Men’s basketball: Tough weekend culminates in two losses

By: Lukas Eggen

Monday, November 30, 2009 - 11:15 PM

C3_webbbsports_basketball_team2_20091121_durkin

Despite great efforts from Nevada forwards Luke Babbitt, left, and Joey Shaw, the Wolf Pack dropped its two road games this season. Babbitt and Shaw combined for 67 points and 38 rebounds against Virginia Commonwealth University and No. 11 North Carolina. Photo by Casey Durkin/The Nevada Sagebrush

The men’s basketball team suffered two close losses last week and is in the midst of its first losing streak of the season.

Despite forward Luke Babbitt’s season-high 27 points against Virginia Commonwealth University, including 23 in the second half, and a double-double against North Carolina, the Wolf Pack dropped both road games to fall to 2-3 on the season. It is the first time the team is below .500 since the 2007-08 season, when the team started 3-4.

Against VCU on Friday, the Wolf Pack made a furious rally in the second half, but it was not enough, leaving the Rams with the win.

Nevada fell behind 35-28 at halftime and trailed VCU 60-40 with 12:20 left in the game. But thanks in large part to Babbitt, the Wolf Pack pulled within eight points with 5:11 remaining. Nevada, however, would not get any closer than seven points for the rest of the contest and the Rams pulled out the victory.

Nevada guard Armon Johnson and forward Dario Hunt failed to find any offensive rhythm, going a combined 7-for-30 from the field for just 18 points.

Johnson averages 16 points per game on the season while Hunt averages 5.8 points per game.

Two days later, the Wolf Pack visited Chapel Hill, N.C., to take on North Carolina. Last season, the Tar Heels defeated Nevada 84-61 in Reno.

Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams picked up his 600th career win as North Carolina defeated Nevada 80-73. He is only the eighth active coach in the NCAA to reach the milestone.

The game, however, was much closer than many people expected. After trailing 46-39 at the half, Nevada went on a 18-6 run midway through the second half to take a 59-58 lead with 10:31 remaining in the game.

Although they lost both games, forward Luke Babbitt continued to shine for the Wolf Pack. He scored 15 points and had 11 rebounds against the Tar Heels, good for his fourth consecutive double-double of the season. Babbitt averages a double-double on the season, with 19.6 points per game and 10.8 rebounds per game.

Against both VCU and North Carolina, Nevada matched its season low in turnovers with seven in each game.

Forward Joey Shaw continued his solid play, scoring 14 points against VCU and 11 points against North Carolina. Shaw averages 14.2 points per game this season, almost double his average from last season (7.4).

With the two losses, the Wolf Pack is 0-3 on the road this season. Nevada lost at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas on Nov. 18. VCU and North Carolina were the first two of a three-game road trip for the Wolf Pack. Nevada plays at Pacific on Saturday before returning home on Dec. 8, when the team hosts Fresno Pacific.

Lukas Eggen can be reached at leggen@nevadasagebrush.com.