Tuesday, March 8, 2005 | 9:33 a.m.
Like a C in high school algebra or a plate of plain boiled spaghetti for dinner, the Lady Rebels have been just OK this season.
Not great, not terrible and often vacillating between those extremes in a single game, UNLV begins conference tournament play Wednesday in Denver as the No. 5 seed against No. 4 Wyoming. UNLV (15-13, 6-8) is in the middle game, playing an equally mediocre team in a game that is nearly impossible to forecast after they split their two meetings this season by a combined seven points.
The bracket sets up very well for the Lady Rebels to advance to the conference title game, but they could just as easily lose to the Cowgirls (16-11, 7-7) and sweat out a return invitation to the Women's National Invitation Tournament.
In other words, the Lady Rebels are right where they belong.
"We are who we are," UNLV coach Regina Miller said. "That's not going to change much."
The season began with higher expectations, as UNLV was picked by conference coaches and media to win the Mountain West Conference and earned a No. 22 preseason ranking in a national magazine. Preseason all-conference forward Sherry McCracklin never took the court after partially tearing her Achilles' tendon during fall practice, though, and a tough schedule that Miller designed with one of her best UNLV squads in mind, brought a handful of close calls instead of name-making victories.
UNLV confounded observers through the conference schedule, beating top seed New Mexico and losing to eighth seed San Diego State. Its performance against Wyoming, a plodding team built around the talents of first-team All-MWC point guard Ashley Elliott (16.9 ppg), is equally uneven.
The Lady Rebels squandered a late lead to lose at Wyoming, 46-43, in a game where they shot just two free throws and felt so aggrieved by the officials that they complained to the conference. They built a huge lead on the Cowgirls in Las Vegas and barely held on for a 70-66 win as Elliott poured in 10 points in just two minutes to make the Rebels earn the victory.
Wyoming coach Joe Legerski wants his team to slow the game down against the deeper Lady Rebels, who found success against the Cowgirls by playing tight defense on Elliott and running at every opportunity.
"We're not a team that's going to go out there and score a lot of points from night to night," Legerski said. "A slower pace is better for us. UNLV's not just going to let you walk the ball up the floor."
Junior guard Sheena Moore, senior forward RanDee Henry and freshman forward Sequoia Holmes keyed UNLV's attack this year against Wyoming. Moore averaged 16 points, while Henry (11.5) and Holmes (10) also averaged double figures against a Wyoming defense that allows just 56.5 points per game.
That is the trio that earned all-league honors Monday. Moore and Henry were both named to the second team, while Holmes earned an honorable mention. Moore led the team at 14.8 points per game and Henry averaged 14.2 points and paced UNLV with 8.5 rebounds per game.
The selection is Moore's second in a row to the second team, while Henry stepped back after receiving a first-team nod last season. Holmes averaged 8.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while leading the Lady Rebels in steals (51) and blocks (22). She also averaged 25.9 minutes per game as a starter, going well beyond Miller's expectations for a true freshman.
Holmes will be a key figure for the Lady Rebels if they get past Wyoming. A likely date with New Mexico waits in the semifinals and UNLV matches up surprisingly well against the Lobos. UNLV beat New Mexico, 63-60, in Las Vegas and held a lead in the final two minutes at The Pit in Albuquerque before falling, 68-65.
"I think they're difficult for us to match up with," New Mexico coach Don Flanagan said of UNLV. "They seem to shoot well against us."
Holmes may be the only player in the conference who can match up favorably with Lobos freshman forward Dionne Marsh, the MWC Newcomer of the Year who averaged more than 15 points per game in conference play. The Lady Rebels play strong man-to-man defense against Lobos guard Mandi Moore and do not seem intimidated by New Mexico's strong defense.
"We can play with any team in the league," Miller said. "In my gut, in my core, I feel like this team is looking forward to the conference tournament."
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