RELATED LINKSBox scoreUpdated 2011-12 season statisticsBox score (.pdf)Updated 2011-12 season statistics (.pdf)
LAS VEGAS — UTSA used a 15-4 run midway through the second half tograb its first lead of the game, but UNLV, behind a career-high 27 points offthe bench from Mia Bell, was able to hold off the Roadrunners and take a 74-67 victory on Tuesday at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Freshman Ashley Spaletta netted six 3-pointers for acareer-best 18 points for UTSA (1-3), while sophomore Judy Jones finished with13 and freshman Mannasha Bell notched her first career double-doublewith 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Jamie Smith hit four 3-pointers en route to 19points for the Lady Rebels (5-0).
Trailing 40-30with 16 minutes to play, UTSA made its move.
Freshman Kamra King started therun with a jumper in the paint. A bucket from junior Whitney Wright, a Spaletta3-pointer and a pair of free throws by Jones quickly made it 40-39.
Bell and Spaletta traded 3-pointers before King'slong-ball gave the Roadrunners their first advantage of the evening, 45-44,with 11:34 remaining on the clock. After a UNLV basket, junior Simone Young found fellowjunior Cori Cooper for an inside basket and a 47-46 lead.
However, it was UTSA's last advantage of thecontest, as the Lady Rebels used a 15-5 stretch to rebuild their lead with fiveminutes to play.
The Roadrunners made one more push in the final minuteand cut the deficit to four with 28 seconds left, but it was too little, too late. UNLVsalted the game away at the line with three freebies for the seven-point triumph.
The teams traded baskets early in the first half beforethe Lady Rebels broke a 5-5 tie with a 12-0 run. Five different players scoredin the spurt that lasted 4:09. The Roadrunnersbrought the deficit to single digits on a 3-pointer by Spaletta and threebaskets from junior Jalisa Montgomery to cut the Lady Rebels' lead to five,26-21, with five minutes to play in the half.
That was UTSA's last basket of the half and UNLVtook a 31-24 lead into intermission, thanks in large part to 17 points off 14 Roadrunnersturnovers.
UTSA committed just five miscues in the second stanzaand recorded a season-high 16 assists to more than double its total for theseason.
The Roadrunners will be back in action later this weekat the annual UTSA Thanksgiving Classic.UTSA will host South Alabama (3-1) at 7 p.m. on Friday before facing Detroit (0-4) at 5p.m. the following evening.