Thursday, Dec. 23, 2004 | 9:27 a.m.
There's no player like Holmes for the holidays.
While many of the Lady Rebels appeared to get a two-hour head start on their holiday break, Sequoia Holmes and RanDee Henry stuck around long enough Wednesday night at the Thomas & Mack Center to help UNLV fend off a strong effort from Nevada in a 66-60 victory.
Holmes made the game-saving play when the Wolf Pack (4-5) looked ready to close in on an upset. The Lady Rebels led 62-60 with 27 seconds to go when Nevada's Amber Young rebounded a missed free throw by UNLV's Nejlah Clark to give the Wolf Pack a chance to tie or win on the final possession.
But Holmes, always frenetic around the ball for better or for worse, quickly stole it from Young under the basket and converted a layup while being fouled to put the Lady Rebels up four, salting away the game despite missing the free throw. Holmes, a true freshman forward from Mojave High, scored all 13 of her points in the second half and led UNLV (5-5) with four steals.
Henry paced the Lady Rebels with 21 points and seven rebounds.Given a chance to start because of Sherry McCracklin's continually worsening ankle injury, Holmes is rewarding coach Regina Miller's faith in her phenomenal athletic talent.
"I just look at it as an opportunity to get better," Holmes said.
Miller expected to use Holmes plenty this season, but not quite as much as she has with the Lady Rebels beset with injury problems. Still, the quiet girl with track-star speed and high-jumper leaping ability is responding to the challenge in her first collegiate season, ranking second on the team in steals (22) and tying for first in blocks (six) in about 22 minutes per game.
"I really have treated her like an upperclassman, not like a freshman," Miller said.
UNLV desperately needed Holmes' trademark energy on a night when it never pushed the tempo on offense or defense. The Lady Rebels looked sluggish throughout the game and trailed with just more than 13 minutes remaining, never leading by more than the final margin.
The Wolf Pack dictated the pace of the game with long possessions and by outrebounding the Lady Rebels 31-24. Talisha Anderson led Nevada with 13 points, with Traci Graham and Andrea Sitton each adding 10.
Graham, a sophomore point guard from Reno's McQueen High, frustrated the Rebels by refusing to wilt under heavy pressure in the backcourt. The Wolf Pack gladly brought the ball up in baby steps in the steady hands of Graham, content to work the full 30 seconds off the shot clock.
"This game, we really let the other team set the tone," UNLV guard Sheena Moore said.
They did so effectively and found good looks, shooting 49 percent from the floor. UNLV stayed in the game by taking advantage of Nevada's mistakes, recording 23 points off the Wolf Pack's 20 turnovers. Most of that came in the halfcourt set, though, as the Lady Rebels scored just eight points off fastbreaks.
"We really weren't able to get into a rhythm," Miller said.
That meant playing more halfcourt offense than UNLV prefers, necessitating a big effort from Henry. Too powerful inside for most of Nevada's smaller post players, Henry flashed strong drop-step moves to the basket, getting to the foul line 14 times and keeping the Wolf Pack front line in foul trouble.
The Lady Rebels also kept the Wolf Pack in the game by struggling from the free throw line. Coming into the game, UNLV led all Mountain West Conference teams at 76 percent from the stripe, but shot just 21-of-32 (66 percent) this night.
After leaving for a four-day vacation for the holidays, the Lady Rebels return to action Dec. 30 at home against Central Connecticut State.
Tests this week revealed that while the tendon is healing, McCracklin now has either a deep bruise or fracture near her ankle. She came out on crutches Wednesday night.
A preseason All-MWC first-teamer at forward, McCracklin was originally scheduled to return by late November, but now will likely not be ready until at least the middle of conference play. Last season, McCracklin averaged 12.9 points, led the MWC at 9.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game, and earned honorable mention All-America and conference co-defensive player of the year honors.
The Rebels miss her tenacity in the paint, but Miller won't use McCracklin's absence as an excuse.
"We just have to pick up the pieces and keep going," Miller said.
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