Frohlich scores 37 to help Lady Rebels rebound

Monday, Nov. 29, 1999 | 9:55 a.m.

After missing 14 of her first 16 shots in UNLV's three-point overtime loss to Weber State on Saturday night, Lady Rebels sophomore Linda Frohlich set out to prove a point Sunday afternoon.

Mission accomplished.

Frohlich atoned for her sub-par performance the night before, scoring a game-high 37 points and leading UNLV to a 69-58 victory over Southeast Missouri State in the consolation game of the Cox Communications/Lady Rebel Shootout Sunday afternoon at the Thomas & Mack.

"That was not me (Saturday) in the first half," said Frohlich, who averaged 23.5 points a game as a freshman. "I wanted to prove to myself that I'm the leader of this team.

"At the beginning of the year, I wanted to be the leader. I think I proved that to myself (today)."

Frohlich scored 15 of her 37 points in the first half to keep the Lady Rebels in the contest. UNLV appeared sluggish in the opening 20 minutes and trailed SEMO by four points (35-31) at the intermission.

UNLV head coach Regina Miller blamed her players' slow start on the loss to Weber State, which deprived the Lady Rebels of the opportunity to face second-ranked Louisiana Tech in Sunday's championship game.

"We very easily could have folded and gone the other direction (because) we were real disappointed that we were not in the game with Louisiana Tech today," Miller said. "But I was proud of the way the team bounced back today."

UNLV (2-2) regrouped at halftime and opened the second half with a 17-7 run and took a 52-44 lead over the Otahkians. Frohlich led the Lady Rebels' rally with 12 points.

Frohlich finished with a game-high 14 rebounds to go with her 37 points. Kinesha Davis, back in the lineup after sitting out the past two games as a result of a minor NCAA violation, was the only other UNLV player to score in double figures, with 16 points.

Miller, who is breaking in eight new players this season, acknowledged that the Lady Rebels are a two-dimensional team on offense with Frohlich and Davis. But she said she expects that to change as the new players become accustomed to the new offense.

"We're kind of like (the Chicago Bulls with) Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan on this team," Miller said. "I figure if the Bulls could win six championships with it, it's not a bad model to follow."

Frohlich, for one, is looking forward to the younger players stepping up and taking some of the offensive burden off of her.

"That will just show that I can pass the ball and I don't have to do all (the scoring)," Frohlich, who was named to the all-tournament team, said. "I think, overall, it will make our game look much more interesting for the audience.

"Sometimes, you can see the other players panicking and looking for me, which is not nice basketball. I think once they gain their confidence, it'll be a much more attractive game."

In Sunday night's championship game, Louisiana Tech defeated Weber State, 84-47.