Wolf Pack turnover, fouls Doom Team in 68-62 loss to UNLV in Vegas

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Wolf Pack Athletics) – The University of Nevada men’s basketball team dropped its sixth tournament of the season on Saturday night, falling to UNLV with a final score of 68-62

After the loss, Nevada now holds an overall record of 16-6 this season, including a 6-3 score in the game against Mountain West.

Senior guard Jarod Lucas led the pack in scoring, dropping 15 points on 4-10 shots from the field, 2-3 from behind the arc and 5-5 at the free throw line. Lucas also recorded two steals throughout the competition.

Kenan Blackshear had 14 points that night, in addition to six assists, five rebounds and two steals. Blackshear has surpassed the 100 assists mark for the season in the competition as the senior has now recorded 102 assists in 22 games this year.

Freshman forward Darrion Williams put on another impressive performance for Nevada, scoring 13 points on 4-7 shots from the field and 3-7 from behind the arc. Williams also pulled down four rebounds and the newcomer finished the contest up +2 in 27 minutes of action.

Will Baker made a solid showing on the glass for the pack, hitting double-digit rebounds in a game for the first time this season as the redshirt junior put down a game-high 10 boards in the contest.

First half

After trailing 2-0 a minute and a half into play, Nevada responded with a quick 6-0 run to put a four-point lead for the pack with a 16-25 first-half lead.

The run started with a 3-pointer corner from Williams, followed by a hard bucket down the lane from Blackshear and a executed free-throw from Lucas.

The Rebels managed to cut Nevada’s lead to one just 24 seconds later, but Baker made a phenomenal no-look pass to find an open Tre Coleman in the paint, completing a difficult layup while being fouled, and then turned the and -an opportunity.

UNLV scored two free throws on their next possession; but Blackshear scored another bucket in the suit as Nevada had an 11-7 advantage with 13:37 in the first period.

UNLV then reeled off a 22-8 run over the next six and a half minutes to create a 25-15 lead for the Rebels.

The two sides had five points each over the next two minutes as Nevada, 5-14 at halftime, continued to trail by 10 points before beginning to heat up on offense.

Darrion Williams missed his second 3-pointer of the half to reduce the deficit to seven before Tyler Powell hit a second straight triple for Nevada and cut the UNLV lead to just four.

The rebels met at the other end; but Lucas drilled the third straight shot from behind the arc for the pack as they were just three points down at 2:31 before the break.

Nevada beat UNLV 4-3 in the remainder of the first period and went into halftime 33-35 behind.

Second half

Baker finished an edge layup on Nevada’s first possession in the second half as the pack tied the game at 35 apiece.

Darrion Williams then deflated his third 3-pointer of the competition on Nevada’s next possession, giving the pack a three-point advantage that marked their first lead since they were 13-12 left in the first half.

After the Rebels took a lone free throw, Williams knocked down two shots at the line, increasing Nevada’s lead to four.

UNLV took a 3-pointer at the other end, but Nevada freshman Nick Davidson took two free throws as the pack held a three-point lead.

Another Rebel 3 pointer finished the contest with 42 points apiece, but two others made free throws

Davidson regained the lead for Nevada as the pack held a 44-42 lead with 14:47 remaining in the game.

UNLV then ripped off a 14-5 run in just over five minutes of play to convert a two-point deficit into a seven-point lead over Nevada, with 9:26 to go.

The pack fought back and assembled an 8-0 run to reclaim the lead as they held a 57-56 lead over UNLV at just 6-19.

Blackshear sparked the run for the pack, completing a layup through significant contact before Lucas hit two free throws followed by a middle-distance jumper. Williams then made a brilliant turning move to get past his defender on Nevada’s next possession, ending on the edge while pulling a foul to give Nevada the lead.

UNLV took the lead 37 seconds later with a layup and didn’t relinquish it for the rest of the contest as Nevada remained scoreless in the final four minutes of the game, falling 68-62 to the Rebels.

Notable Statistics:

• Nevada shot 55.5 percent from behind the arc and 41.2 percent from distance for the game in the first half.
  
• The pack knocked down 15-17 shots at the free throw line.
  
• Nevada passed UNLV, 37-35.
  
• Tre Coleman ended the game with a team high plus/minus +5 for the pack
  
• After six assists in the game, Kenan Blackshear now has 102 assists this season.
  

Next

Nevada will return home at 8 p.m. this Tuesday night to take on San Diego State at the Lawlor Events Center.

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