LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Nov. 18 - Southern Utah played an entirely different
half of basketball during the final 20 minutes, but it was the first 20
minutes that created a hole too big to overcome as the Thunderbirds
dropped a 71-58 decision to UNLV on Tuesday night. The loss drops SUU
to 0-2 on the year, while the Lady Rebels moved to 2-0.
Southern Utah was down by double digits (12-2) at the 11:56 mark as the Thunderbirds got off to a sluggish start by committing four personal fouls in the first four minutes of the contest. The Rebels' first half lead grew to 21 (27-6) with 5:17 remaining and was ultimately capped at 26 (40-14) going into the break as the T-Birds committed 14 first-half turnovers and connected on only 23 percent from the floor.
In the second half, Southern Utah appeared to be a completely different team as the Thunderbirds pressed the tempo of the game, creating easy shots en route to a 50-percent shooting performance over the final 20 minutes of the game. The T-Birds also created more offensive opportunities by forcing 12 UNLV turnovers and holding the Rebels to only 2-of-13 from behind the 3-point stripe.
In all, Southern Utah held the Rebels without a basket over the final 5:04 of the game, with the only points for the home team coming at the free throw line. Over that same stretch, SUU put together a 16-6 run and looked to have overtaken the lead had the game gone on for another five minutes. The Thunderbirds ended the second half with a 44-31 scoring advantage over the Rebels while dominating on the glass the entire game with a 55-37 rebounding advantage.
In the end, however, UNLV prevailed with the 71-58 win.
"When our team makes changes, good things happen," interim head coach Kit Janes said after the game. "However, the team has to decide to play at the first whistle. They showed in the second half of this game that they are capable of playing with a team like UNLV and we need to play with the same intensity for an entire game."
Caitlyn Sears led all scorers with 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting and looked more accurate with her shot than a 2-of-19 performance in the season opener. She was joined in double figures by Dani Hosking with 11 and Challis Pascucci with 13 in addition to her seven rebounds during the contest. UNLV was paced by a pair of double-digit scorers in Erica Helms (13) and Dominique Harris with 12.
Southern Utah will be back in action on Saturday, when the team travels to Lincoln, Neb. for a date with the University of Nebraska. Tip-off for the game is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. with live streaming available through www.suutbirds.com.
