Helms takes charge of Lady Rebels

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The key moments in sports don’t always happen with fans and TV cameras around.

Sophomore Erica Helms is UNLV’s starting point guard not because of anything she did last season but because of what she accomplished away from the public’s view.

Helms organized team practices in the offseason and entered preseason camp in game shape, impressing first-year Lady Rebels coach Kathy Olivier.

After coming off the bench a year ago, Helms has started every game this season, including Wednesday’s 67-62 loss to Brigham Young at Cox Pavilion. She averages 11.4 points and 3.3 assists, after putting up just three points per game and 10.9 minutes last season.

“I think having a leadership role in conditioning carried over to the court,” Helms said. “We didn’t have coaches there to tell us what to do, so we had to organize it on our own. I felt that if I wanted to play a role on this team, no matter what coach came in, I needed to start now.”

The 5-foot-7-inch Helms still is learning, but she shows an ability to grow from her mistakes.

She struggled against Texas Christian’s zone Jan. 10 as the Lady Rebels fell behind 37-23 at halftime. But Helms properly attacked the zone in the second half and nearly rallied UNLV to victory in a 66-61 loss.

Two games later, she scored 23 points in a 71-64 victory at Wyoming.

“As a point guard, I feel I need to get my team going, and wherever the team’s slacking — if it’s points, if it’s steals, if it’s defense — then that’s where I need to pick up my game that night,” Helms said.

Olivier called Helms the Lady Rebels’ third-most consistent player behind center Shamela Hampton and forward Jamie Smith.

“When she’s consistent, we’re consistent,” Olivier said. “I don’t like to put that on one player, but she has the ball in her hand so much and she kind of sets the tone for us, tempo-wise.”

UNLV (8-10, 1-4 Mountain West) had the tempo in its favor against BYU (13-3, 3-1) but couldn’t hold on. The Lady Rebels led 58-50 before the Cougars closed the game with a 17-4 run.

Smith led UNLV with 17 points and 15 rebounds, and Hampton and Brittany Halberg scored 12 apiece. Helms had five points and four assists and committed six turnovers.