Nov. 27, 2011
Box Score
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - No. 21 Georgetown connected on seven first-half three-pointers to open up an eight point halftime lead, and held off several second half rallies to hand UNLV its first loss of the season, 64-45 in the championship game of the Lady Rebel Round-Up on Sunday afternoon at the Cox Pavilion. The Lady Rebels, who had been off to their best start since 1990-91 with six straight wins, drop to 6-1 on the year, while the Hoyas moved to 5-2 with their fourth straight win.
It was a tight, back and forth contest for the first 10 minutes of the game. A run of four straight points from Kelli Thompson gave UNLV a 10-9 edge. Georgetown countered with six straight, including back-to-back layups from Tia Magee for a 15-10 lead with 11:40 to play. Jamie Smith hit a three to bring UNLV within two at 15-13, and then the Hoyas started to heat up from three-point land. A 9-2 run, off treys from Alexa Roche and Rubylee Wright put GU up 24-15 with 4:06 to go in the first stanza. Sugar Rodgers, the tournament MVP, hit two more treys in the final three minutes of the half to give the Hoyas a 30-22 halftime advantage.
UNLV did not make it easy for the Hoyas in the second half, cutting the lead to 35-30 on back-to-back three-pointers from Smith with 16:42 to play, and were within six, 41-35, on another three-pointer, this time from Thompson, with 12:34 to go. Rodgers responded with two straight treys of her own, part of a 11-0 run over the next 7:39 to open up a 52-35 edge with just over six minutes left. UNLV managed to cut the lead down to 12, 56-44, before GU scored eight of the game's final nine points for the win.
Smith finished the game with team-highs of 14 points and 12 rebounds for her third double-double of the year. Thompson added 12 points. UNLV was held to a season-low 29.2% from the floor (14-of-48), was 6-of-22 for 27.3% from three-point range, and 11-of-18 at the line for 61.1%. The Lady Rebs did win the rebound battle 42-37, but the Hoyas had the edge on second chance points, 18-9. Georgetown also forced 25 UNLV turnovers.
Rodgers led all scorers with 16 points while hitting four treys. Magee added 12 points and Roche 10 off the bench. GU shot 35.4% for the game (23-of-65), was 11-of-29 from three-point range (37.9%), and 7-of-9 at the free throw line for 77.8%.
UNLV returns to action this weekend in the Cal Classic, hosted by California. The Lady Rebels will face Prairie View A&M on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 4 pm, before meeting either CSU Bakersfield or the host Cal squad on Sunday, Dec. 4.
