Late fade has Lady Rebels starting tourney early

UNLV can only blame itself.

The Lady Rebels didn't need to do much to get today off, and for much of the basketball season, they looked as if they would avoid the play-in game.

But UNLV faltered down the stretch, and the Lady Rebels will have to face Colorado State at 6 p.m. in the Mountain West Conference Tournament opener at the Thomas & Mack Center.

The game will not be televised.

"We can't dwell on playing the play-in game," UNLV guard/forward Sequoia Holmes said. "It's just like another game in the tournament for us."

The Lady Rebels (8-21, 4-12 MWC) are on a five-game losing streak, with four of those losses by double digits. They also lost 12 of 14 to fall into a tie with Air Force, which captured the No. 7 seed -- and avoided the play-in game -- over the Lady Rebels because of a higher Ratings Percentage Index ranking.

UNLV swept the season series against Colorado State (2-27, 0-16), winning 57-55 in Las Vegas on Jan. 9 and 76-68 at Colorado State on Feb. 9.

"They have played us really well, and I thought we showed we could win some close games," UNLV coach Regina Miller said. "We lost a lot of close games and lost some close games in conference. To finish close games was huge for us, and to win at CSU, I think the players will remember that."

The Rams tried to beat UNLV from outside, attempting a combined 49 3-pointers and making 19. Rams guard Sara Hunter made 7 of 13 3-pointers in the second meeting, scoring 23 points.

UNLV was second-worst in the conference in 3-point defense, allowing opponents to make 35.3 percent.

"I expect Hunter to take a lot of 3-point shots," Miller said. "Obviously we need to guard the 3-point line better."

Even so, Colorado State coach Jen Warden said her team will need more than an outside game against UNLV.

"I think we've evolved to establish a little more of an inside presence," Warden said. "Really, I think more than anything else we want to see the ball in the paint."

• HOLMES ALL-MWC -- Holmes, a senior who also played at Mojave High School, was named first-team all-Mountain West on Monday. She led the conference in scoring, averaging 18.7 points, and was third in rebounds (7.3) and steals (2.2).

UNLV junior center Shamela Hampton was third team.

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2914.