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Women's Basketball
vs Western Colorado (EXHIBITION)
Thursday, February 3
Salt Lake City, Utah
7:00 PM
University of Utah
63
vs
55
UNLV
Late Run Lifts Utah Women Over UNLV, 63-55
2/3/2005 12:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 3, 2005
SALT LAKE CITY -- The University of Utah women's basketball team used a late spurt to defeat UNLV 63-55 Thursday night at the Huntsman Center. Utah trailed UNLV by five points, 52-47, with 6:41 remaining in the game. But the Utes outscored the Lady Rebels 16-3 over the remainder of the game, en route to the eight-point win.
After holding a slim, 31-30 advantage at halftime, Utah (16-5, 5-1 MWC) increased its advantage to six over the first six minutes of the second half. Junior guard Shona Thorburn scored six of Utah's first eight points in the second half. Her layup with 14:35 remaining in the game gave the Utes a 39-33 advantage.
But UNLV (11-9, 2-4 MWC) stormed back. A RanDee Henry three-pointer with 11:48 remaining pulled the Lady Rebels within one, 41-40. Two minutes later Nikki Hitchens took a steal and scored on a coast-to-coast layup, giving UNLV a 46-45 advantage.
Lead changes and tie scores were the norm in this contest. The lead, which changed hands 16 times in the game, went back and forth two more times in the next three minutes. The first of two Brittany Thomas free throws tied the game at 47-47. It was one of 10 times the score was knotted. That free throw sparked a 6-0 UNLV spurt, which left the Lady Rebels with a 52-47 advantage at the 6:41 mark.
Utah answered the Lady Rebels' outburst with an 8-0 run of its own. Thorburn scored six of the eight points and started the run with a three-pointer. Freshman forward Marie Warner tied the game 52-52 when she scored off an offensive rebound. Thorburn hit a jumper and later made one of two from the free-throw line to put Utah on top 55-52 with 3:25 remaining.
UNLV got its last field goal and its last points of the game with 2:02 remaining. Sheena Moore hit a three-pointer after two Lady Rebel offensive rebounds. Thorburn put the Utes back on top with a great ball-fake and layup at the 1:21 mark. UNLV turned the ball over and senior forward Kim Smith put the Utes up by four off a nice feed from senior guard Lana Sitterud.
Hitchens missed a jumper at the Lady Rebel end of the floor with 29 seconds remaining, forcing UNLV to foul. Smith and Sitterud each hit a pair of free throws in the final 23 seconds to ice the victory.
Thorburn scored all of her game-high 18 points in the second half. She also dished out seven assists. Smith scored 16 points and tied for game-high rebounding honors with seven. Freshman center Deanne Hanchett also grabbed seven boards for Utah.
UNLV was paced by Sheena Moore's 11-point output. Hitchens tacked on 10 for the Lady Rebels.
Utah is back in action Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m., hosting San Diego State.
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Players Mentioned
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