Nov. 4, 2009

LAS VEGAS - The UNLV women's basketball team will play the first of two exhibition games on Thursday, when it travels to Los Angeles to face Cal State Los Angeles in a 5 pm contest.

The Lady Rebels, under second-year head coach Kathy Olivier, bring back three starters and seven letterwinners from last year's team that finished with an 14-18 record. Leading the returnees is sophomore forward Jamie Smith, the 2008-09 Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year, as well as junior guards India Chaney and Erica Helms. UNLV will also have seven newcomers on this year's squad.

UNLV will play another exhibition game on Monday, Nov. 9, in Las Vegas against San Francisco State at 7 pm in the Cox Pavilion. The regular season will tipoff for the Lady Rebels on Friday, Nov. 13, at Southern Utah in Cedar City, Utah, with a 6 pm (PST) start.