Dec. 28, 2011
Box Score
TUCSON, Ariz. (UNLVRebels.com) - Arizona hit 16-of-20 free throws in the second half, including 10 straight at one point to hold off UNLV for a 62-58 Wildcat victory in women's college basketball action on Wednesday night at the McKale Center. The Lady Rebels dropped to 10-4 with the road loss, while Arizona improved to 11-1 on the season.
UNLV never led in the game, but kept the deficit in single digits for all but three minutes of the contest. The game was tied just once, at 5-5, and then Arizona reeled off a 12-2 run to open up a 17-7 edge at the 12:39 mark. Back-to-back three-pointers capped the run for the Wildcats, who would hit four of their first six from three-point range. After the lead was cut to five by UNLV, Arizona answered with seven straight to grab its largest lead of the game, 27-15 at the 5:42 mark of the first half.
With the Wildcats up 29-17, UNLV scored seven straight to climb back in the game, with a layup from Mia Bell making the score 29-24 with 2:02 to play in the first half. The halftime advantage was five points as well going into halftime, 34-29. Arizona finished the first half shooting 48.1%, was 5-of-10 from three-point range, and came up with 12 UNLV turnovers, which was turned into 17 Wildcat points.
The second half was a different story, as UNLV tightened up its defense and allowed only five made field goals by Arizona in the second half (5-of-26 for 19.2%). A 6-2 run by UNLV to open the second half, with all six points from Tucson native Sandrine Nzeukou, cut the edge to 36-35 at the 17:09 mark. That would be the first of three times in the second half UNLV was within one point. After a three-pointer from Lindsey Fearing put Arizona up 45-39, the Lady Rebels did not allow another field goal for the next 10:08 of the game. The Wildcats did get to the line however after getting into the bonus by the 9:10 mark of the half. A run of four straight free throws pushed the edge to 49-41, but three-point plays from Bell and Markiell Styles cut the edge to 49-47 at 5:17 mark.
But after coming within two points, in one of two biggest plays in the final five minutes, UNLV was called for a foul with one second on the shot clock, and Shanita Arnold made two free throws to put Arizona back up 51-47. Then with Arizona leading 54-49 at the 2:17 mark, a battle for a rebound seemed to go UNLV's way, but Arizona came up with the ball and found Arnold on the three-point line, and she buried the shot to put the Wildcats up 57-49.
The lead was eight points with 31 seconds left before UNLV made an impressive run of five points in the next 16 seconds, cutting the lead to one possession, 60-57 on a pair of Bell free throws. After both teams went one-of-two at the line on the next two possessions, UNLV still had a chance, but Arnold would make one free throw at the seven second mark for a 62-58 lead, and UNLV's final shot would fall shot.
Nzeukou led all UNLV players with 18 points and nine rebounds. Bell added nine points, while Jamie Smith, Lenita Sanford and Kelli Thompson all finished with eight each. Thompson's eight points gives her 1,000 in her three-year career, becoming the 20th player in UNLV history to reach that mark. The Lady Rebels finished the game shooting 29.8% (17-of-57) from the floor, 3-of-17 from three-point range for 17.6%, and 21-of-28 for 75% from the free throw line. UNLV did hold a 42-38 edge on the boards, leading to a 13-5 edge on second chance points.
Davellyn Whyte scored a game-high 21 points to pace the Wildcats. Reiko Thomas posted 13 points and Arnold 10. The Wildcats shot 34% (18-of-53) for the game, was 7-of-17 from behind the arc (41.2%), and made 19-of-27 for 70.4% at the charity stripe. Though Arizona had only one less turnover then UNLV, 17-16, the edge on points off turnovers was 24-14 in favor of the home team.
UNLV will play a second straight road game on Monday, Jan. 2, with a 6 pm contest at in-state rival Nevada, Reno.
