UNLV roundup: Smith, Wade lead Lady Rebels to first victory

LaTecia Smith had 20 points and six rebounds to help lead UNLV to its first women’s basketball win of the season, a 66-57 nonconference victory over South Carolina State on Saturday at Cox Pavilion.

Rodjanae Wade had 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Lady Rebels (1-3), who shot 48.1 percent and had a 48-29 edge in rebounds while holding the Bulldogs (1-4) to 33.9-percent shooting.

Bailey Thomas scored nine points for UNLV, which led 25-10 after one quarter, 34-21 at halftime and 52-40 entering the fourth quarter.

Taylor Brown scored 14 points, and Heniaya Moton and Dejah Williford-Kelley added 12 apiece for South Carolina State. Jacquece Alston had nine rebounds and three assists for the Bulldogs.

VOLLEYBALL

At Colorado Springs, Colo., Mariena Hayden had 14 kills on .300 hitting and six digs to help the Rebels end the regular season with six straight wins and 15 in their final 16 matches with a 25-23, 25-23, 25-20 sweep over Air Force in a Mountain West match.

Thea Sweder had nine kills on .467 hitting and Shelby Capllonch five kills and 13 digs for UNLV (19-10, 15-3), which held a .270 to .168 edge in hitting.

Bailey Keith had 12 kills on .375 hitting and Denise Ssozi nine kills and 10 digs for the Falcons (8-22, 5-13), who held a 41-39 advantage in kills.

Paris Oliveira had 16 digs, Lauryn Burt 19 assists and seven digs and Antonette Rolda 14 assists for the Rebels, who had a 45-42 edge in digs.

Lily Landis had 34 assists and Brookely Messenger seven kills and nine digs for Air Force in its eighth straight loss.

UNLV finished third in the Mountain West and set program records for league wins, league road wins (eight), longest road win streak (eight matches) and longest league road win streak (eight matches).

SWIMMING

At Evanston, Ill., freshman Ogi Maric won the 200-yard freestyle and was part of two winning relays, highlighting the Rebels’ efforts on the second day of the three-day, five-team TYR Invitational.

The other four team competing are Northwestern, Saint Louis, Simon Fraser and Toledo.

Maric won the 200 freestyle in 1 minute, 35.77 seconds. He teamed with juniors Sean Gage, Bryan Chavez and Richard Szilagyi to win the 200 medley relay in 1:28.36 and teamed with Chavez, freshman Christopher Mykkanen and senior Hayden Hemmens to win the 800 freestyle relay in 6:31.84.

Chavez was second in the 100 butterfly in 48.43 seconds, and sophomore Hayden Cornellison was second in the 100 backstroke in 48.42 seconds.

For UNLV’s women, junior Kate Afanasyeva was second in the 100 butterfly in 52.90 seconds and second in the 100 backstroke in 53.67 seconds, and sophomore Julia Filippova was second in the 200 freestyle in 1:49.58.