Jan. 20, 2016 Box Score
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - Points were hard to come by in the Cox Pavilion on Wednesday night, as in what was the lowest scoring (combined) game in UNLV women's basketball history, the Lady Rebels held off a fourth quarter charge for a 46-38 victory over Utah State in front of 1,342 fans. It was the third win in four games for UNLV, pushing its record to 10-7, 3-3 in Mountain West play, while the Aggies dropped to 8-10, 3-4 in the conference.
The 84 combined points between the two teams broke the previous low in a UNLV game, 86 points, which was also set in the Cox Pavilion. On Jan. 13, 2007, UNLV would fall to Utah by a score of 47-39. The halftime score of that game had been the lowest in UNLV history at 29 (18-11). That also was broken in the game against the Aggies on Wednesday, as UNLV led 15-13 after 20 minutes of action. That came after a second quarter in which the two teams combined for nine total points.
UNLV survived despite shooting a season-low 21.2% (14-of-66) thanks to its hustle on defense. The Lady Rebels forced 21 turnovers and held a 15-0 edge on points off turnovers. Another big key to the victory for UNLV was its defensive play against Utah State guard Funda Nakkasoglu, who came into the contest ranked 12th in scoring at 21.5 points per game. She was held to less then half that as the Lady Rebels limited her to 10 points off 2-of-11 shooting.
""I liked the way we started," said UNLV head coach Kathy Olivier. "We were explosive at the start, then we hit a lull, they had a packed in zone and we just weren't hitting our shots. It was a low scoring game but our defensive never waved. We were smart, didn't turn the ball over, and this was a big game for us since we only seem them once this year."
Sophomore guard Dakota Gonzalez struggled as well with her shot in the first half, but found the bottom of the net when the Lady Rebels needed it the most. She scored all of her game-high 19 points in the second half, including six in the final two minutes to seal the win. She was joined in double-figures by Brooke Johnson with 11 points and a career-high seven steals.
Despite its poor overall shooting, UNLV did hit seven three-pointers in the game (out of 26 attempts), and were 11-of-15 at the line. The Lady Rebels also held a 47-42 edge on the boards, mostly due to the play of point guard Nikki Wheatley with her game-high 11 rebounds, while senior Amie Callaway added 10.
After the first three minutes of the game went by without a score, UNLV posted eight straight, thanks to back-to-back treys from Johnson. Utah State then answered with a 7-0 run of its own, and UNLV went into the second quarter with a 10-9 edge. The second quarter saw UNLV go 2-of-18 from the floor on the way to five points. Utah State meanwhile was 1-of-7 but turned the ball over eight times, and the Lady Rebels would take a 15-13 edge into halftime.
The Aggies opened the third quarter with four straight points for their only lead of the game at 17-15. UNLV answered back with a trey from Paris Strawther, while Dakota Gonzalez added a pair of free throws for a three-point edge. After Utah State's Angelica De Paulo converted a layup, the Aggies would be held scoreless for the next 5:30 of the game. UNLV reeled off eight points during that stretch, highlighted by a three-point play from Dakota Gonzalez and a three-pointer from her as well for a 28-19 lead with 1:18 on the clock. She hit two free throws in the final 50 seconds, giving her 10 for the quarter, and UNLV held a 30-21 edge after three.
Amie Callaway hit a jumper to give the Lady Rebels their largest lead at 32-21. After being held to single digits in each of the first three quarters, Utah State went on a 14-3 run over a 3:50 span, trying the game at 35-35 on a pair of Nakkasoglu free throws. Johnson broke the tie with a three-point with just under three minutes to play, and after Utah State scored on the other end, Dakota Gonzalez added another three-point basket for a 41-37 lead with 1:53 to go. Utah State was held to just one free throw the rest of the way, while Dakota Gonzalez went 3-of-4 at the line and Johnson made a key steal and fast break layup to seal the win.
Utah State shot 26.1% (12-of-46) for the game, was 1-of-14 for 7.1% from three-point range, and made 13-of-16 at the line (81.3%). Nakkasoglu was the only player in double-figures, while Katie Toole posted eight points and six rebounds.
UNLV remains at home for its next contest, as it hosts in-state rival Nevada, Reno on Saturday at 3 pm in the Cox Pavilion. It's a Red-Out for the Lady Rebels, and all fans wearing red will receive half-price admission to the game. There is also a free pre-game clinic before the contest, open to girls in grades 2-8, starting at 1 pm in the Mendenhall Center, more information is available at UNLVRebels.com.
