:40 left in the game, but a Smith trey pushed the lead back to nine points for UNLV. The edge hovered between seven and 14 points for the next nine minutes, until the Lady Rebels three-point barrage at the end.

Halberg's six three-pointers ties her for fourth-best all-time in a game at UNLV, one short of tying the record. Helms also posted a career-high with 19 points to go along with six assists, while Hampton added a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds. Smith scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds in her collegiate debut, and India Chaney recorded 11 points and seven rebounds.

As a team, UNLV shot 46.9% (30-of-64) for the game, including 51.5% (17-of-33) in the second half, and was 12-of-27 (44.4%) from three-point range. The Lady Rebels held a slight edge on the boards, 46-45, but did own a 21-10 edge on points off turnovers, as they came up with 11 steals on the night.

Sacramento State was paced by Payne's 14 points. Edwards, Atty Boyer, and Karri Gallagher all scored 11 points each for the Hornets, who had three players foul out during the game. They were held to 35.3% (24-of-68) from the floor, turned the ball over 22 times.

UNLV will continue its five-game homestand to open the season by hosting Southern Utah on Tuesday, Nov. 20 at 4:30 pm, part of a doubleheader with the UNLV men's team in the Thomas & Mack Center.