Box Score

SAN DIEGO (UNLVRebels.com) - UNLV saw its three-game win streak snapped Wednesday night in an 87-68 loss at San Diego State in Mountain West women's basketball action at Viejas Arena. UNLV had held its last three opponents to an average of 50 points, but the Aztecs finished the first half with 44 points, shot 55.6% percent for the game, both the best by a Lady Rebel opponent this season, and connected on a season-high 14 three-pointers. The good news for UNLV (12-6) was that Boise State and San Jose State also lost as well on Wednesday, leaving the three squads tied with SDSU (8-9) for fourth place in the MW standings at 3-3.

The Lady Rebels actually led by as much as seven, 12-5, four minutes into the game thanks to a Brooke Johnson trey, and were up 17-12 with 2:34 in the game off a layup from Katie Powell. That was the last basket for UNLV for the next 4:13 of the contest. Lexy Thorderson knocked in the first two of her career-high tying seven treys to spark the Aztecs on a 15-0 run. The run was capped by back-to-back layups for a 27-17 lead for the home team with 8:52 on the clock in the second quarter. Six straight points did bring UNLV within 33-30 at the 3:14 mark, until seven unanswered pushed the edge back to 40-30. The halftime margin would grow to 44-32 after UNLV was called for a foul on a three-point attempt with .01 seconds on the clock.

UNLV opened the second half with five straight to close the deficit to 44-37. SDSU then put the game away with 14 unanswered points. That run again featured a pair of treys from Thorderson, and the Aztecs converted a layup with 5:21 in the third for a 56-37 edge.

Johnson paced UNLV with a career-high 27 points on 8-of-11 shooting, including 5-of-7 from three-point range. Dylan Gonzalez added 14 points, Dakota Gonzalez 11 and seven rebounds, and Powell just missed a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds. The Lady Rebels' fifth starter, Paris Strawther, was held to just three points before fouling out in 17 minutes of action. The Lady Rebs shot 40% (24-of-60) for the game, were 8-of-22 from downtown for 36.4% and 12-of-15 at the line for 80%. UNLV actually held an 18-3 edge on second chance points as well after finishing with a 34-27 advantage on the boards.

Thorderson and Kymberly Ellison both finished with 21 points to pace the Aztecs, while Fort posted 15 and Lark chipped in 13. SDSU hit of 30-of-54 attempts from the floor, made 14-of-27 from three-point land for 51.9%, and made 13-of-17 at the line (76.5%).

UNLV will play a second straight road game when it faces Air Force in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Saturday, Jan. 21 at 3 pm (PT). The game will have a live stream on the MW Network, available at UNLVRebels.com, while the radio call of Wyatt Tomchek can be heard on KSHP 1400 AM.