UNLV WOMEN’S BASKETBALL’S ALANA CESARZ TO MISS REST OF SEASON WITH ACL INJURY
Sophomore forward was top-six in the Mountain West in four categories
UNLV sophomore Alana Cesarz, who ranked in the top six of the Mountain West in four categories, including points and rebounds, will miss the rest of the women’s basketball season after suffering an ACL meniscus tear in her left knee.
Cesarz was ruled out when MRI results confirmed the ACL tear after she was first evaluated by team doctors on Thursday. She injured the knee on a fastbreak in the first half of UNLV’s Wednesday night contest against Wyoming in Laramie. She will have surgery on the knee sometime in the immediate future.
“It’s a big loss, Alana’s really improved her game in so many ways this season, with her points, her rebounding, and her post defense,” said UNLV head coach Kathy Olivier. “Now the challenge is for different people to step up and take advantage of this opportunity.”
A native of Delavan, Wisc., the 6-1 forward had posted a 15.3 points per game average though 19 games, which ranks her fourth in the Mountain West and second on the Lady Rebels. Her 7.1 rebounds per game is the sixth-highest average, while she leads the conference in both free throw percentage (84.3%) and minutes played (36.8 mpg).
Entering the Wyoming game, Cesarz had recorded double-figures in a team-high 17 games, including 11 straight, while her four double-doubles paced the Lady Rebels. She was named to two all-tournament teams during the non-conference season, the Subway Classic in Minneapolis in November and the World Vision Classic in Las Vegas in December.
With the loss of Cesarz, the Lady Rebels are down to a total of three post players on the active roster. UNLV will return to action on Wednesday, Jan. 30, with the first meeting of the year against in-state rival Nevada, Reno. The game will tip off at 6:30 pm in Reno.