The Nevada Sagebrush

Nevada forward Luke Babbitt, second from right, battles for a rebound during the Wolf Pack's 100-92 win over New Mexico State at Lawlor Events Center Thursday night. Photo by Brian Bolton/The Nevada Sagebrush

The Nevada men’s basketball team went into Thursday night’s game against New Mexico State with a chance to put itself a game closer to a second seed in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament.

The Wolf Pack did just that with its 100-92 win, placing itself one game behind New Mexico State for second place, with each team having one game left on its regular-season schedule.

Knowing that his days in a Wolf Pack uniform are dwindling, Nevada guard Brandon Fields put forth one of his best efforts in his career, posting career-highs in points and assists with 32 and nine along with seven rebounds.

“Any game could be my last,” Fields said. “I’m playing with a different mindset. Every play could be my last, so I just get out there and play as hard as I can.”

Fields’ career game came on a night when 73.3 percent of his shots fell (11-of-15), along with 7-of-10 from the free throw line.

“It feels different,” Fields said. “It almost feels unstoppable. Everything was just going real smooth tonight for me.”

Fields’ strong effort and urgency on the court impacted his teammates play as well.

“We fed off of Brandon’s energy early and fed off of him most of the game,” Nevada guard Joey Shaw, a fellow senior, said.

The Wolf Pack needed the extra boost in a tight game that seesawed throughout the first half, leading to a 41-41 halftime tie. Going into the second half, forward Luke Babbitt had five points and Shaw has four. The extra effort of Fields seemed to spark the two, though, along with the rest of the team

“Brandon was huge for us the entire game,” Babbitt said. “Everyone really played well, stepped up and played their role.”

After the game was tied at 61-61 with 9:41 left to play, Nevada (18-11 overall, 10-5 WAC) used a 19-5 run to take a 14-point lead over the Aggies (19-10, 11-4 WAC) and never looked back. Babbitt scored 18 points in the second half to finish with 23 points. Shaw also performed better in the second half, scoring 11 of his 15 points in the game’s second period.

Nevada guard Brandon Fields scored a career-high 32 points in his team's 100-92 win over New Mexico State. Photo by Brian Bolton/The Nevada Sagebrush

“You try and build momentum for next week,” Nevada coach David Carter said. “Being able to hold on to a lead in the second half and build on it and close them out is very important. We talk about that all the time.”

The momentum gained from the win along with the mental edge Nevada holds over the Aggies after sweeping the season series could benefit the Wolf Pack should the two teams meet again in the WAC tourney.

“When you haven’t beaten a team, there are some questions that you have in your head,” Carter said. “Hopefully we face them again and that we’ll play to our advantage. It also can play to a disadvantage because a team is so hungry to beat you in a third try. I’d rather beat them twice and have a chance to beat them for a third time than split, them beating us at home, and them having confidence coming into next week if we play them again.”

First though, Nevada will look to grab the No. 2 spot in the tournament. Should Nevada beat Louisiana Tech (22-8, 9-6 WAC) at home Saturday combined with an Aggies loss at Utah State (24-6, 13-2 WAC), the Wolf Pack will do just that

Damian Tromerhauser can be reached at sports@nevadasagebrush.com.

Quickie Stats:

Nevada:

G Brandon Fields: 32 points, nine assists, seven rebounds.

F Luke Babbitt: 23 points, nine rebounds.

G Joey Shaw: 15 points, nine rebounds.

F Dario Hunt: 14 points, six rebounds.

G Armon Johnson: 11 assists, nine points.

New Mexico State:

G Jahmar Young: 22 points, nine assists.

G Jonathan Gibson: 17 points.

F Wendell McKines: 13 points, 13 rebounds.

F Troy Gillenwater: 17 points, nine rebounds.

Keys to the game:

–Nevada shot 80 percent from the free-throw line (24-of-30), while the Aggies shot 52 percent (13-of-25).

–The Wolf Pack outrebounded New Mexico State 42-35.

–Nevada shot 56.5 percent (35-of-62) on the night from the field, compared to New Mexico State’s 47.3 percent (35-of-74).

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• Five starters score double figures, Pack cruises past Idaho into second round
• Nevada halts losing skid, remains perfect at Lawlor
• Past success raises anticipation for Nevada
• Pack earns bid to NIT, will play Wichita State from Missouri Valley Conf.