Jan. 2, 2008
Box Score
OREM, Utah - Robyn Fairbanks had 28 points and 13 rebounds as Utah Valley won its fourth straight game and ended Nevada's four-game winning streak with a physical 65-56 win on Wednesday in Orem.
Fairbanks upped her season average to 24.1 ppg and hit 9-of-15 from the field as the Wolverines (13-3) remained perfect at home this season, improving to 9-0 inside The McKay Center.
"When we couldn't do much else we were able to get the ball to Robyn and she went to work and got points for us," said Utah Valley head coach Cathy Nixon. "We just kind of had to ride her shoulders and she was great."
Cherlanda Franklin had 14 points and 12 rebounds to lead Nevada (9-4) but the Wolverines were able to hold the Wolf Pack's leading scorer, Dellena Criner (17.0 ppg), to just six points on 2-of-13 from the field.
Sandy Marvin had 12 for UV while Rebekah Peterson and Susie Cornejo had eight points each off the bench. Peterson also had eight rebounds for the second straight game as Utah Valley edged Nevada 40-39 on the boards, although the Wolf Pack pulled down 18 on the offensive side.
Early on, the Wolverines used 10-0 run over a stretch of four minutes and 16 seconds to turn a three-point advantage into a 23-10 lead with 8:40 left in the first half.
A Cornejo jumper with 1:35 left in the half gave UV its biggest lead of the game, 37-21, but Johnna Ward hit a three on the next possession to trim the lead to 37-24 at the half.
But teams struggled offensively out of the gate in the second frame. Fairbanks was the only Wolverine to score over the first nine minutes in the second. Her bucket with 10:27 left in the game gave her nine points after the break while Nevada had scored just eight to that point.
Nevada closed within eight on a few occassions, the latest following a Bre'Anna Henry three with 1:32 to go, but the Wolverines were never really threatened in a game they led from start to finish.
Utah Valley's win evened the all-time series at one win apiece. The Wolverines will travel to Las Cruces, New Mexico for a 7pm tip-off on Saturday at New Mexico State. The Aggies are 9-3 entering their WAC opener at home on Thursday against Idaho.
