Las Vegas – The Gophers women's basketball team improved to 7-0 for the first time since 2002 with a 79-72 victory over UNLV on Sunday in the championship game of the Lady Rebel Round-Up.
Freshman Destiny Pitts had 22 points and nine rebounds and was named MVP of the four-team tournament played at the Cox Pavilion. Pitts had 18 points and 13 rebounds in Saturday's 93-81 victory over Wake Forest.
All but two of her 18 field goal attempts against the Lady Rebels (4-1) were from beyond the three-point arc. She made a season-high six threes, none more important than the last one with 5:22 left in the fourth quarter. It ended an 8-0 run by UNLV and gave the Gophers a 75-63 lead.
The Gophers made five of their first six three-point attempts and jumped out to a 17-4 lead, but by halftime the Lady Rebels were within three, 46-43.
The Gophers outscored UNLV 24-10 in the third quarter, when they led by as many as 17, but again UNLV rallied.
The Lady Rebels had a huge edge at the free-throw line. They made 24 of 33 attempts, while the Gophers were 10-for-10.
Post players Jessie Edwards and Taiye Bello both fouled out for Minnesota.
"It's life on the road," coach Marlene Stollings said. "You have to play through that stuff."
