Feb. 27, 2010
Box Score
LAS VEGAS - Freshman guard Kelli Thompson scored a game-high 20 points while Jamie Smith added a double-double to carry UNLV to a 69-55 Senior Day victory over Air Force in Mountain West Conference women's basketball action on Saturday afternoon in the Cox Pavilion. UNLV improved to 6-9 in conference play, its most wins in the league since the 2006-07 season, and stand at 13-16 overall. Air Force dropped to 3-24, 0-14 in the MWC.
Thompson broke out of a six-game scoring slump by knocking down 7-of-12 from the floor, including 4-of-8 from three-point range, and added eight rebounds. Smith meanwhile posted her ninth double-double of the season with 17 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Also in double-figures was Markiell Styles who came off the bench with a career-high tying 12 points.
After spotting Air Force the first two points, UNLV quickly took over by scoring 19 of the game's next 21 points. Smith scored seven points during the run, which featured three treys from three different Lady Rebels, while Styles' jumper at the 12:21 mark made the score 19-4 in favor of the host team. Air Force stayed within striking distance, and used a 7-0 run to cut the lead to just six points, 25-19, on a three-pointer from Raimee Beck with 5:15 to play in the half. An 11-3 run, capped by back-to-back three-pointers from Smith and Thompson, pushed the edge back to 36-22, and UNLV would take a 38-26 lead into halftime.
An early 10-2 spurt in the second stanza gave UNLV its largest lead of the game, 48-30 on a free throw from Smith at the 15:59 mark. Air Force would make several second half charges, including a 9-0 run that cut the Lady Rebel edge to 56-48 with under eight minutes to play, but could come no closer then that and UNLV would go on to post the 14-point victory.
On her Senior Day, Latoya Hunt received her first career start and responded with a season-high six points and tied her career-high with four blocks, while classmate Allison Holiday finished with three points, five assists and three steals. UNLV shot 46.3% (25-of-54) for the game, was 8-of-23 from three-point range for 34.8%, and made 11-of-16 for 68.8% at the charity stripe. UNLV held a 36-33 edge on the boards, and forced 18 turnovers while coming up with 13 steals.
Raimee Beck led Air Force with 17 points and nine rebounds. Also in double-figures was Alicia Leipprandt with 12 and Kathleen Schjodt with 11. The Falcons shot 37.3% (22-of-59), made 7-of-23 from three-point land for 30.4%, and was 4-of-5 at the line for 80%.
UNLV will close out the regular season on Saturday, March 6 against the Wyoming Cowgirls in Laramie, Wyo., with a 1 pm (PST) tipoff.
