Natasha Hadley's Double-Double Leads Women's Hoops To 82-66 Win Over UNLV

Saturday, December 29

Riverside, CA

5:00 pm

UC Riverside

7-4

UNLV

4-9

Team	1	2	F
UNLV	27	39	66
UC Riverside	37	45	82

Photo by: Gabriel L. Acosta

Natasha Hadley's Double-Double Leads Women's Hoops To 82-66 Win Over UNLV

12/29/2012 7:17:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Riverside—Natasha Hadley posted a 22-point, 10-rebound double-double and Tre'Shonti Nottingham scored 17 of her 21 points after the break as the UC Riverside Women's Basketball Team upended visiting UNLV, 82-66, Saturday evening at the SRC Arena (Box Score).

The win improves the Highlanders to 7-4 heading into conference play next week—the best record they have had prior to the start of Big West competition since joining the conference in the 2001-02 campaign. UNLV falls to 4-9.

It was all UC Riverside in the first half as the Highlanders used a 14-5 run to turn a four-point advantage into a 13-point lead with 9:55 to go in the period. Five different players scored during the run led by Akilah Martin's five points.

UCR took a 10-point lead into the half thanks to a 53.1 percent shooting performance from the floor, and nine steals, which helped the Highlanders to a 13-6 advantage on points off turnovers. UC Riverside's defense was just as effective, holding UNLV to 38.5 percent from the field. Hadley led UCR with 10 points at the break.

The Lady Rebels threatened to make a game of it early in the second as they held the Highlanders scoreless for a three-and-a-half minute stretch making it a six-point game with 15:22 to go. They also forced 14 UC Riverside miscues during the second period.

It was still just a seven-point UCR advantage with 10:04 on the clock, but a Nottingham three-pointer drove the lead back into double digits, and a 7-0 run from 7:18 to 5:04 gave the Highlanders their biggest lead of the night at the time, 65-48.

Despite wearing out a path to the free throw line in the final 20 minutes, the Lady Rebels converted on just 18 of 30 shots from the charity stripe, and never got closer than 14 the rest of the way.

Hadley's 22 points tied her career high. Alana Cesarz paced UNLV with 21 points while Kelli Thompson added 19 points and Danielle Miller chipped in with 10.

The Highlanders start conference play next week as they host Cal State Northridge on Thursday, January 3 at 7 pm PT, and Hawai'i on Saturday, January 5 at 5 pm.