Box Score

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) -

Sunday's championship game of the Lady Rebel Round-Up was decided by a pair of late second half runs, and South Dakota State providing the final knockout to claim a 65-59 victory over UNLV on Sunday afternoon in the Cox Pavilion. With 10 minutes to play, the Lady Rebels turned a nine-point deficit into a seven-point lead thanks to a 16-0 run. However, SDSU responded with a 16-3 run of its own to go ahead by six in the final two minutes. The first home loss of the season dropped the Lady Rebels to 3-3 on the year, while the Jackrabbits improved to 4-2 overall.

UNLV trailed for the majority of the game after SDSU opened the contest with a 7-0 run. The lead grew to 10 points three times in the first half, the third time on a pair of Mariah Clarin free throws with 5:07 to play for a 25-15 edge. The lead stood at nine points when freshman Brooke Johnson hit two big shots for the Lady Rebels by draining the first two treys of her career, sandwiched around a SDSU free throw, to bring UNLV within four points. Macy Miller went 1-of-2 at the line for the Jackrabbits in the final minute for a 29-24 edge at halftime for the visitors.

The second half saw the lead stretch to nine points twice for the Jackrabbits, the first at 33-24. Danielle Miller, the leading scorer in the Mountain West who had been held without a point in the first half after picking up two fouls and going to the bench, started a 7-0 UNLV run with a pair of free throws. SDSU then pushed the edge back to nine again, this time 43-34 on a three-point play from Kerri Young with 10:10 on the clock.

That would be the last point for the Jackrabbits for the next 4:16 of the contest. UNLV quickly got back into the game with six points in a 49-second span. It marked the beginning of 16-0 run for UNLV, with Miller and Alana Cesarz providing 15 of those 16 points. Cesarz's jumper at the 6:20 mark put the Lady Rebels ahead 50-43.

Just as quickly as the Lady Rebels took the lead, it started to slip away after they turned the ball over on four of their next five possessions. SDSU took advantage by scoring nine of the next 10 points for a 52-51 lead with 3:17 to play. Cesarz gave UNLV the advantage back with a pair of free throws at the 2:58 mark. Young hit a trey on the other end for the Jackrabbits, and Clarin added a layup and two free throws for a 59-53 lead with 1:24 to play. Miller would hit a pair of three-pointers 20 seconds apart, the second cutting the edge to 61-59 with 42 seconds on the clock. UNLV then forced two missed shots on the other end but the Jackrabbits came up with a pair of offensive rebounds. They were fouled on the second rebound, and drained two at the line for a four-point edge with 12 seconds to go. Following a turnover by UNLV, SDSU sealed the win with two more free throws with two seconds to go.

Cesarz paced UNLV with 18 points and added eight rebounds. Miller saw her streak of 20+ point games to start the season snapped at five, as she finished with 15 points. Amie Callaway grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds for the Lady Rebels. UNLV shot 33.3% (20-of-60) for the afternoon, was 5-of-12 from three-point range for 41.7% and 14-of-23 at the line for 60.9%. The Lady Rebels won the rebound battle 46-39 and held a 20-12 lead on offensive rebounds, yet SDSU outscored UNLV on second chance points 14-9.

Clarin, the tournament MVP, posted a double-double of 22 points and 14 rebounds in the win. Megan Waytaqshek added 16 points, while Young chipped in 11 for SDSU. The Jackrabbits shot 37.7% (20-of-53) for the game, was 6-of-18 from downtown for 33.3%, and made 70.4% of their shots at the line (19-of-27).

UNLV returns to action with a two-game road trip in the Beehive State, taking on a pair of former Mountain West rivals. It begins with a Thursday, Dec. 4 contest at BYU in Provo with a 6 pm (PT) start.