Conference debut may help answer questions

By Brian Hilderbrand (contact)

Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2006 | 7:49 a.m.

8.5 -- UNLV's rebounding margin over its opponents in 11 nonconference games (41.)

143 -- The number of victories Regina Miller has compiled in eight seasons as the UNLV women's basketball coach.

The UNLV Lady Rebels will open their seventh Mountain West Conference season Thursday night wondering if they have kept up with the rest of the nine-team league.

UNLV, which tied for fifth in the conference last season, has led the MWC in scoring each of the past two seasons but enters Thursday night's opener against Wyoming at Cox Pavilion ranked fifth in scoring in the conference. Through its 11 nonconference games, UNLV averaged 67.2 points per game -- up from last year's league-leading 66.9 average.

The Lady Rebels also lead the conference in blocked shots and steals and are second in rebounding margin.

A quick glance at the Lady Rebels' roster might lead some to believe that UNLV (8-3 in nonconference play) might be the team to challenge Utah and New Mexico's dominance in the conference the past three seasons. But even though the Lady Rebels return four starters from last year's squad and have Sherry McCracklin -- the league's defensive player of the year as a junior -- back after missing last season with an ankle injury, UNLV was picked to finish fourth in the conference's preseason poll.

McCracklin rejoins a Lady Rebels lineup that is led by senior guard Sheena Moore and sophomore guard Sequoia Holmes, a Mojave High product, and junior forwards Kisha Lee and Faye Muller.

Moore paces the Lady Rebels with a 12.3 points-per-game average in nonconference play, while McCracklin (10.2) and Holmes (10.1) also are scoring in double figures for UNLV. Lee is averaging 9.8 points a game, and Muller, a junior-college transfer, is averaging 7.6 rebounds per game to lead UNLV and ranks sixth in the conference.

UNLV and Wyoming (10-1) will tip off at 7 p.m. Thursday at Cox Pavilion.

You go, (Cow)girls

Wyoming brings an 8-game winning streak into Cox Pavilion for Thursday night's Mountain West Conference opener against the Lady Rebels.

The Cowgirls opened the season with victories against Sacramento State and Colorado before dropping a 65-55 decision at home to Kansas State. Wyoming since has reeled off eight consecutive victories, including a 78-60 win at home over Idaho State in its final nonconference game last Thursday.

The Cowgirls are coming off a fourth-place finish (7-7) in the Mountain West Conference.

ALSO NOTED:

* UNLV senior Sheena Moore connected on two of her five 3-point field-goal attempts Saturday against Lamar and extended her streak to 14 consecutive games with at least one 3-point field goal.

* The Lady Rebels had five players lead the team in scoring during its 11 nonconference games: Kisha Lee, Moore, Kameca Simmons, Sequoia Holmes and Sherry McCracklin. Moore was UNLV's leading scorer in six games.

* UNLV's game against Texas Christian University on Feb. 2 from the Thomas & Mack Center will be televised live by CSTV. It will be one of six regular-season Mountain West women's games televised by the network.

Brian Hilderbrand can be reached at 259-4089 or at bh@lasvegassun.com.