Nevada women fall against San Jose State

RENO - Missing 50 shots doomed the Nevada women's basketball team.

The Pack failed to scored during a seven-minute span in the second half which led to San Jose State picking up the 64-56 league win Saturday afternoon before 445 fans at Lawlor Events Center.

Nevada coach Kim Gervasoni simply said Saturday's game, especially the second half, was an embarrassment.

"I'm just embarrassed the way they came out in the second half," Gervasoni said of her team, which finished the game 20-for-70 from the field.

The fourth-year coach added her team lacked in defensive intensity and heart.

"As a coach, I can't put heart in their bodies ... it looked like they gave up," she said. "To me, they don't believe what we tell them. They just didn't want to listen to us. It's frustrating."

Nevada, which travels to Idaho and Boise State this week, drops to 0-2 in the WAC, 3-10 overall, while SJSU improves to 2-0 in the WAC, 5-6 overall.

Brandi Fitzgerald led the Pack with 17 points, just missing six out of 13 shots, and Meghan McGuire added 11.

"Defensive intensity went down for sure," McGuire said. "We just stopped playing. We have to come out and play 40 complete minutes."

Jessica Preslar, who has been a hot shooter during the past week, failed to score in finishing 2-of-16 from the field for eight points.

"We just had a lapse and I had a lapse, personally," Preslar said. "We weren't executing. From there on, it was downhill."

Gervasoni seemed confused about her team's effort.

"I've tried a lot of different things. I don't know what the solution is," Gervasoni said. "I've pulled every trick in my coaching bag."

Four players scored in double figures for the Spartans with Lamisha Augustine leading the way with 18 points. Anetero Uiagalelei scored 15 points, including three critical 3-pointers, and Brittany Imaku and Amber Jackson each added 10.

"It was good to have that 3-point shooting today," Uiagalelei said. "Today it just felt natural."

SJSU coach Janice Richard said her team was lucky to win the game despite being out-rebounded.

"They definitely gave themselves the position to win this basketball game," Richard said about Nevada.

The Pack finished the game with 46 total rebounds, including 21 offensively, while the Spartans grabbed 38 boards and only seven offensively.

"We were a fortunate team to hold on for the win," Richard added. "It was definitely a much-needed win for us."

After trailing at halftime by two points, Nevada came back to take a 39-34 lead with 13:03 remaining in the game.

The Spartans scored six unanswered points before Preslar hit her second field goal to give the Pack the lead, 41-40, a t the 11:07 mark.

SJSU put together another run, this time for 13 unanswered points led by Uiagalelei's 3-point shooting.

Uiagalelei pulled up for a 3-pointer to give the Spartans a nine-point lead and Jackson scored in the paint for the team's biggest lead of the game at 13 points, 54-41.

"That was when we started that run," Richard said. "We got some easy transition baskets."

Nevada failed to score during a 6:52 span until Fitzgerald converted on her rebound.