Box Score

SAN JOSE, Calif. (UNLVRebels.com) -

Trailing by four in the final minute, UNLV rallied to force overtime and scored 11 of the first 15 points in the extra period to claim its first road win of the year, 72-68 at San Jose State on Saturday afternoon in Mountain West women's basketball action from The Events Center. UNLV improved to 5-9, 2-1 in league play with its first road victory of the year, while the Spartans lost at home for the first time this season to fall to 8-7, 2-2 in the conference. The game marked the first overtime victory for UNLV since a 97-72 win at Sacramento State on Nov. 17, 2009. That Sac State team was coached by Jamie Craighead, the current head coach of SJSU.

The lead had switched hands several times in the second half, but it looked like things would go the Spartans way after they scored six straight points for a 58-54 lead with 1:12 left in the second half. Alana Cesarz attempted a three-pointer for UNLV that was off the mark, but Amie Callaway grabbed the offensive board and put it back in for two of her season-high 16 points. cutting the edge to 58-56 with 45 seconds to play. The Lady Rebels then fouled Ta'Rea Cunningan, and she missed the front end of a one-and-one while UNLV grabbed the rebound. Brooke Johnson would miss a layup attempt with 17 seconds left, with the ball going off a Spartan player out of bounds, keeping possession with UNLV. The inbounds play worked the ball to Danielle Miller, and she penetrated into the lane before sinking an eight-foot shot with 13 seconds left to tie the game. SJSU then rushed a layup attempt that was short, and Johnson's desperation 35-foot shot at the buzzer hit the rim.

In overtime Miller took over, scoring five straight points in the opening minute to open a five-point edge. First she completed a three-point play and then 12 seconds later stole the ball and took it in uncontested for a layup and a 63-58 edge with four minutes on the clock. The teams then traded baskets twice, leaving the edge still at five before Miller knocked in a pair of free throws for a 69-62 lead with 32 seconds to play. The Spartans didn't give up, scoring six points over the next 16 seconds. A trey from Rebecca Woodberry, her fifth of the game, closing the edge to 70-68. Johnson then sank two free throws for UNLV for a four-point edge to close out the win.

"I thought Dani and Alana did some great things tonight," said UNLV head coach Kathy Olivier. "Dani got hot while Alana had some good rebounds down the stretch. But it was nice to see other people step up - Brooke's free throws at the end, Jehiah (Cook) had some good minutes for us today while Nikki (Wheatley) has been playing some good basketball lately. It was nice to just share the basketball around and come away with a big win on the road."

San Jose State held the lead for the first 13 minutes of the game, and a 6-0 run put the Spartans ahead 20-14 with 10:13 to play in the first half. UNLV then held the conference's top scoring offense without a point for the next 7:31 of the contest, forcing nine missed field goals and nine turnovers. Miller scored the first two of 13 straight points for the Lady Rebels, and gave UNLV its first lead of the game with a three-pointer at the 6:29 mark for a 22-20 edge. She added another trey at 5:42 for a 27-20 UNLV edge. The Spartans kept the game close by hitting a pair of treys in the final 76 seconds, cutting the lead down to just 29-28 for UNLV going into halftime.

UNLV would open a seven-point edge, 44-37 with 12:25 thanks to a 6-0 run capped by a Cesarz layup. SJSU used a 7-0 run of its own to tie the game at 44-44. The lead then changed hands three more times over the rest of the second half. After Woodberry tied the game on a trey at 5:06 for a 52-52 contest, Callaway converted a layup for UNLV's last advantage of the second half with 4:28 to play. The Lady Rebels then went almost four minutes without a point, allowing SJSU to score six unanswered points, all from Cunningan. Her free throws at 1:49 put SJSU ahead 56-54, and following a missed jumper from Miller, Cunningan drained a shot for a 58-54 Spartan lead. That set the scene for the scene for the final minute.

Miller finished the game with a career-high 30 points while adding seven rebounds and five steals. Callaway finished 8-of-11 from the floor for her 16 points. Leading rebounders for the Lady Rebels were Cesarz (eight points) with 12 and Rohde (four points) with 10. UNLV shot 34.6% (28-of-81) from the floor and just 2-of-21 (9.5%) from three-point range, while connecting on 66.7% (14-of-21) from the charity stripe. UNLV finished with a 58-50 edge on the boards, and forced 23 turnovers while recording 13 steals.

Cunningan paced the Spartans with 24 points. Woodberry added 17 points, 15 from three-point range, while Riana Byrd posted a double-double of 11 points and 13 rebounds. Rachol West recorded 10 points off the bench for SJSU. The Spartans were held to 31.5% (23-of-73) from the field, 26.7% from behind the arc (8-of-30), and 73.7% (14-of-19) from the line.

UNLV will have a pair of home games next week, starting with a Wednesday, Jan. 14 contest against Boise State in the Cox Pavilion at 7 pm.