The Nevada men’s basketball team handled business in the first round of the Mountain West Tournament, defeating Fresno State 86-71 on March 12. The victory marked the Pack’s third win over the Bulldogs this season.
Fresno State struck first as forward Alex Crawford knocked down an early jumper. Nevada quickly answered, with forward K.J. Hymes sinking a free throw before forward Nick Davidson took over. After swatting a shot on the defensive end, Davidson sprinted down the court for a layup, capitalizing again on the next possession with another finish inside, igniting the Pack’s offense.
Guard Xavier DuSell kept the Pack rolling, burying a three-pointer to build momentum. On the next possession, guard Tyler Rolison swiped a steal and pushed the ball ahead, setting up Hymes for a layup. Rolison then took matters into his own hands, slicing through the defense for a layup before sinking a jumper on the following trip down the floor.
Forward Justin McBride added another inside finish, and guard Chuck Bailey capped the dominant stretch with a layup and a three-pointer, pushing Nevada’s lead to 22-5 with 10:48 left in the half.
Bailey kept the Pack in control, drilling back-to-back threes before Davidson tipped in a layup to stretch the lead to 32-13. Fresno State fought to stay in it, leaning on forward Elijah Price, who repeatedly drew fouls and capitalized at the free-throw line. His efforts helped chip away at Nevada’s advantage, cutting it to 44-32 by halftime. Bailey led all scorers at the break with 11 points.
Nevada carried its momentum into the second half, as Davidson knocked down an early jumper and Brandon Love calmly sank two free throws. Guard Kobe Sanders attacked the rim for a smooth finish, while Rolison drained a mid-range jumper. Moments later, McBride capitalized on a turnover, drilling a jumper to push the Pack’s lead to 52-36 with 15:47 remaining.
The Bulldogs began to chip away as guard Zaon Collins hit a series of tough jumpers, but Sanders kept them at bay, sinking two free throws before weaving through the defense for a layup and knocking down a mid-range jumper.
Both teams traded free throws down the stretch, but Nevada sealed the win in style. Davidson threw down a late slam, and Sanders added a final layup to put the finishing touches on the Pack’s 86-71 victory.
The Pack’s offense remained red-hot throughout the game, with four players scoring in double figures. Sanders led the way with a well-rounded performance, posting 17 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists. Rolison added 15 points, while Bailey chipped in 12. Davidson recorded a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Nevada shot 48 percent from the field (32-67) but struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 6 of 24 attempts (25 percent).
Steve Alford, head coach of the Nevada men’s basketball team, recorded his 700th career win in the victory and was proud of his team’s effort early in the tournament.
“It’s been good to see guys come into different roles late in the season,” Alford said. “But it’s been a season where we haven’t won any close games. Obviously, when you get to this point you want to be playing tomorrow and we get a chance to do that.”
The Wolf Pack advances to the second round of the Mountain West Tournament, where they will face Colorado State on March 13 at 6 p.m. PST.
James Wolfgang Perez can be reached via email at dominicgutierrez@unr.edu or via X @JamesWPerezUNR
