Pack’s shooting woes continue against Pacific
Nevada guard Armon Johnson suffered strep throat but still played the majority of the Wolf Pack's 67-59 loss Wednesday to Pacific.
The Wolf Pack had to overcome strep throat, a formidable opponent and an extremely poor shooting night Wednesday against Pacific.
Just under five minutes into the second half it looked like there was a chance.
Nevada (2-2) led 30-27, but the Tigers went on a 15-4 run and never looked back in their 67-59 win at the Lawlor Events Center.
“We got out played, we got out coached, we got out everything,” Nevada head coach Mark Fox said.
Nevada shot its second worst field goal percentage of the season (39.6). The Wolf Pack shot 32.7 percent from the field in its other loss to San Diego.
Pacific (2-1) shot 47.9 percent, but it was forward Bryan LeDuc who tore the Wolf Pack apart. LeDuc was eight of 13 from the floor and four of six from beyond the three-point line.
LeDuc led all players with 23 points.
“It came down to getting stops and we couldn’t get them,” said Nevada forward Luke Babbitt, who led the Wolf Pack with 19 points and nine rebounds. “It’s really frustrating.”
The frustration wasn’t just from shooting and defense. Nevada guard Armon Johnson’s health was also suffering while on the court.
“I wasn’t sure if he was going to play tonight,” Fox said.
Johnson had a triple-digit fever and strep throat, Fox said.
The sophomore played through the fever for 34 minutes, more minutes than any other Wolf Pack player. He led the team with seven assists, but was only three of 10 from the floor. Johnson also missed two crucial free throws late in the game.
Fox was upset less about the offense, though, and more about his team’s defense.
“You can talk offense all you want, but we have to defend,” Fox said. “And we’re not doing that.”
Nevada defended well in the first half. The Wolf Pack held Pacific to 23 points before the break, but the Tigers nearly tripled its score with 44 points in the second half.
Nevada was in a tight ball game last Saturday against Oregon State, but Fox changed the defensive strategy by playing zone defense late in the game, which helped the Wolf Pack garner a victory.
The Wolf Pack didn’t do that in the second half against Pacific.
Nevada continued its man-to-man defensive strategy.
“I hate to play zone,” Fox said. “We did that on the first play of the game and they hit a three-point shot.”
The Wolf Pack will travel to Portland on Saturday. Nevada then plays Colorado State on the road before coming home Dec. 6 to battle UNLV.
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on Wednesday, November 26th, 2008 at 9:59 pm and is filed under Breaking News, Men's Basketball, Sports, Sports CP.
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