Payback’s a switch as Lady Rebels avenge setback last season to USC

A season ago, the Lady Rebels watched Southern California break away in the third quarter for a 73-42 victory in Los Angeles.

On Saturday, they returned the favor on their home court.

Following a back-and-forth second quarter, UNLV pulled away after halftime for a 77-66 victory at the Thomas & Mack Center.

“We had so many different people step up and, to be quite honest, I just thought we outplayed them,” coach Kathy Olivier said. “We outworked them, we outsmarted them. We had great leadership and a total team effort.”

After last year’s loss, Olivier said players were mad and wanted to “prove to people that we were better.”

They did that, winning their first game over a Pac-12 team since 2004.

Sophomore Katie Powell said the team was “really hyper” to play USC.

The result proved her point.

“It’s great momentum for the rest of the season, and I feel like now people are gunning for us, so we’re ready,” Powell said. “This is a great start.”

Powell, who sat out last season after transferring from Arkansas, led the charge for the Lady Rebels (3-0), finishing with 16 points, before hurting her wrist in the third quarter.

“After my first shot, I was like ‘all right, we’re good to go,’ because I know in the first couple games I was a little bit nervous to play,” Powell said. “I’ve been sitting out for a year and I come back and I’m pretty nervous and I think this game I was in the zone. I was ready and I was just like ‘it’s just time to play.’”

Powell went 4-for-4 from 3-point range and also contributed five rebounds.

Prior to Saturday, the Lady Rebels had made just nine 3-pointers in their first two games.

But on Saturday, 3s were the difference, as the Lady Rebels went 11-for-19 from long range. The Trojans (2-1), meanwhile, hit four.

“We knew that we were quicker than them so we attacked the basket and when you attack the basket and they have to collapse in, then you can kick out,” Olivier said.

Olivier said she thought when Powell hit a couple of 3s it got the rest of the team going.

“One person hits a 3, the team, they were like ‘No, no no, oh good shot,’ ” and then it opened the floodgates,” Olivier said. “You had Paris (Strawther) hitting a couple. You had Brooke (Johnson) hitting hers.”

In addition Powell, Dakota Gonzalez and Nikki Wheatley also finished in double-figure scoring with 14 points apiece while Strawther and Johnson added 13 each. Jordyn Bell led the team with 11 rebounds.

The Lady Rebels were without one of their starters for most of the game. Dylan Gonzalez injured her shoulder early in the game and played just six minutes.

Olivier said both Dylan Gonzalez and Powell would be checked out before the team plays again in a week.

But with such a balanced attack, the Lady Rebels were able to move to 3-0 despite the injuries.

“We have so many different weapons, if we continue to move the ball and share the ball, which I feel like we’re doing and recognizing who’s hot at the right time, then we can do some damage because we have good defense,” Olivier said.

Contact Betsy Helfand at bhelfand@reviewjournal.com. Follow on Twitter: @BetsyHelfand