Jan. 15, 2011
Box Score
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - Sandrine Nzeukou posted her second straight double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds to lead UNLV to a 63-52 win over Air Force in Mountain West Conference women's basketball action on Saturday afternoon at the Cox Pavilion. With their first league win of the season, the Lady Rebels improved to 8-10 overall, 1-3 in the MWC, while the Falcons dropped to 5-11, 0-3 in conference play.
Though UNLV never trailed after the opening two minutes, the Lady Rebels could never get a comfortable lead over the Falcons. Air Force scored the game's first four points before UNLV came back, going up 7-6 on a three-pointer from Kelli Thompson. The game would be tied at 8-8, before a 10-2 run from UNLV, featuring back-to-back treys from Jamie Smith and India Chaney, put the Lady Rebs up 18-10 at the 13:21 mark.
The lead was 23-16 in favor for UNLV when Air Force reeled off seven unanswered. A layup from Megan O'Neil tied the game at 23-23 at the 5:47 mark. An Erica Helms trey started a 7-0 spurt for the Lady Rebels, and UNLV would take a 34-29 lead into halftime, thanks to a pair of Smith free throws in the final 10 seconds.
Coming out of halftime, the Falcons didn't go away, but didn't seriously threaten until the final minutes of the second half. A three-point play from Nzeukou gave UNLV its first double-digit lead of the game, 45-33 with 12:30 to go on the clock. UNLV would eventually extend the lead to 13, 57-44 at the 5:02 mark, on a pair of Mia Bell free throws. UNLV would then go the next four minutes without a point, while Air Force's Alicia Leipprandt sparked a rally, scoring six during an 8-0 Falcon run. Her layup with 1:19 to play brought the edge down to 57-52. UNLV sealed the win though by making six straight shots at the free throw line to account for the final 11-point margin.
Bell finished as the leading scorer for UNLV with a season-high 13 points, while Tia Morrison added 10 off the bench and Helms posted nine in her first start of the season. UNLV shot just 30.2% (19-of-63) and was 6-of-22 from three-point range (27.3%), 73.1% at the line (19-of-26). The Lady Rebs did hold a 49-39 edge on the boards, and forced 23 turnovers.
Dymond James paced Air Force with 13 points, while Leipprandt added 12. The Falcons shot 39.3% (22-of-56) for the game, was 1-of-10 from three-point land (10%), and 7-of-13 at the free throw line for 53.8%.
UNLV returns to action on Tuesday, Jan. 18, with a road contest in Fort Collins, Colo., to take on Colorado State. The game starts at 4:45 pm (PST) and will be broadcast live on The Mtn.
