Utah Women Lead Wire to Wire, Top UNLV - The Official Athletic Site of the University of Utah

Utah Women Lead Wire to Wire, Top UNLV
Smith scores 21, pacing Utes to 59-51 win over Rebels

Kim Smith's 21 points led Utah to a 59-51 win over UNLV Saturday night. (Photo by George Seeley)

Jan. 22, 2006

Box Score

LAS VEGAS -- The University of Utah women's basketball team scored the first seven points of Saturday night's game with UNLV at Cox Pavillion. The Utes never trailed, en route to a 59-51 Mountain West Conference victory over the Lady Rebels.

Utah (13-4, 4-2 MWC) opened with a 7-0 run when Heidi Carlsen hit a jumper and Kim Smith scored five straight. Utah couldn't use that opening spurt to pull away, however. UNLV (11-5, 3-2) briefly pulled even at 17-17 with 5:20 to go in the first half. But the Utes' Morgan Warburton answered with a three-pointer, helping Utah to a 22-19 advantage at the intermission.

The Utes and Lady Rebels traded buckets for the first five minutes of the second half. But Utah opened a nine-point advantage, 34-25, with 13 mintues to go, when Smith scored on a nice feed from Heidi Carlsen. UNLV responded with a seven-point run, to pull within two, 34-32.

Utah answered that UNLV spurt with a 9-0 outburst of its own. Carlsen got the run started with a trey from the left side. Smith, Thorburn and Carlsen each hit a pair of free throws over the two minutes, leaving Utah on top 43-32 with eight minutes remaining.

Utah still had a double-figure lead with 3:30 remaining, 48-38. A traditional three-point play from Sherry McCracklin pulled UNLV back within seven, 48-41. The Rebels would pull within seven again twice more over the remainder of the contest. But Utah would not allow UNLV to get any closer. The Utes hit seven-of-eight from thre free-throw line over the final 2:31 to ice the eight-point victory.

Smith scored 21 points to lead all scorers. She also tacked on six rebounds, two assists and two steals. Thorburn scored 16 points, including 11-of-12 shooting at the charity stripe. Carlsen recorded 12 points with three assists. Utah shot 40.9 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from three-point range. The Utes converted 79.2 percent (19-of-24) from the free-throw line.

UNLV was paced by Kisha Lee, who came off the bench to tally 16 points. Sheena Moore scored 12 for the Lady Rebels, all in the second half. Meanwhile, Sherry McCracklin added 11 to go along with nine boards. UNLV converted at a rate of just 30.9 percent from the field and just .250 from three-point range. Utah out-rebounded UNLV 38-33 in the contest.

Utah will be back in action again next Saturday (Jan. 28), when the Utes travel to Fort Worth, Texas to face the TCU Lady Frogs.

-UU-