Poor shooting dooms Ute women against Rebels

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(Press Release)LAS VEGAS -- Poor shooting late in the game doomed the Utah women's basketball team against UNLV, as the Utes lost just their second conference game of the season, 68-55 to the Rebels on Wednesday, Feb. 25, in Las Vegas.

Down 46-40 with 7:52 left, UNLV's Jamie Smith started a 20-2 run with a layup and ended with a 58-48 lead with 1:50 remaining in the game. Foul shooting down the stretch helped UNLV pull away in the final minutes.

Foul trouble also hurt Utah (18-8, 11-2 MWC), with Morgan Warburton, Kalee Whipple and Hannah Stephens each playing several minutes with four fouls and fouling out by the end of the game.

The Utes shot 32.6-percent (18-of-55) in the contest, their lowest shooting percentage of the year.

With the score tied at halftime, 27-27, the Utes opened the second half on an 11-2 run over the first 5:30 of the half to take a 38-29 lead. Warburton had four points of that run to lead Utah.

UNLV (11-16, 4-10 MWC) continued to fight, and although Utah pulled out to leads of as many as eight points, the Rebels kept the game within three before tying it at 48-48 with five minutes remaining and taking the lead for the first time in the second half, 50-48, shortly after.

Warburton led Utah with 21 points while Katie King was also in double figures with 12 points. Halie Sawyer had a team-high six rebounds in the contest.

The Utes return to Utah on Saturday, Feb. 28, to face in-state rival Brigham Young. Utah can clinch a Ute victory in the Deseret First Duel rivalry series with a win.

(Courtesy UofU Athletic Department)