Lady Rebels stay unbeaten at home

Monday, Dec. 29, 2003 | 9:29 a.m.

After spending the early season beating up on more lesser-knowns than you could shake a peppermint stick at, UNLV's Lady Rebels took a significant step up in class Sunday against Mississippi State, a No. 3 seed in last season's NCAA tournament.

And the Lady Rebels beat up on the Lady Bulldogs, too.

Granted, MSU had yet to win on the road this year and at 5-4 coming in, was a team still looking for an identity after losing three-time Kodak All-American LaToya Thomas and her 25.6 scoring average to graduation.

But give the Lady Rebels credit for carding Mississippi State and turning it away at the Cox Pavilion checkout stand Sunday afternoon. UNLV used another big rebounding effort and an effective high-low post game featuring RanDee Henry and Sherry McCracklin to repel a second-half MSU rally on the way to a 62-51 victory.

"This was a good win," said UNLV coach Regina Miller, whose Lady Rebels improved to 8-2 and are 24-3 at Cox Pavilion since its doors opened. "This is a team that finished 13th in the nation last year. Anytime you beat a team like that, it's going to help your RPI (Ratings Percentage Index).

"And anytime you beat an SEC team like that, it's a good win for your program, a good win for our conference."

UNLV never trailed but after building a nine-point lead in the first half, twice let MSU battle back to tie the score. The last time was at 37-37 with 13:10 to play on a running jump shot by Tam White, who led all scorers with 31 points.

But the Lady Rebels went on a 13-3 run to take a 50-40 lead as Henry and McCracklin, with a little help from Nikki Hitchens, who scored four points during the flurry, continued to pound the slender Lady Bulldogs from both posts.

Switching to the high-low game against MSU's collapsing zone defense was an adjustment Miller made at halftime. Although UNLV had controlled much of the first half, MSU gave McCracklin fits by doubling and tripling her in the low post.

In the second half, she looked much more comfortable facing the basket in the high post, dishing off to Henry, who scored 16 of her 20 points in the second half, or keeping the ball herself and driving to the hoop.

McCracklin, who had posted a double-double in points and rebounds in seven of the Lady Rebels' nine games before Christmas, got another one Sunday, finishing with 13 points and 13 rebounds.

"I guess (word) got back to them," she said about a Mississippi State defense that was designed to take away UNLV's inside game. "It was getting frustrating (in the first half).

"My coach told me I needed to back in the flow so we made some adjustments. When I got the ball in the high post, it seemed a lot easier."

As Miller said, "I thought our post players did a good job of passing out (to the perimeter). We knew they were going to concentrate on (defending) the low post. They could look at the stats and see that Sherry and RanDee are our leaders."

Had the UNLV guards been able to sink a jump shot, the Lady Rebels might have won in a blowout. They hit only 1-of-13 from beyond the 3-point arc, and the one make was by Henry stepping out of the paint.

But another tenacious rebounding effort -- UNLV won the battle on the boards, 43-34 -- combined with strong conditioning were more than enough to offset the Lady Rebels' lack of shooting range.

UNLV looked fresher down the stretch, as Miller had the Lady Rebels back on the practice floor -- twice -- after they opened their Christmas presents.

"We practiced twice on the 26th and another hour and a half (Sunday)," she said. "We went at it hard ... and I thought they (MSU) looked a little tired down the stretch."

UNLV will get back to playing small frys on Tuesday, hosting Cal Poly at 5 p.m. at the Thomas & Mack Center prior to the UNLV men's game against Montana.

Hopefully, Miller said, her players won't look at it that way.

"Teams like Cal Poly will sneak up on you if you're not careful," she said, adding that it would be her job to make sure the Lady Rebels are ready to play and play hard.