Feb. 19, 2011
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LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - Photo Gallery
UNLV sophomore guard Kelli Thompson scored a career-high 27 points, while Jamie Smith added a double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Lady Rebels to a 72-60 victory over Colorado State in Mountain West Conference women's basketball action on Saturday afternoon at Cox Pavilion. The win broke not only a six-game losing streak for UNLV, but was also the first win in the last seven games against the Rams, improving the Lady Rebels to 10-17, 3-10 in the MWC. CSU dropped to 12-13, and 5-7 in league play.
Thompson finished the day 9-of-17 from the floor, including 4-of-9 from three-point range, and added six rebounds, five assists and three steals for UNLV. The 27 points broke her previous career-high of 26, set during her freshman season. Smith meanwhile posted her sixth double-double of the year, and first in MWC play.
The game was tied at 6-6 early on before a 9-0 Lady Rebel run, fueled by a strong defensive effort that forced two turnovers and three missed shots over a 62-second span. A layup from Kelli Thompson capped the run, putting UNLV up 15-6 at the 13:52 mark. The lead stayed in single digits for UNLV for the next nine minutes, while the closest CSU could come was three points, 26-23 on a pair of Kim Mestdagh free throws with 4:36 to play. A 6-0 Lady Reb run in the final two minutes pushed edge to 12, 37-25 on two Thompson free throws before Meixandra Porter added a layup for CSU to make the halftime margin 37-27.
CSU cut the deficit to single digits twice in the first 10 minutes of the second half, but both times UNLV answered with big runs. First, Mestdagh converted a layup at the 17:40 mark to make the score 39-31. That was followed by an 8-0 Lady Reb run, which included back-to-back treys from Thompson and Erica Helms. UNLV pushed the lead to as high as 16 points twice, the second on a short jumper from Helms at the 14:14 mark, for a 49-33 edge.
The Rams would not go away though, as 10 unanswered points brought them within six points. Two straight three-pointers ended the run, cutting the edge to 49-43 with 11:19 to play. Smith answered back on the other end with a trey, while India Chaney followed with a three-pointer of her own. Bonnie Barbee knocked in another shot from long range, the fifth straight combined three-pointer from both teams, but Smith again responded, this time with a three-point play off an offensive rebound to go ahead 58-46. The lead would stay in double-digits until the final three minutes, when Mestdagh hit a three-pointer to bring the Rams within 65-56. Another Mestdagh trey made the score 67-60, but UNLV finished the game making five of six at the free throw line to close out the 12-point victory.
UNLV shot 44.2% (23-of-53) for the game, was 8-of-19 from three-point range for 42.1%, and made 18-of-22 at the line for 81.8%. The Lady Rebels held a 34-31 edge on the boards, and forced 19 turnovers while coming up with nine steals.
Mestdagh paced CSU with 23 points. Sam Martin added 16t, and Porter 12 off the bench before she fouled out. The Rams made 40% (22-of-55) from the floor, 28.6% (6-of-21) from three-point range, and 10-of-12 at the line for 83.3%.
UNLV plays a second straight game at home with a contest on Wednesday, Feb. 23 against New Mexico in the Thomas & Mack Center at 7 pm.
