Lady Rebels fall short against Fresno State

A frustrated Kathy Olivier couldn't help but to blurt out "I wanted that game bad" after a postgame interview Saturday.

The UNLV women's basketball coach didn't say it in an angry or disappointed manner. It was more like acceptance.

In a matchup between two of the top four teams in the Mountain West, the Lady Rebels fell short against Fresno State 57-52 at Cox Pavilion.

UNLV and Fresno State exchanged leads throughout before a loud announced crowd of 1,619, but poor execution down the stretch cost the Lady Rebels.

"We were at home where we've played well," said Oliver, whose team fell to 9-3 at Cox Pavilion this season. "We had a great crowd. This game was there for us, but in a game where you needed a 10, we gave a 7."

The Lady Rebels (13-9) are fourth in the conference standings at 6-5. The Bulldogs (13-8) improved to 9-1 and remain one game behind Colorado State.

Olivier made it clear to her team after the game she's not a fan of staying in the middle of the standings.

"They don't want to be in the middle of the pack," Oliver said. "They want to work to be in the top three and win the conference and go to the NCAA Tournament."

The Lady Rebels are 12-2 when they hold opponents to fewer than 60 points. The two losses are to Fresno State.

Similar to Saturday, UNLV fell at Fresno State 58-54 on Dec. 30 in a defensive battle.

"They're a really good team," said UNLV's Dakota Gonzalez, who scored a game-high 18 points. "They deserve credit. We're a team still trying to peak. We want to rise and not hang our heads on this game.

"If it's meant to be, maybe we'll see them in the tournament."

Gonzalez was the only Lady Rebel to score in double figures. Aley Rohde scored nine, and Nikki Wheatley and Amie Callaway each added seven.

Fresno State was led by Alex Furr and Shauqunna Collins, who scored 14 and 12. Furr torched UNLV from long range by connecting on 4 of 6 3-pointers.

The Lady Rebels were clinging to a 43-40 lead midway through the fourth quarter before Furr's 3-pointers ignited an 8-0 run.

UNLV responded by going on a 6-0 run to take a 51-50 lead with 1:53 left. Turnovers and missed defensive rebounds sealed the win for the Bulldogs.

"When someone like (Furr) goes off ... When you hit two or three 3-pointers in a row, it definitely gives them the flow," Wheatley said. "It kills our flows. We already knew she was a good shooter. We should have recognized that earlier."

Furr hit back-to-back 3-pointers for the Bulldogs to close out the second period, giving Fresno State a 31-25 advantage.

Wheatley had arguably the best play of the game midway through the second quarter after the 5-foot-5-inch guard blocked a fast-break layup attempt by Collins.

Gonzalez had another fast start, scoring 11 points, including three 3-pointers, in the first quarter.

— Contact Gilbert Manzano at gmanzano@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0492. Follow him on Twitter: @gmanzano24.