LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - Â For the fourth straight home game, UNLV rallied for a win after trailing in the final quarter as Las Vegas native Justice Ethridge hit the go-ahead three-pointer, part of a game-high 19 points, to help the Lady Rebels end the game on a 10-2 run for a 56-52 victory over Colorado State Saturday afternoon in Mountain West women's basketball action from the Cox Pavilion. In front of a crowd of 1,702, the Lady Rebels held onto sole possession of third place in the Mountain West at 7-3 (11-10 overall), while the Rams fell to 10-12, 4-7 in league play.
Saturday was a matchup of the top two defenses in the Mountain West, and as expected a defensive battle is what fans saw. UNLV was held to 31% shooting while the Rams were not much better at 33.3%. The Lady Rebels did have six more turnovers than the Rams, but actually finished with a 5-3 edge on points off turnovers, and held a 48-37 advantage on the boards.
CSU took an eight-point lead in the first quarter, 14-6, and UNLV spent almost the rest of the game chasing the Rams. The Lady Rebels closed the edge to 15-10 after the first quarter, and went up 23-21 late in the second before CSU scored the final five points for a 26-23 halftime lead. The third quarter saw UNLV go six minutes without a point, but the Rams could not stretch their lead by more than six. It was a two-point game going into the third quarter, and a 5-0 run in the fourth gave CSU a 46-41 advantage with 5:22 on the clock.
THE TURNING POINT:Â After UNLV fell behind 50-46 with 2:36 on the clock, it forced the Rams to go the next seven possessions without a point. Haley Rydalch helped to start the rally with a layup with 2:14 to play, and then with 35 seconds left, came up with a big block, giving the ball back to the Lady Rebels. Following a timeout, a play was run for Ethridge and the sophomore guard came off a screen and buried her fifth three-pointer right in front of the UNLV bench to put the Lady Rebels ahead 51-50. UNLV then forced back-to-back turnovers by the Rams, and LaTecia Smith made five-of-six at the line for a 10-0 run to seal the game, while the Rams converted a layup at the buzzer to account for the final four-point margin.
LADY REBEL OF THE GAME:Â Though it was not her career-high, Saturday marked Ethridge's best game as a Lady Rebel with 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting, 5-of-12 from three-point range, while she added six rebounds and three assists. That included 16 second-half points.
STAT OF THE GAME:Â UNLV came into the game ranked third in the nation in three-point field goal defense at 24.1%, and improved that mark Saturday after holding the Rams to just 3-of-23 (13%). UNLV meanwhile averages under five three-pointers a game, but would make eight on the game.
QUOTEABLE:Â "Both teams are very good defensively, we just kept telling our players 'just keep thinking next play'. It was a great game, we had a great crowd, we overly committed to defense, and then Justice hit some big shots for us." - UNLV head coach Kathy OlivierÂ
LADY REBEL NOTES
* - Senior Rodjanae Wade grabbed 13 first-half rebounds, and finished with seven points and 14 rebounds before fouling out.
* - Smith was the highest scoring starter with 13 points. The Lady Rebel bench outscored the starting lineup 30-26, and outscored the Rams bench 30-12.
* - UNLV's Centennial High combo of Ethridge and Melanie Isbell combined for 28 points, and had all eight of the Lady Rebel treys as the freshman Isbell knocked down three for her nine points.
* - UNLV won despite holding the lead for only 1:52 of the contest.
* - The win improved the Lady Rebels record to 33-8 at home in MW play over the past five seasons.
NEXT TIME OUT:Â UNLV will host the second Lady Rebel School Day contest of the season, as over 1,000 local elementary students will be in attendance in the game against Utah State Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 12 pm in the Cox Pavilion. The game will tip off at 12 pm, and can be watched online on the Mountain West Network (UNLVRebels.com).
