LAS VEGAS -- There was no Mesa comeback magic to be found in the lights of Las Vegas, as the San Diego State Aztecs fell 75-65 to the UNLV Lady Rebels on Wednesday evening at Cox Pavilion.
Kiara Jackson scored a career-high 28 points with nine assists for the Lady Rebels (20-5, 12-1 Mountain West Conference) while Veronica Sheffey scored 20 points and Kim Villalobos added 17 points with six rebounds.
SDSU (17-9, 6-7) spent the game absorbing the kind of swells that UNLV has used to run away from conference opponents over the past three-plus seasons, only to respond and scrap their way back in until a late 7-0 run put the game away for the Lady Rebels.
The hosts notched their third of four stretches with three-straight field goals, scoring 11 of 14 points to open a 17 point lead with just over four minutes left in the third. Cali Clark got a friendly bounce on a made 3-pointer to kick-off the Aztecs scoring the final 12 points to trail 59-54 after the third.
In the fourth quarter a Villalobos' and-one answered Jackson’s and-one, then after traded scores a Sheffey driving make made it a 6 point game before UNLV closed the game out with their late run by attacking the basket and drawing fouls.
UNLV scored 10 of their 16 fourth quarter points at the line and went 15 of 20 from the charity stripe for the game. The Aztecs made 3 of 5 at the line, but also saw the Lady Rebels notch a 17-8 advantage in points off turnovers — SDSU gave it away 13 times to UNLV's eight.
Villalobos opened the game with buckets on the first two possessions before the Lady Rebels went on a 7-0 run to take control of the game. A pair of paint buckets by Alexander and Kimpson sandwiched a 3-pointer by Jackson, the first of 3 of her 14 points in the opening quarter.
UNLV knocked down 6 of 9 from the land of plenty in the first, while the Aztecs got a pair of long balls from Sheffey and another from Fiso but trailed 26-19 through 10 minutes.
The deficit grew as big as 14 points twice, with the second coming at the 4:55 mark on a Jackson free throw, then Clark had a layup and the defense tightened to help SDSU get back into it. UNLV had made 14 of 23 field goals over the first 15 minutes.
The Aztecs scored 11 of the next 13 points, with Clark scoring 6 of the points and Sheffey adding a 3 while UNLV made just one of their last 9 shots from the field. A pair of free throws by Amarachi Kimpson after being fouled on a last second drive put SDSU down 42-35 at the half.
Clark finished with 9 points and a game-high seven rebounds. McKinna Brackens added 13 points and six rebounds, while Kimpson had 12 points and six rebounds and Meadow Rowland added 10 points off the bench.
After playing five straight games against opponents above them in the standings SDSU returns home to host Utah State — four of their final five opponents entered the night with sub-.500 records. Tip off against the Aggies will be at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 15 at Viejas Arena.