Practice pays off: Robinson finds the mark

Monday, Jan. 19, 2004 | 9:06 a.m.

Contrary to what you might have heard, practice doesn't make perfect.

If it did, UNLV's InFini Robinson would have made all seven of her 3-point field-goal attempts in the Lady Rebels' Mountain West Conference opener against San Diego State, instead of "just" 6 of 7.

Robinson, the only senior in the Lady Rebels' lineup, has been mired in a season-long shooting slump so she spent most of last week trying to get out of it, staying long after practice to shoot jump shot after jump shot in an otherwise empty Cox Pavilion.

Like a great percentage of those practice shots, just about everything Robinson launched toward the basket found the bottom of the net against the Aztecs, as her career-high 24 points paced UNLV (12-2, 1-0) to a 76-58 victory.

"I was kind of stuttering during most -- actually all -- of the nonconference season," said Robinson, a 5-foot-7 guard who was shooting just 28 percent from the field and averaging 7.7 points coming into the game.

"I just got in the gym and worked a little extra and it paid off. Once I hit a couple, I just stayed with the same shot."

Robinson's only miss from beyond the arc, a rainbow from the left side late in the first half, rattled in and out. Had it fallen, she would have tied backcourt running mate Sheena Moore's school record for most 3-pointers in a game, set a couple of weeks ago at St. Mary's.

On Sunday, Robinson was named the Mountain West player of the week.

Moore chipped in with 15 points against San Diego State (5-9, 0-1) as the Lady Rebels proved they could win without huge games from RanDee Henry and Sherry McCracklin.

Henry, the Mountain West's leading scorer with a 19.3 average, was limited to 10 points in 28 minutes against SDSU's gimmick diamond-and-one defense designed to stop her. McCracklin played just 26 minutes because of foul trouble, finishing with 13 points but just five rebounds, nearly eight shy of her conference-leading pace.

It was the first time the guards were the Lady Rebels' top two scorers.

"RanDee and Sherry have been carrying us all nonconference," Robinson said. "I think we owe it to them -- and the team -- for us to step up and knock down shots. Like I told you, I'm waiting for the day that all of -- Me, Sheena, Nikki (Hitchens, the other starting forward), all of us, score."

The Lady Rebels shot 48 percent from the field en route to their seventh consecutive victory and outrebounded SDSU, 35-24. On the negative side, they still were careless with the ball, committing 21 turnovers, and let the Aztecs make a 15-point scoring run midway through the first half.

UNLV coach Regina Miller called a couple of timeouts to help the Lady Rebels regain focus. But all SDSU's spurt accomplished was trimming a 26-point deficit to 11, at 55-44, before UNLV took charge again.

"The guards stepped up and did a good job," Miller said, noting the steadying influence provided by Robinson and Moore. "We've talked about the potentital for four players to score in double figures.

"It was nice to see InFini hit some shots after she put the extra time in. And Sheena Moore was way more aggressive tonight than she was against Northern Arizona (last Sunday)."

Against NAU, Moore, who is averaging nearly 15 points, attempted just one shot in the first half.

"She was turning the corner (of the defense), penetrating, and that's what we want Sheena to do," Miller said. "And then take the outside shot at well."

NOTES: The Lady Rebels are 10-0 when they score 70 points or more. ... UNLV will return to action Thursday against Colorado State in a battle of Mountain West contenders. Tipoff at Cox Pavilion is set for 7:30 p.m.