LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - - UNLV PDF Box Score vs San Jose State

After UNLV closed the third quarter on an 11-4 run to tie the contest, San Jose State opened the fourth with three treys in the first two minutes to spark an 11-2 spurt on the way to a 76-65 victory over the Lady Rebels in front of a record Cox Pavilion crowd of 2,302 Saturday afternoon in Mountain West women's basketball action. UNLV dropped to 14-7 overall and 5-4 in league play, falling into a tie for fourth in the league standings with Boise State. SJSU meanwhile improved to 4-5 in the MW, and 7-14 overall.

UNLV opened the first quarter shooting 47.4% (9-of-19), but saw that percentage drop off in the following quarters, to the final 10 minutes in which it made just 3-of-18 from the floor while missing all three attempts from three-point land. That left the Lady Rebels with just 10 total points over the fourth. The Spartans meanwhile knocked down four of eight from behind the arc, part of a 7-12 performance from three-point range in the second half, and overall made 6-of-10 from the floor and 5-of-6 at the line in the fourth to claim the victory.

Four Lady Rebels finished in double-figures, paced by Brooke Johnson's second career double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds. Dakota and Dylan Gonzalez both recorded 12 points, while Katie Powell added 10 points and eight rebounds. As a team, UNLV shot 33.3% (23-of-69) for the game, was 5-of-18 from three-point range for 27.8%, and 14-of-21 at the line for 66.7%. The Lady Rebs did hold a 53-34 edge on the boards, but turned the ball over 18 times.

Dezz Ramos led the Spartans with a game-high 28 points, and was followed by Myzhanique Ladd's 16 points and 13 from Paris Baird. SJSU shot 41.5% (27-of-65) for the afternoon, was 9-of-25 from downtown and 13-of-14 at the charity stripe.

UNLV opened the game hot from downtown, hitting its first three attempts from three-point land for an 11-2 lead three minute in. The Lady Rebs took an 11 point lead twice, the last at 20-9 on a trey from Dylan Gonzalez at the 3:47 mark. SJSU then ended the quarter scoring nine of the final 12 points of the quarter to close the margin to 23-18.

The lead switched hands six times in the second quarter, and the Spartans took a 36-35 advantage following a three-point play at the 1:18 mark. Jordyn Bell then converted a pair of layups in the final minute, the second at the halftime buzzer, to give UNLV a 39-36 halftime advantage.

UNLV's lead was still at three, 42-39 at the 8:43 mark, when the Spartans went on a 9-0 spurt to grab a 48-42 edge off a Ramos jumper. After Dylan Gonzalez knocked down a jumper, Baird hit a trey to give the Spartans a 51-44 lead at the 4:03 mark. Powell converted a layup to make it a five-point game, and the final 1:36 minutes of the quarter saw a flurry of points. UNLV would score nine in that final 96 seconds, with a three-point play from Johnson knotting the score at 55-55.

SJSU took over in the fourth when it hit its first three shots, all from three-point range, while UNLV was 0-3 with a turnover in the first two minutes, leading to a 66-56 Spartan advantage. UNLV was able to close within six twice, the last at 70-64 with 1:36 on the clock, but SJSU answered with another trey for a nine-point lead.

The Lady Rebels are back in action Wednesday, Feb. 1, with a 6 pm contest on the road in Albuquerque against the New Mexico Lobos in The Pit.