Utah Bids Farewell To Seniors in Regular Season Finale

March 7, 2008

No. 15/14 University of Utah Utes

(26-3, 15-0 Mountain West)

vs.

UNLV Rebels

(8-20, 4-11 Mountain West)

Game No. 30 ? Saturday, March 8 ? 3 p.m.
Huntsman Center ? Salt Lake City, Utah.

Game Information
Series: Utah leads, 24-11
Series Streak: Utah has won nine
Last Meeting: Utah 82, UNLV 53 (2/6/08)
Last Meeting in SLC: Utah 70, UNLV 55 (2/15/07)

Television: none
Radio: KZNS 1280 The Zone, Chris Tunis (play by play)
UtahUtes.com: Free audio/video/live statistics

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Complete Release in PDF Format

The Tipoff
The No. 15/14-ranked University of Utah women's basketball team (26-3, 15-0 Mountain West Conference) will honor its two seniors on Saturday before the regular-season finale against UNLV. Tipoff in the Huntsman Center is set for 3 p.m. The Utes bid adieu to seniors Leilani Mitchell and Jessica Perry. Those two have helped the team rattle off a school-record 21 straight wins, having eked past Colorado State on Wednesday, 63-58. The winning streak is tied for the longest in the nation as the Utes haven't lost since Dec. 3 when USC dealt the team a 62-45 setback. The win over Wyoming last Sunday guaranteed Utah sole possession of first place and the MWC regular-season title. It also assures Utah a No. 1 seed come MWC Tournament time on Wednesday. UNLV enters the game having dropped four straight. Last time out, the Rebels dropped a 68-65 home game to New Mexico last Tuesday.

Tickets for all home events are available at the Rice-Eccles Stadium box office or by phone at 801-581-UTIX. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.UtahUtes.com.

The game can be followed on KZNS 1280 The Zone, with Chris Tunis calling the action. Live audio, video and statistics are also available at www.UtahUtes.com.

Scouting the Opponent
UNLV enters the contest with a 8-20 record. It is currently tied for seventh in the Mountain West Conference with a 4-11 league tally. The Rebels have lost four straight games, and five of their last six. The last time UNLV was in the win column, it tallied a 73-68 overtime win over BYU in Las Vegas on Feb. 16. The Rebel offense features the league's top scorer. Sequoia Holmes averages a league-high 18.9 points per game, connecting on 40.2 percent of her attempts. Shamela Hampton is second on the team with 12.2 points. Holmes is the team's top rebounder, clearing 7.3 boards per game. Her rebounding average ranks third in the conference. Regina Miller is in her 10th season at the helm at UNLV. She is 175-123 as its head coach.

A Brief Look at the Series
Saturday marks the 36th time that these two programs will have locked horns on the women's hardwood. Utah has won nine straight, and it owns the all-time series lead, 24-11. UNLV has only won three times in the Huntsman Center as Utah owns the 11-3 series edge in Salt Lake City. Last time out, the Utes quieted the Rebels, 82-53, in Las Vegas on Feb. 6. UNLV's last "W" in Salt Lake City was also its last win in the series. It tallied 68-60 overtime win here in March of 2004.

Who's Got Next Game?
Utah enters the MWC Tournament in Las Vegas, Nev., on March 11-15. The Utes will be the tournament's No. 1 seed, having won the conference's regular season championship. They will play the winner of the Nos. 8-9 play-in game on Tuesday, March 11, at 4 p.m. (PT).

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