Feb. 3, 2010
Box Score
LAS VEGAS - Freshman forward Kelli Thompson scored a game-high 18 points and UNLV made 10 three-pointers for the second straight game to earn a 62-56 victory over Wyoming in Mountain West Conference women's basketball action on Tuesday night from Cox Pavilion. With their first home league victory of the season, the Lady Rebels improved to 10-12 overall, 3-5 in the MWC, while the Cowgirls dropped to 13-7, 4-4 in the conference.
Joining Thompson in double figures was Erica Helms with 16, Mia Bell with 10, and Jamie Smith with 10 points and a game-high 17 rebounds. The Lady Rebels would make 10-of-27 from three-point range on the night for 37%, while holding the Cowgirls to just 20% from behind the arc (6-of-30).
UNLV's defensive play in the first half was its best all season, holding Wyoming to 18 points on 18.9% (7-of-37) shooting. Both teams struggled from the floor to begin the night though, with UNLV and Wyoming each making one of its first 10 shots. With UNLV up 11-10, a pair of free throws from Helms started a 14-1 spurt for the Lady Rebels. Layups from Thompson and Helms capped the run, putting UNLV up 25-12 with 8:02 to play in the half. The Lady Rebs would take a 13-point lead, 31-18, into halftime.
Wyoming kept close to the Lady Rebs for the first eight minutes of the second half, and cut the deficit to eight on two Hillary Carlson free throws, making it a 43-35 game at the 12:39 mark. UNLV answered with a 15-4 run over the next seven minutes, and took its largest lead of the game of 19 points, 58-39, with 5:34 to play. The Cowgirls made a late game rally, holding UNLV to just three points over the next five minutes while scoring 17. That cut the Lady Rebel advantage to 61-56 with 31 seconds to play. Helms made one of two free throws to push the lead back to six for UNLV, and the Lady Rebs would rebound Wyoming's last field goal attempt and run out the clock to earn the victory.
UNLV shot 35.8% (19-of-53) for the game, and was 14-of-20 at the free throw line for 70.0%. The Lady Rebs were outrebounded by a 44-43 margin, and turned the ball over 17 times to 13 for the Cowgirls.
Carlson paced Wyoming with 16 points. Sara Wilson (11 points) and Aubrey Vandiver (10 points, 14 rebounds) also finished in double-figures. The Cowgirls shot 29% (20-of-69) for the night and 10-of-13 at the charity stripe for 76.9%.
UNLV will begin the second half of its MWC schedule on Saturday, Feb. 6 at BYU in Provo, Utah in a 1 pm (PST) contest.
