Nevada beats La. Tech

RENO - It will be remembered simply as the Virginia Street Escape.

Nevada battled back from an 11-point second-half deficit to edge co-WAC leader Louisiana Tech 50-49 thanks to a putback bank shot by Nick Fazekas with 1.3 seconds remaining in the game.

Nevada, 9-3 and 19-5, took over sole possession of first place. Louisiana Tech dropped to 8-4 and 15-10. The win gave Nevada the tie-breaker over Tech.

Trailing 49-48, Nevada called a 30-second timeout and then a full timeout with 17 seconds left on the shot clock and 20.9 in the game. Lyndale Burleson put up a shot just inside the 3-point line, and the rebound went off a Louisiana Tech player out of bounds with 3.9 remaining.

Marcelus Kemp, under heavy pressure threw up a 3-pointer that was apparently blocked by Tech's Paul Millsap. Fazekas crashed the boards and put the ball back in to give the Pack a 50-49 lead.

The clock showed 0.6, but after a brief delay, the 1.3 was put back on the clock. Chad McKenzie attempted to throw a long pass downcourt to Millsap, but McKenzie's pass was deflected by Fazekas, and by the time the ball came down the final horn went off.

"Coach drew it up for Marcelus," Fazekas said. "If we didn't have the shot, we were supposed to go over the top to Demarshay (Johnson). Millsap blocked it, and coach told us really crash the boards and try to get a tip.

"We ran the play. It was great to make something out of a broken play."

It was a tremendous finish, and it was ironic that it was Fazekas who had the game-winning basket because the 6-11 junior struggled most of the night, going 4-for-14 from the field en route to a 12-point, 15-rebound performance.

"It was a great basketball game," Nevada coach Mark Fox said. "Two great defensive teams and we made one more play then they did. I'm glad we won."

It was a disappointing ending for the Bulldogs, who did nearly everything right on that last possession.

"What can you say to that," Tech coach Keith Richard said. "It was one of those games you'd hate to see either team lose. It was a defensive battle. The major emphasis was to keep them off the offensive boards, and we lost the game on an offensive rebound.

"Nevada is a good team, and good teams have good things go for them. Airballs go their way. If it hits the rim we win."

Many shots hit the rim in this one. Nevada shot 30.4 for the game, including 23.3 in the second half. Tech shot 34 percent, including 20 percent in the second half. The teams combined for 11 field goals in the second half.

"These are two of the better defensive teams in the league," Richard said. "Look across the country. There are a lot of 50s and 40s. This time of the year people are defending better."

The first half was a massive struggle for the Pack. Fazekas was held without a point (0-for-6 from the floor), the team shot 38.5 percent and turned the ball over nine times. The Pack even played a 2-3 zone in the latter part of the first half.

Tied at 16, Louisiana Tech scored nine straight points in 2 1/2 minutes for a 25-16 lead. Drew Washington started the surge with a 3-pointer, and following a Nevada turnover, Marcus Elliott hit one free throw after being fouled on a breakaway by Burleson. After another turnover, Michael Wilds scored in the lane to make it 22-16. A basket and free throw by Millsap concluded the run.

Nevada cut it to six three different times, once on a Mo Charlo jump shot, another time on a Charlo slam and finally on a jump shot from the top of the key by Kemp.

Tech lengthened its lead in the final 3 1/2 minutes to 36-27 thanks to two free throws by Chad McKenzie, a trey by Wilds and a buzzer-beating basket by McKenzie after Tech stole the ball with time winding down.

Tech's defensive strategy was readily apparent - collapse on Fazekas and sag on Burleson and Ramon Sessions, and make everybody else earn their points.

Had it not been for Burleson, Tech would have had a double-digit lead. In his best half of the season, Burleson scored seven points, draining a 3-pointer and sinking all four of his free throws.

"He's been chomping at the bit for a chance," Fox said. "Tonight he got it and took advantage of it.

"We made a point at the half of saying we're not going to make a 10-point basket," Fox said. "You're going to have to scratch and claw your way back and fortunately we did."

After scoring in the first minute to take an 11-point lead, 38-27, the Bulldogs went the next five minutes without a basket. It would have been a great time for Nevada to take advantage, but the Pack started the half 0-for-11.

"I didn't do a good job of getting us shots in rhythm," Fox said. "Fortunately the defense was stopping them enough to get it done."

Nevada started its comeback with 12:17 left when Burleson knocked down a 3-pointer and then Fazekas converted a three-point play off an offensive rebound, cutting the lead to five points. It was Fazekas' first field goal of the game.

He scored four straight points, slicing the lead to 42-40, and Charlo gave the Pack their first lead since the early moments of the game with a 3-pointer to make it 43-42 with 8:18 left.

From there, the teams traded baskets until Fazekas' game-winning shot.