Las Vegas, Nev. - The Nebraska women's basketball team displayed a suffocating defense and balanced scoring on its way to a 73-51 win over UNLV on Sunday afternoon at the Cox Pavilion.
The Huskers improved to 2-0 on the young season by holding the Lady Rebels to just three field goals in a 20-minute stretch. During the span of NU's defensive dominance, the Huskers drew six charges and blocked four shots. NU also played defense without fouling, surrendering just 14 points during the stretch. UNLV slipped to 1-1 on the season, as the Lady Rebels dropped their home opener after defeating Southern Utah by 18 points in Cedar City, Utah on Friday night.
Nebraska's offense was also firing on all cylinders against a stingy and aggressive UNLV defense. Junior guard Dominique Kelley led the Huskers with a game-high 17 points, including 12 in the first half to shoot NU to the early lead. Kelley was 6-of-9 from the field, 2-of-2 from three-point range and 3-for-3 at the line, while contributing six rebounds an assist and a steal in one of the best performances of her career.
Senior guard Yvonne Turner matched Kelley for game-high scoring honors with 17 points, including a trio of three-pointers. Turner added four assists and a steal. Nebraska knocked down nine three-pointers for the game, including a pair for senior forward Cory Montgomery, who finished with 14 points.
All-America candidate Kelsey Griffin just missed her 21st career double-double with nine points and 13 rebounds despite being covered by two or three Lady Rebels for most of the game. Griffin's rebounding total was the second-highest mark in her career.
Junior center Catheryn Redmon contributed eight points and nine rebounds and two blocked shots.
For the game, Nebraska outrebounded UNLV, 44-37, including 16 offensive boards for the Huskers. NU hit 26-of-60 shots from the field, including 9-of-27 three-pointers. NU also hit 12-of-18 free throws while forcing 23 turnovers by the Lady Rebels. Nebraska limited UNLV to just 15-of-53 shooting from the field, and just 4-of-18 from long range. The Lady Rebels did hit 17-of-24 free throws while forcing 23 miscues by the Huskers.
Nebraska used a 12-0 run in a 2:33 stretch midway through the first half to take control, then held UNLV to just one field goal in the final nine minutes of the first half to take a 36-23 lead into the locker room at the half.
The Lady Rebels stopped their field goal drought at 10 minutes with an India Chaney jumper with 19:00 left in the game to cut the NU edge to 11. Nebraska then erupted on a 9-0 run to push the lead to 20 points for the first time at 47-27 on a Redmon layup off a tremendous assist from freshman point guard Lindsey Moore.
The Husker lead grew to 25 points at 54-29 with 14:40 left after a Nicole Neals transition three-pointer. The Huskers maintained better than a 20-point edge for the next 12 minutes. NU limited UNLV to just four field goals during a 26-minute span before the Lady Rebels got some late field goals in the final 3:30.
Nebraska returns to home action on Thursday when the Huskers play host to Idaho State. Tip-off against the Bengals is set for 7:05 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19, at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Tickets are available now on Huskers.com or by calling the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-8-BIG RED during regular business hours. The game between the Huskers and Bengals can be heard for free world-wide on Huskers.com, while also being broadcast live on the Husker Sports Network on 98.1 KFGE in Lincoln, 93.3 KTWI in Omaha and 880 KRVN in Lexington.
Official Basketball Box Score Official Basketball Box Score Nebraska vs UNLV 11/15/09 2:00 pm at Las Vegas, Nev. (Cox Pavilion)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VISITORS: Nebraska 2-0 TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS ## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN 23 Griffin, Kelsey..... f 4-7 0-0 1-2 2 11 13 2 9 2 3 1 2 23 40 Montgomery, Cory.... f 5-8 2-2 2-2 1 3 4 4 14 0 1 0 0 26 00 Moore, Lindsey...... g 1-6 0-4 0-1 0 1 1 1 2 4 4 0 1 27 13 Kuhlmann, Kala...... g 1-5 1-4 0-0 0 2 2 1 3 0 3 0 0 16 24 Kelley, Dominique... g 6-10 2-2 3-3 3 3 6 4 17 1 4 0 1 21 05 Burke, Kaitlyn...... 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 5 10 Williams, Meghin.... 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 11 Neals, Nicole....... 1-5 1-5 0-0 2 0 2 1 3 1 2 1 2 12 12 Reeves, Layne....... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 1 7 20 Leick, Katya........ 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 22 Turner, Yvonne...... 5-12 3-9 4-7 2 0 2 1 17 4 1 0 1 29 35 Periago, Jessica.... 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 42 Bober, Nikki........ 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 5 0 0 1 0 0 2 44 Redmon, Catheryn.... 3-5 0-0 2-3 3 6 9 2 8 0 1 2 1 22 TEAM................ 2 1 3 Totals.............. 26-60 9-27 12-18 16 28 44 23 73 12 23 4 9 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 12-32 37.5% 2nd Half: 14-28 50.0% Game: 43.3% DEADB 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 6-17 35.3% 2nd Half: 3-10 30.0% Game: 33.3% REBS F Throw % 1st Half: 6-7 85.7% 2nd Half: 6-11 54.5% Game: 66.7% 2
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOME TEAM: UNLV 1-1 TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS ## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN 11 SMITH, Jamie........ f 4-9 2-4 2-2 6 5 11 4 12 0 5 2 0 32 03 NZEUKOU, Sandrine... c 1-3 0-0 0-0 2 2 4 5 2 1 1 0 0 22 15 HELMS, Erica........ g 3-13 1-5 2-4 2 0 2 2 9 4 7 0 3 36 32 CHANEY, India....... g 3-11 0-3 0-0 0 3 3 2 6 0 3 0 3 26 45 THOMPSON, Kelli..... g 2-7 1-5 6-8 1 3 4 1 11 0 2 1 2 30 01 KRONEBERGER, Ashley. 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 05 STYLES, Markiell.... 1-5 0-0 2-4 1 2 3 1 4 0 0 1 1 15 10 HOLIDAY, Allison.... 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 1 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 9 20 SCANLON, Kalie...... 0-0 0-0 2-2 0 1 1 1 2 0 0 0 1 6 21 ANDERSON, Amanda.... 0-1 0-1 0-0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 23 HUNT, Latoya........ 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 30 BELL, Mia........... 1-4 0-0 3-4 0 0 0 5 5 1 2 0 0 10 TEAM................ 1 3 4 1 Totals.............. 15-53 4-18 17-24 15 22 37 22 51 6 23 4 11 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 9-24 37.5% 2nd Half: 6-29 20.7% Game: 28.3% DEADB 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 2-8 25.0% 2nd Half: 2-10 20.0% Game: 22.2% REBS F Throw % 1st Half: 3-6 50.0% 2nd Half: 14-18 77.8% Game: 70.8% 2
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Officials: Gator Parrish, Wanda Szeremeta, Shelly Nakasone Technical fouls: Nebraska-None. UNLV-None. Attendance: 1001 Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total Nebraska...................... 36 37 - 73 UNLV.......................... 23 28 - 51