March 4, 2016 Box Score
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - While the night began honoring its seniors, the UNLV sophomore class was the star of the night as the Lady Rebels claimed its first regular season sweep of San Diego State in 10 years with a 62-51 victory in Mountain West action Friday night from the Cox Pavilion. The quartet of Brooke Johnson, Dakota Gonzalez, Nikki Wheatley and Dylan Gonzalez combined to score 58 of UNLV's 62 points, on a combined 54.7% shooting performance (23-42), including a 9-14 showing from three-point range (64.3%). Thanks to that performance, the Lady Rebels finished the regular season with a 16-13 mark, clinching its first winning record since 2011-12, and are 9-9 in league play.
The game was close in the first quarter, as SDSU (11-18, 6-12) made 8-of-12 from the floor in the first quarter and ended with a 17-16 lead over the host UNLV squad. It was a tied game midway through the second quarter following a pair of free throws from Ariell Bostick to make the score 22-22. SDSU was then held to just two points over the next five minutes, and the Lady Rebels took advantage with a 10-2 run to go ahead 32-24 off a layup from Johnson with 32 seconds to play in the half.
Deidra Smith, who was the offense for the Aztecs in the first half with 12 points, made one of two at the line to cut the edge to seven. UNLV had the final say of the half though as it inbounded the ball to Dakota Gonzalez who raced down the court and just after midcourt passed off to Johnson. She quickly launched a 35-foot shot at the buzzer that found the bottom of the net for a 10-point UNLV lead. Johnson finished the first half four-of-four, three-of-three from three-point range for 11 points.
UNLV held SDSU to just seven points in the third quarter, and hit three treys, one each from Johnson and both Gonzalez twins out of four attempts to push the lead to 15. The Lady Rebels kept the momentum going in the fourth, slowing extending the advantage to 21 points, 60-39 on Dylan Gonzalez's third trey of the second half. The lead was at 62-44 with just over three minutes to play before the Aztecs ended the game on a 7-0 run to make the final win margin 11 points.
Dakota Gonzalez led UNLV in scoring with 18 points, while Johnson was right behind her with 16 thanks to 4-of-5 shooting from three-point range. Dylan Gonzalez posted a career-high 14 points off the bench, and Wheatley finished with 10 points. UNLV shot 47.1% overall for the game (24-of-51) but was just 5-of-12 at the free throw line. The Lady Rebels held a 32-23 edge on the boards, and outscored SDSU 27-19 on points off turnovers, thanks to forcing 19 miscues by the Aztecs.
After scoring 12 points in the first half, Smith was limited to just two in the second for SDSU to finish with 14. McKynzie Fort was the other Aztec in double-figures with 10. SDSU shot 47.6%, but only attempted 42 shots in the game.
UNLV will return to action next week in the 2016 Mountain West Championships, held at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
