The Nevada men’s basketball team (12-10, 4-7) held off a late rally from in-state rival UNLV (11-11, 5-6) in a 71-65 home win on Saturday, Feb. 1. The victory moved the Pack up to seventh place in the conference standings.
Both teams entered the game on three-game losing streaks and played with intensity from the start. After a three-pointer from forward Nick Davidson, guard Daniel Foster drove to the rim to cut the early deficit to 8-7 within the first three minutes.
As Nevada settled in, it capitalized on UNLV’s mistakes. Forward Justin McBride sparked the offense with a turnaround jumper, followed by a quick three-pointer in the next possession. After a steal by forward Tre Coleman, McBride finished on the other end with a slam. He later attacked the rim off a missed three-pointer, extending the Pack’s lead to 20-15 midway through the half.
Both sides traded baskets for the remainder of the first half, with Nevada taking a 33-30 lead into the break. McBride led all scorers with 13 points.
Coming out of the break, the Pack wasted no time building momentum. Guard Kobe Sanders knocked down a pair of free throws and drilled a pull-up jumper, extending Nevada’s lead to seven within the first two minutes.
Sanders added a three-pointer, and guard Tyler Rolison drove to the rim for two after a UNLV turnover. After the sequence from the two guards, Davidson put in a layup to push the Pack’s lead to 12 with 14 minutes remaining.
However, the Rebels fought their way back. Forward Bear Cherry powered through Nevada’s defense on three straight possessions, cutting the lead to four. Both teams traded free throws before UNLV trimmed the deficit to one. Guard Jaden Henley then buried a three-pointer, giving the Rebels their first lead since the first half.
As the game looked like it was slipping away, Nevada responded. Guard Xavier DuSell drained a three-pointer on the next possession, and Davidson added a driving layup. But UNLV’s Dedan Thomas Jr. answered with a long jumper, tying the game at 65 with 1:17 left.
DuSell came through again, sinking a jumper to put Nevada back in front. Rolison secured key defensive rebounds and knocked down four free throws in the final minute, sealing a 71-65 victory.
Four Pack players scored double figures in the win: Davidson led with 14 points, Sanders and McBride had 13, and Rolison finished with 12. The team shot 46 percent (22-48) from the field and scored 17 points off of 15 UNLV turnovers.
Nevada men’s basketball head coach Steve Alford acknowledged that this win could be a turning point for the team’s tumultuous season.
“We obviously had a tough January and we had some games we didn’t play particularly well,” Alford said. “Tonight there was growth and that was a big win for us. UNLV is a very good team and we needed a catalyst type of win for us. Now we got to see how we respond.”
The Wolf Pack’s next challenge will come on the road, as they travel to Colorado Springs, Colo. to take on the Air Force Falcons (3-19, 0-11) on Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 6 pm PST.
