Lady Rebels win exhibition opener

Tuesday, Nov. 3, 1998 | 10:36 a.m.

One exhibition game does not a season make, but if the UNLV women's basketball team's 68-55 victory over a Slovakian club team Monday night is any indication, Lady Rebels head coach Regina Miller may have the last laugh on her critics.

Miller, hired seven months ago to resurrect a foundering Lady Rebels basketball program after compiling a 60-100 record at Western Illinois, promised at her initial press conference that her teams would play with enthusiasm and intensity.

The Lady Rebels did exactly that Monday night while outplaying an older, more experienced and more talented Slovakian team in Miller's UNLV coaching debut.

UNLV, which outrebounded its guests 51-19, displayed more passion, aggressiveness and -- at times -- more patience than any Lady Rebels in the past three years.

"My observation, evaluating game film, it seems as though the team never had a purpose," Miller said. "Our theme this year is 'Rebels with a cause.'

"Our main focus is to play with purpose ... and this team is committed to being better. I think they have made a commitment to be better and they're willing to do what it takes. I feel like they're buying in on my philosophy and my style."

Of course, it doesn't hurt when you recruit a pair of freshmen like forward Linda Froehlich and guard Erin Johansson to complement returnees such as Amy Wunderlich and Angie Dye.

Froehlich, a former member of the German National Team, came off the bench and scored eight points, grabbed 10 rebounds, added seven assists and had three steals.

"She is definitely an impact player," Miller said of Froelich. "I thought Linda did some nice things. She sees the court really well, she passes the ball extremely well, she's unselfish and at the same time she has the ability to step up and score when we need it."

Wunderlich led the Lady Rebels in scoring with 14 points, Dye added 13 points and a game-high 14 rebounds and Johansson added 10 points. Kristen Pool also reached double figures in scoring for UNLV with 11 points and added five assists.

Andrea Belanska, a 25-year-old forward, led Slovan Bratislava with 14 points.

"I'm extremely pleased," Miller said of her team's performance. "Honestly, I thought we were going to get blown out by 25 or 30 points tonight (because) Slovakia is a really good team.

"I'm just so pleased with (our) effort and intensity. To me, any time you get a taste of success ... success makes you hungry and you want more, you want it all the time. But it only comes if you're willing to repeat what it takes to become successful."