Brittany Halberg scored 12 points and was perfect from the line in UNLV's victory on Thursday night.

UNLV wins fourth in last five games after holding Wyoming to just 5-of-29 from three-point range.

Jan. 11, 2007

Box Score

LAS VEGAS - UNLV held Wyoming, one of the top three-point shooting teams in the nation, to just 5-of-29 from behind the arc for 17% and held a commanding advantage on the boards to claim its second straight win, 51-46 over the Cowgirls on Thursday night in Mountain West Conference women's basketball action from the Cox Pavilion. The win moved UNLV above .500 for the first time this season at 8-7, and to 2-1 in league play. Wyoming dropped to 10-4 overall, 1-1 in the MWC.

The Lady Rebels played one of their best defensive games of the season, as Wyoming was held to its lowest point total of the season (46), lowest points in the half this year (20 in the first), lowest field goal percentage (33.3%), and lowest three-point percentage (17.2%). UNLV also held a 44-32 edge on the boards, including 11-3 on the offensive side in the second half.

The story of the game however was two long scoring droughts for the Cowgirls, both to start each half. Justyna Podziemska hit a three-pointer just 14 seconds into the game, but Wyoming would score just four points over the next 12 minutes. UNLV took advantage to take an 18-7 lead with 8:08 left to play in the first half. Wyoming would scored seven unanswered, five from Podziemska, to close within four with under seven on the clock. With the UNLV lead at five in the closing minutes, the Lady Rebels scored six of the last eight points of the opening stanza to take a 29-20 edge into the break. Wyoming was held to just 27.6% from the floor, and was 2-of-16 from three-point range.

UNLV opened the second half on another run, holding Wyoming to just four points for the first 7:30. A Sequoia Holmes jumper at 14:56 made the score 36-24, the largest lead of the game for the Lady Rebels. UNLV suddenly went stone cold on offense however, as it missed five shots and turned the ball over three times. That allowed Wyoming to slowly climb back in the game, and Aubrey Vandiver's layup with 9:18 to play capped a 10-0 Cowgirl run. After UNLV went back up by four, a three-pointer from Vandiver closed Wyoming to one, 40-39 with 7:52 left in the game.

Again the teams traded baskets, but Brittany Halberg converted a short jumper for a three-point edge, and after Wyoming missed a quick three-point attempt, Latosha Pace saw her three-point try hit the rim and the backboard before falling back in for a six-point UNLV edge, 47-41 with 4:21 to go. The Lady Rebel defense stood strong, holding Wyoming to just five points over the last four minutes on 2-of-8 shooting, and Halberg hit another key jumper with 1:58 left. Jodi Bolerjack did knock down a trey to make the score 49-46 with 43 seconds left, but UNLV would run the clock down on its next possession, and Podzimeska was forced to throw up a three-point attempt with five seconds left that was also off the mark. Shamela Hampton made two free throws with one second left to account for the final 51-46 score.

Holmes and Hampton both missed a double-double by one rebound, as Holmes posted 14 points and nine rounds, while Hampton added 10 points, nine rebounds. Brittany Halberg was 3-of-4 from the floor, 6-of-6 at the line for 12 points, and Faye Muller added 12 rebounds. UNLV shot 35.2% (19-of-54) for the game, were 12-of-16 at the line, and held a 44-32 edge on the boards.

Wyoming was led by Podziemska's 14 points, while Hanna Zavecz and Vandiver both added nine.

UNLV will conclude its three-game homestand by hosting Utah on Saturday, Jan. 13 at 3 pm in the Cox Pavilion.