Columnist Ron Kantowski: Lady Rebels hang tough though nursing pain

Monday, Jan. 3, 2005 | 9:57 a.m.

Ron Kantowski is a Las Vegas Sun sports writer. Reach him at ron@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4088.

On Sunday, I rang in (minus the bells) the day after new year's by watching Canisius, which kind of sounds like a noise you make while sneezing, get whipped 92-66 by a bunch of imposters wearing the Lady Rebels' uniforms.

These women couldn't have been the real Lady Rebels. The real Lady Rebels, the big and tough and vastly experienced ones who were supposed to help UNLV achieve a breakthrough season this year, were by and large nowhere to be found at the Thomas & Mack Center. Unless you had access to the training room.

With injuries having whittled the roster to Sheena Moore, RanDee Henry and the seven dwarfs, the Lady Rebels are going to have to postpone that rise to national prominence for at least one more year. Or, more unlikely, achieve it with a lineup that looks nothing like the one in the preseason media guide.

"When we finished last season we had a lot of experience coming back ... but we don't have it now," said Lady Rebels coach Regina Miller, normally not one to complain about injuries. Until, that is, they make it difficult to practice.

At the final buzzer Sunday, Miller was inquiring about the eligibility of Juwanna Mann and thinking about putting a wig on sports information director Mark Wasik, simply so UNLV could go 5-on-5 at practice. The Lady Rebels are down to nine healthy bodies -- well, eight and the bruised and battered one belonging to Henry, whose pain threshold surpasses even the audience's at an Ashlee Simpson concert.

So far, seven Lady Rebels -- four members of the regular playing rotation, two bench-warmers and one Sherry McCracklin, arguably the team's best player and undeniably its toughest, have missed a total of 41 man games, as they say in hockey, due to injuries.

By now, McCracklin, who injured her Achilles' tendon during what amounted to a preseason pickup game, was supposed to be back in the practice gym getting ready for the start of the Mountain West schedule.

When last spotted, she was cheering her teammates on from the end of the bench in sneakers. But on Sunday, her injured foot was back in the bulky protective boot that, in addition to being a fashion faux pas, is also a grim indicator that McCracklin, who is stronger on the rebound than Jennifer Lopez, is nowhere close to returning to practice.

In fact, she is a lot closer to being redshirted for the season. While Miller wouldn't confirm that decision already has been made -- "Right now, she's still rehabbing ... but call me again tomorrow," she said -- you can expect an official announcement any day.

The Lady Rebels didn't need McCracklin against Canisius, as teams that have photos of lacrosse players in their media guide usually aren't big factors on the basketball court.

Henry (20 points, 10 rebounds), Moore (12 points, 10 assists) and freshman Sequoia Holmes, from Las Vegas' Mojave High School (14 points, 11 rebounds), had double-doubles against the not-so-Golden Griffins, but it's only a matter of time until the Lady Rebels are going to need a full complement of players.

At some point, defensive specialist Nejlah Clark (back injury), post Amy Lofthus (back) and guard Kameca Simmons (calf strain) are expected back. But McCracklin isn't, even if nobody would say it officially, and if you think the Lady Rebels missed their inspirational leader against the likes of nationally ranked Minnesota and North Carolina, just wait until New Mexico and Utah begin rolling into town. Or for that matter, Wyoming, Colorado State, San Diego State and BYU.

At 7-5 and despite all those aches and pains, all is not lost. In fact, with the conference schedule not getting under way until Jan. 15, you could argue that except for those golden opportunities against Final Four-caliber opponents such as Minnesota and North Carolina, nothing has been lost.

But you can't play Canisius or Air Force every night, so even the most devout Lady Rebels enthusiasts -- like the 346 that were on hand Sunday -- would have to concede that additional losses are forthcoming.

As long as they aren't injury-related ones, Miller says the Lady Rebels -- what's left of 'em -- will continue to battle. It's either that, or let their SID grow out his hair, and the Lady Rebels aren't that desperate, at least not just yet.