LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) — Boise State couldn't get going, and
Essence Booker couldn't be stopped.
UNLV (12-4 overall, 4-1 Mountain West) smothered Boise State (5-10, 1-3) for a 73-51 win Thursday night at the Cox Pavilion.
Booker scored a career-high 28 points, hitting a UNLV single-game record 14 of 14 free throws in a game paced by 50 whistles. Each team had 25 personal fouls called among nine players.
"We knew it was going to be a battle in the paint all night," UNLV head women's basketball coach
Lindy La Rocque said. "Essence had to change from her traditional pull-up game because of their size inside. She had to drive and find ways around their bigs and she really delivered tonight."
UNLV's point guard ignited a sputtering offense after the Lady Rebels started the game with four consecutive turnovers. Booker was fouled on back-to-back drives and then scored layups off a turnover and in a fast break transition in consecutive possessions as she produced 13 of UNLV's 16 first-quarter points.
Booker's free throw performance was second best among all Division I players this season.
Nneka Obiazor came off the bench for 13 points, nine rebounds and a career-high three blocks. UNLV reserves scored 27 points as La Rocque unloaded her full post allotment to counter a deluge of foul calls.
"With all the fouls, Boise got on a little run as we had to be more conversative in the post. But as we rotated in our bench—give Alyssa (Brown) and Keyana (Wilfred) a lot of credit—they made some great plays and let us stay aggressive while Desi (Young) had to sit."
Desi-Rae Young, UNLV's leading scorer and rebounder, totaled 10 points and six rebounds after fouls limited her to 16 minutes. It was her least amount of playing time since UNLV's rout of Southern Utah in their second game of the season.
Wilfred (five points) and Brown (four points) provided season highs in scoring.
Dominique Leonidas, who had been averaging 20.3 points per Mountain West game, led Boise State with nine points.
UNLV stifled Boise State, who didn't convert a field goal attempt for eight minutes, going 1-for-10 in the first period, and 4-for-22 in the first half. Boise State finished the game shooting 15-for-57 (26 percent) without a made 3-pointer for the first time this season.
UNLV led 35-17 at halftime and stretched its lead to 25 points early in the fourth period.
The Lady Rebels are back on the court Saturday afternoon against Utah State inside the Thomas & Mack Center. Tip off is 4 p.m. All attendees must provide proof of vaccination to attend events inside the Thomas & Mack Center.
I'VE BEEN RUNNING HOT: UNLV's 12-4 start is the program's best in 18 seasons. The 2003-04 Lady Rebels (26-8, 10-4 MW) reached 15-3 before suffering a fourth loss.
MARGIN OF ERROR: Boise State entered the game leading the Mountain West in rebounding margin (+7.5). The Lady Rebels outrebounded the Broncos 44-33, Boise State's worst single-game margin (-11) of the season.
EVEN STEVEN: The result evens the all-time series between UNLV and Boise State to 11 games apiece. UNLV has won the last two meetings. The Lady Rebels and Broncos are scheduled to meet again Wednesday, Feb. 9, in Boise. Idaho.
A PERFECT RECORD:
Essence Booker's 14-for-14 free throw performance set a UNLV single-game record for perfection at the line. Previously, Karen Hall's 12-for-12 shooting versus Youngstown State on Nov. 27, 1987, was the best by a Lady Rebel.
Booker's single-game free throw shooting proficiency trails only North Dakota's Kacie Borowicz's 20-of-20 performance earlier this season among all Division I players in 2021-22.
BOUND FOR A THOUSAND: With 28 points scored Thursday,
Essence Booker needs just 58 to reach 1,000 career points scored.
TEN COMMANDMENTS: Nneka's Obiazor's 13-point performance keeps alive her streak of scoring in double digits in every home game this season. A transfer from Youngstown State, Obiazor has only one career home game in which she has not reached double figures: her very first collegiate game, an 8-point outing.
