Feb. 6, 2016 Box Score
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) -
In a game that featured eight lead changes and eight ties, UNLV took a one-point lead in the final two minutes, only to see Fresno State score seven of the final eight points to claim a 57-52 victory over the Lady Rebels on Saturday afternoon in front of 1,619 fans in the Cox Pavilion. The loss dropped the Lady Rebels to 13-9 overall, 6-5 in Mountain West play to place them in a tie for fourth with San José State, their next opponent. Fresno State meanwhile improved to 13-8, and 8-1 in the conference.
UNLV began the fourth quarter with a two-point lead and stretched it to three before Alex Furr drained a three-pointer, one of four on the day for the Fresno State guard, to tie the score at 43-30. That trey began a 10-2 spurt for the visitors, as Furr would hit another three-point shot during the run and Shauqunna Collins hit a long jumper that banked in high off the backboard before falling to put FS up 50-45 at the 5:48 mark. UNLV climbed back into the game with its defense, not allowing a point for the next 4:37 of the contest as it forced three missed shots and four turnovers. Nikki Wheatley then started a 6-0 run for UNLV, with a highlight reel offensive rebound and putback. After Aley Rohde forced up a long shot with the shot clock winding down, Wheatley rebounded the ball as it fell short, and while still in midair, tossed the ball over her head and into the basket to make the score 50-47 with 4:48 to play. Dakota Gonzalez added a steal and jumper to close UNLV within 50-49 at 4:20 on the clock.
That was the last points for over two minutes, until Rohde was able to draw a foul and sink a pair of free throws to put UNLV up 51-50 with 1:53 left. Fresno State was able to collect an offensive rebound and find Bego Faz Davalos for a basket and grab the lead back with just over a minute left. On the other end, Rohde missed a layup, and UNLV was forced to foul. Fresno made two free throws to go ahead three, and on the next possession, UNLV turned the ball over and the Bulldogs made one of two at the line for a two-possession lead. Fresno State would add two more free throws, while Rohde's free throw with eight seconds left accounted for the final five-point margin.
UNLV finished the game shooting 33.3% (18-of-54) from the floor, was 5-of-16 from three-point range for 31.3%, and 11-of-14 at the free throw line for 78.6%. The Lady Rebels held a 39-30 edge on the boards, which led to an 18-7 advantage on second chance points. Points off turnovers where also in the home team's favor, 22-16.
Dakota Gonzalez led all players in scoring with 18 points, and was on fire early, hitting her first four shots including going three-of-three from behind the arc to finish with 11 points in the first quarter. Her third trey to start the game put UNLV ahead 17-11, before Fresno scored the final basket of the quarter to make it a 17-13 margin after one.
UNLV led by six to start off the second thanks to another jumper from Gonzalez. The Bulldogs then reeled off six straight to tie the game for the second time at 19-19. It was a one-possession game for the rest of the half with several lead changes, and Gonzalez hit a jumper with 1:34 to play to again knot the score, this time at 25-25 with 1:34 left before halftime. Fresno State then reeled off perhaps the key stretch of the game, as Furr drained a trey with 38 seconds to play, and following a missed UNLV shot, Furr hit another shot from downtown with just three seconds on the clock to give Fresno a 31-25 lead going into the break.
A 9-0 burst to begin the second half quickly swung the edge back to the Lady Rebels. Amie Callaway scored seven points during that stretch, and her back-to-back baskets put UNLV ahead 34-31 with 7:26 to play in the third. The edge grew to four points twice for UNLV in the third quarter, the second time at 39-35 with 3:02 on the clock. The Bulldogs came back to tie the game at 40-40, before Paris Strawther converted a layup for a two-point lead with one quarter to go.
Fresno State shot 41.7% (20-of-48) for the game, was 7-of-15 from three-point range for 46.7%, and made 10-of-16 at the line for 62.5%. They placed four in double-figures, paced by Furr's 14 points.
UNLV has a week on the road coming up, beginning with a Wednesday, Feb. 10 contest at San Jose Staté, starting at 7 pm.
