FORT COLLINS, Colo. (UNLVRebels.com) — To claim outright ownership of the Mountain West regular season championship, UNLV will have to do something it hasn't in 14 years—win at Colorado State.
The Lady Rebels aim to rebound from their first loss in 52 days as they face Colorado State when they visit Moby Arena on Saturday. Tip off is 1 p.m. MT/12 p.m. PT.
A live video stream is available on the Mountain West Network. Live audio, featuring Wyatt Tomchek on play-by-play, can be heard at UNLVRebels.com.
- All-time series: Colorado State leads 32-20.
- Overall Streak: Lost 1.
- In Fort Collins: Lost 9.
- First meeting: Dec. 30, 1984. UNLV won 60-50 at Fort Collins, Colo.
- Last meeting: Jan. 9, 2021. Colorado State won 67-58 at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas.
Scouting Colorado State
- Colorado State's four-game winning streak was halted by San Diego State, 69-61, in Fort Collins on Tuesday night.
- The Rams lead the NCAA in fewest turnovers per game, averaging just 9.9.
- It will be senior night for graduate seniors Upe Atosu and Karly Murphy.
- Atosu is finishing the season on a high note, averaging a team-leading 19.8 points per game the last five games with 39 percent 3-point shooting and 97 percent free throw shooting.
- Murphy needs 21 points to reach 1,000 for her career.
- McKenna Hofschild leads CSU in scoring average at 16.3 points per game.
Lady Rebels' last time out: Wyoming 77, UNLV 73
- UNLV twice overcame 13-point deficits but wasn't able to draw the curtains on the Cowgirls after tying the game 57-57 with 5 ½ to play.
- Keyana Wilfred scored five straight points and Kiara Jackson drained a 3 to even the score.
- On the next possession, Tommi Olson's 3-point attempt was still in her hands as the shot clock expired, but the officials let the play continue and Wyoming captured the offensive rebound and converted second-chance points that ignited an 11-0 run.
- Nneka Obiazor led the Lady Rebels with 14 points. Essence Booker scored 13, Justice Ethridge added 11 while Jackson and Desi-Rae Young scored 10 apiece.
- Wyoming opened the game with a hot start as McKinley Bradshaw hit her first six field goals, including three 3s as the Cowgirls had a 27-14 advantage after eight minutes.
- Young scored 6 of the next eight points as UNLV whittled the deficit to 5. Wyoming reopened its 13-point lead but Jackson scored on back-to-back driving layups, Khayla Rooks hit a 3 and Obiazor unleashed a wide hook shot that cut the score to 41-35 at halftime.
- UNLV held Wyoming to 36 percent field goal shooting in the second half, but the Cowgirls sealed the victory at the free throw line as they made 13 of 14 attempts over the remaining 1:25..
- Bradshaw, who was held to five points in the second half, led all scorers with 23.
- It was UNLV's first loss this season when scoring 73 points. UNLV entered the game 16-0 when reaching 73.
- The Lady Rebels have not won in Laramie since 2012.
Start me up
- UNLV's 22-5 start is the program's best in 29 seasons.
- The 1992-93 Lady Rebels (24-7, 15-3 Big West) reached 22 wins before suffering a fifth loss.
- The 1989-90 Lady Rebels completed their season at 28-3.
Setting records in the classroom
Short memories
- The Lady Rebels have only suffered consecutive defeats once under Lindy La Rocque.
- Under La Rocque, UNLV is 11-1 following a loss (in the same season of play) with an average margin of victory of 17 points in those nine games.
NET effect
- UNLV hovers at No. 80 in the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings, leading all Mountain West teams by nearly 20 positions.
- UNLV 's position is about 10 steps higher than it was before defeating New Mexico on Jan. 27 and is 25 positions higher since conference play began.
Up the quad and to the gymnasium
UNLV reached a 12-game winning streak (Jan. 3 to Feb. 24), its longest since 18 straight in 1993.
- 22 games - 1989-90, 1978-79
- 18 - 1992-93
- 15 - 1977-78
- 14 - 1990-91
- 13 - 1988-89
- 12 - 1984-85, 1975-76, 2021-22
- 11 - 1982-83
- 10 - 2003-04, 2001-02
Top 25 team / NCAA statistical rankings
UNLV ranks in the top 25 in four team statistical categories:
- 20th, win percentage (81.5 percent)
- 19th, scoring offense (76.1)
- 23rd, field goal percentage (.451)
- 15th, free throws made (392)
- 25th, rebound margin (+7.2)
24 for 31
- Essence Booker's 31 points scored against New Mexico on Jan. 27 were the most by a Lady Rebel since Dakota Gonzalez also scored 31 in a 63-55 at San Jose State on Feb. 11, 2017.
- Booker crossed the 1,000 career points scored milestone in the game.
Free range
- Essence Booker ranks eighth among Division I players with a .914 free throw percentage.
- Booker's 14-for-14 free throw shooting against Boise State set a UNLV record.
- UNLV's single-season free throw percentage record is .889 set by Shari Netzel in 1988-89.
- Booker career-long free throw streak ended on Feb. 12 vs. San Diego State at 32 straight.
Second impressions
- Freshman point guard Kiara Jackson is getting comfortable in the Mountain West. In UNLV's last three games, having faced opponents for a second time, Jackson's performance has improved two-fold in most areas.
- In rematches against MW opponents, Jackson has scored 6.9 points per game versus 3.9 in the inital run through the conference schedule.
- She has also improved assists per game by 53% and steals by 343%.
Diversity reigns at UNLV
- UNLV is recognized as the most diverse university in the United States. For the fall 2021 semester, nearly 67 percent of students identify as ethnic minorities. This figure has increased two percent since fall 2020.
- Approximately 31 percent of UNLV students are Hispanic and 16 percent are of Asian descent.
- Nevada residents make up 86 percent of UNLV's enrollment of 30,679 students.
- Keith E. Whitfield, Ph.D., became UNLV's first Black president (11th overall) upon his appointment on Aug. 24, 2020.
- Erick Harper is UNLV's first Black director of athletics, following the departure of Desiree Reed-Francois, the first person of color to hold the position.
