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LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - A very focused UNLV Lady Rebel squad came out on fire Wednesday night, knocking down 12 of their first 15 shots from the floor while opening up a commanding 38-18 halftime advantage, and held off a fourth quarter rally for a 67-58 victory over the UNR Wolf Pack in a Mountain West women's basketball contest from the Cox Pavilion. The win gave Lady Rebel Head Coach Kathy Olivier her 400th career victory, while UNLV evened the season series with the Wolf Pack at 1-1. That also leaves the two teams tied for the points in the Silver State Series, the all-sports competition between the two schools sponsored by IBEW and Nevada Donor Network. If UNLV and UNR do not meet in next month's MW Tournament, then the teams will split the three points awarded for women's basketball.

Senior center Katie Powell, who recorded her 1,000th point as a Lady Rebel in the victory, joined with classmate Nikki Wheatley to lead the way in the first half. The duo combined for 21 points on 10-15 shooting, and outscored UNR's entire team by three points over the opening 20 minutes. Powell finished with a game-high 19 points and Wheatley added 16, while senior Jordyn Bell reached double-figures for the first time since Jan. 23 with 11. UNR's leading scorer coming into the game, Jade Redmon, who posted 20 points in the first meeting, was held scoreless in the first half, before finishing with 11, four points under her season average.

Thanks to its hot shooting, UNLV led 21-8 after the first quarter and stretched the lead to 20 in the second quarter. The Lady Rebels' largest lead of the game, 45-20, came with seven minutes left in the third.

WOLF PACK INJURY: The lead was 45-22 when UNR's Imani Lacy went over the back of Paris Strawther and fell face first to the floor. She would eventually leave the court on a stretcher after at 10+ minute stoppage. UNLV was whistled for an unsportsmanlike foul that gave the Wolf Pack four straight points, and they would eventually cut the edge under 20 on the last basket of the quarter, 54-36.

FOURTH QUARTER RUN: UNLV led by at least 12 points for the entire fourth quarter until the final minute, as UNR used a 9-0 run to close within 66-58 at the 38 second mark. Bell made 1-of-2 at the line to push the lead back to nine and UNLV closed out the win.

STAT OF THE GAME: UNLV shot over 50% from the floor for the first time this year, knocking down 25-of-48 for 52.1%.

LADY REBEL OF THE GAME: Wheatley made 7-of-11 from the floor while adding four rebounds and four steals in the victory.

QUOTABLE: "Good night for the Lady Rebels. We started off the game really well. Hoping their player is OK, but in the meantime we had excellent defense tonight. When we have the offense and defense going at the same time we're a pretty good team."
- UNLV head coach Kathy Olivier 

LADY REBEL NOTES: 
* UNLV leads the all-time series with UNR 36-11, and snapped a three-game win streak by the Wolf Pack as well.
* UNLV has never lost a regular season contest to the Wolf Pack on its home court.
* The 20-point halftime lead for the Lady Rebels was their largest of the season.
* Powell, who earlier this season reached 1,000 points in her collegiate career (including a freshman year at Arkansas), became the 26th player to score 1,000 points at UNLV. She reached the mark on with a basket in the fourth quarter to finish with 1,001 points at UNLV (1,061 overall).
* UNLV won for just the second time this season when losing the rebounding battle (30-27).
* The Lady Rebels are 10-4 when holding teams under 60 points this season.
* The win improved the Lady Rebels record to 28-7 at home in MW play over the past four seasons.
* UNLV's streak of consecutive games with a made three-pointer is now at 135 after connecting on 5-of-13 for 38.5%. UNR meanwhile did not make a three-point goal, missing all five of its attempts.

NEXT TIME OUT: The Lady Rebels are on the road for the final time in the regular season for Saturday's contest at league-leading Boise State in a 1 pm (PT) tip in Boise, Idaho.

There will be both a live video stream of the contest available on UNLVRebels.com.