Box Score
OREM, Utah The University of Nevada women’s basketball team saw its season-high four game win streak come to an end Wednesday in its final non-conference game of the season as the Pack fell on the road to Utah Valley University 65-56. With the loss, the Pack fell to 9-4 this season while the Wolverines improve to 13-3.
Nevada started the game missing its first six shots from the field before Cherlanda Franklin’s jumper with 16:17 remaining in the first half put Nevada on the board and cut the Wolverine’s early lead to 5-2. Rebekah Peterson scored a pair of free throws with 13:50 left in the half before Jennifer Gross scored on the next possession to pull Nevada to 11-8.
Franklin cut the Wolverine’s lead to 13-10 with 12:50 remaining. Gross (four points) and Franklin (10 points) combined for 14 of Nevada’s first half points including combining to score the Pack’s first 12 points.
Utah Valley University used a 13-0 run to build a 23-10 lead before Franklin scored on a jumper with 12:50 remaining to cut Utah Valley University’s lead to 23-12.
Nevada, who shot 28.1 percent (9-32) from the floor in the first half, went into halftime trailing 37-24. The Wolverines shot 46.7 percent (14-30) from the floor in the first half including shooting a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line.
The Wolverines extended its lead to 39-26 to start the second half before Marianne Lombardi’s putback with 15:53 remaining brought Nevada to within 10, 40-30. Dellena Criner’s first field goal of the game with 14:05 left in the game pulled Nevada to within eight, 40-32.
The Wolverines used an 8-0 run to extend its lead to 48-32 with just under nine minutes remaining in the game. The Pack pulled to within seven, 50-43 with 4:52 remaining on buckets from Mikail Price and Criner but the Pack could not get closer than eight points the rest of the game as Nevada fell 65-56.
Franklin recorded her third career double-double, finished the game with a team-high 14 points and grabbed a career-high 12 boards. Bre'Anna Henry was the Pack’s second leading scorer, coming off the bench to score nine points and grab three rebounds.
Nevada ended the game shooting 31.3 percent (21-67) from the floor while Utah Valley University finished the game shooting 42.3 percent (22-52) from the floor. The Wolverines’ Robyn Fairbanks scored a game-high 28 points and added 13 rebounds.
Nevada will open WAC play at home on Jan. 10 hosting San Jose State at 6 p.m. at Lawlor Events Center.
