The Nevada men’s basketball team (11-9, 3-6) dropped their third straight game in conference play, falling 66-56 on the road against the Boise State Broncos (13-7, 5-4) on Wednesday, Jan. 29. With the loss, the Wolf Pack fell to eighth in the Mountain West, only above San Jose State, Fresno State and Air Force.
The Pack struggled to find their rhythm early, missing their first five shot attempts over the first seven minutes, which left them trailing 8-1. Forward Nick Davidson ended the drought with the team’s first three-pointer, sparking momentum.
On the next possession, guard Tyler Rolison intercepted a pass from Boise State forward Tyson Degenhart, setting up a three-pointer by forward Justin McBride to cut the deficit to 8-7 with 12:29 left in the first half.
Both teams traded baskets for the remainder of the half, with Davidson leading the Pack with seven points at the break.
Despite trailing by just four at halftime, Nevada struggled offensively, making only five field goals on 25 percent shooting (5-20.) However, 11 made free throws kept them within reach. Turnovers remained a concern, as the Pack’s eight giveaways led to 12 points for the Broncos.
Nevada’s shooting struggles continued into the second half, while defensive lapses left too much space for Boise State. The Broncos took advantage, knocking down three early three-pointers. Forward Javan Buchanan scored seven straight points, capping the run with a dunk through the heart of Nevada’s defense, pushing the Pack’s deficit to 41-31 with 14:12 remaining.
Boise State kept Nevada at bay for the rest of the game, leading by as many as 16 points before handing the Pack a 66-56 loss. Davidson led the team with 18 points and four rebounds, finishing as Nevada’s only player in double figures. After managing just 15 field goals in their previous matchup against San Diego State, the Pack improved slightly by shooting 40 percent (17-42) from the field.
Nevada’s losses continued to mount, and the same costly mistakes were repeated over the last three games. Despite staying competitive in the first half, the Pack lacked the physicality needed to keep up in tightly contested conference matchups. Each time an opponent put together a scoring run, Nevada struggled to regain its offensive rhythm, leading to missed three-pointers and turnovers.
With its seventh loss to a Mountain West opponent, Nevada is one conference loss away from matching their total loss count (8) from last year.
Nevada men’s basketball head coach Steve Alford cited the team’s lack of toughness as a mental and physical area the Pack needs to improve quickly.
“It’s not just energy and the ability to concentrate, it’s toughness, too,” Alford said. “We’ve got to be able to play through being bumped and missing shots”
The Pack’s next challenge will be at home, as they take on the rival UNLV Rebels (11-10, 5-5) on Saturday, Feb. 1, at 7 p.m.
