Nevada breaks 3-game streak
Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2007 @ 2:49 am
After losing its last three games, the Wolf Pack men’s basketball team did everything it had to in beating Montana State, 82-76 Saturday.The Wolf Pack showed strength rebounding and scoring late in the game but also showed similar characteristics that made up the losing streak like defensive lapses and turnovers.
“We’ve improved as a team this week, but we’re still not consistent enough to be where I want us to be,” Nevada coach Mark Fox said. “We played better periods of basketball than we have in the past.”
The Wolf Pack was efficient on offense, having four players reach double-figure point totals with Marcelus Kemp leading the way with 23 points.
Nevada shot a consistent 51 percent from the floor (26 of 51) shooting 50 percent in the first half and 52 percent in the second. Nevada out-rebounded Montana State 32-30 and forced 17 Bobcat turnovers.
After a Montana State turnover with about eight minutes left in the first half, Armon Johnson dribbled up-court for the fast break. The freshman went straight to the basket drawing in defenders before he passed it out to a wide open Kemp, who hit the 3-pointer to give Nevada a 29-19 lead.
“I was just trying to stay in the offense and not do too much,” Kemp said. “I just took what the offense gave me and things just opened up for me.”
As the Wolf Pack started to find a groove in the first half, some of the inexperience started to show.
Montana State went on a 17-4 run from the end of the first half to five minutes into the second.
Sophomore JaVale McGee made a layup on Nevada’s first possession of the second half and ended a four-minute scoring drought with a dunk on an assist from Ray Kraemer.
“We just kind of stuck with what we’ve been doing and we were getting what we wanted,” Montana State coach Brad Huse said. “We had an opportunity with the lead and we made the plays we had to make.”
Nevada’s perimeter defense struggled a little bit when some of Montana State’s big men were floating outside and hitting shots. McGee had to guard the key and when the forwards were taking shots, he could get over quick enough.
The Bobcats’ Bobby Howard made 4-of-6 shots and guard Carlos Taylor made 3-of-5 from behind the arc. The team made 11-of-18 3-point shots.
But when Montana State took the lead 45-43 with 16:44 left in the game, the Wolf Pack broke through its inexperience factor and finished the game well.
Kemp didn’t score the first 15 minutes of the second half but threw down nine points in the final four minutes. Nevada made 11 of its last 12 free throws, which eliminated any chance of an upset by the Bobcats.
Despite Taylor’s 23 points for Montana State, Brandon Fields did a nice job defending down the stretch making it hard for Taylor to score.
Taylor went off in the first half for 16 points, but got most of his points in the second half off free throws and points after rebounds.
“I know he’s a good player, a good shooter,” Fields said of Taylor. “I knew I had to get my hand up and contain his shot.”
Now that the three game losing streak is over, the first since the 2000-01 season, the Wolf Pack is gaining confidence.
“We just played a lot harder tonight and stayed in our offense,” Kemp said. “I think everyone is getting more comfortable with our sets and our team defense is getting better.”
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December 20th, 2007 at 11:45 am
Where is the crowd? They are not at football this year either. Disappointing as I thought basketball had arrived in the crowd spectra.