The Nevada men’s basketball team dropped to 6-2 following an uncharacteristic 68-57 loss to the Washington State Cougars on Monday, Dec. 3. The Pack’s offense struggled, committing a season-high 15 turnovers, with guard Kobe Sanders standing out as the only player to shoot above 50 percent.
Both teams struggled offensively to start the game, combining for 0-8 from the field until a layup by Washington State forward Lejuan Watts broke the scoreless stretch. A three-pointer by guard Xavier DuSell sparked the Pack’s early offense, followed by Sanders hitting a pull-up jumper and forward Nick Davidson throwing down a dunk off a Cougars turnover to give Nevada a 7-4 lead in the first five minutes.
Washington State refused to back down, as forward Rihards Vavers sank two fast-break three-pointers and added two free throws. Forward Ethan Price followed with a three-pointer of his own, giving the Cougars a 15-13 lead with eight minutes remaining in the first half.
Despite Nevada staying competitive, the Cougars’ success from beyond the arc kept the Pack at bay. Guard Tomas Thraasterson hit a three-pointer, followed by another from Watts.
Adding to Nevada’s struggles, the defense allowed Watts to slip free under the rim with two seconds left, catching an inbound pass and scoring a last-second layup. The play handed the Pack their first halftime home deficit of the season, trailing 31-21.
Nevada entered halftime down by 10 after scoring a season-low 21 points in the first half. The team shot just 26 percent (9-35) from the field and 7 percent (1-15) from beyond the arc, with Sanders leading the way with six points.
Out of the break, the Pack struggled to find points, quickly falling behind by as many as 19. They committed seven turnovers, while Washington State guard Isaiah Watts drained three pull-up three-pointers, extending his team’s lead to 54-35 with seven minutes remaining.
Both teams traded points for the remainder of the game, with the Cougars holding an 18-point with under a minute to go. The Pack would go on a late 7-0 run to make it an 11-point margin at the end, but it was too little, too late as the team suffered its first home loss of the season against a Washington State team that was missing its best player in Cedric Coward due to injury.
The Pack trailed most of the game as they could not find consistent offense throughout. Sanders scored 14 points and was the only Nevada player who shot above 50 percent (4-6), while the team shot a combined 39 percent (22-57) while only converting four three-pointers in the game.
Nevada men’s basketball head coach Steve Alford emphasized that, despite the extended break, their game preparation remained consistent with any other week.
“We had a really bad week of practice. We have not played well in practice for about three days, and it showed up tonight,” Alford said. “Bad practices mean bad performances, and we have to do a better job coaching them. We’ve got seven seniors, so it’s shocking. This was maybe the worst offensive performance our team has had since I’ve been here.”
The Wolf Pack’s next challenge will be on the road. They’ll travel to Los Angeles, Calif., to take on the LMU Lions on Saturday, Dec. 7, at 6:00 p.m. PST.
