Basketball: Pack drops another late lead, loses 3rd in a row

The Nevada Wolf Pack gave away another basketball game Monday night.

The George Washington Colonials stormed past the Wolf Pack in the final seven minutes to take a 58-56 decision in the consolation round of the NIT Season Tip-off Tournament at George Washington.

The Wolf Pack, now 1-3, led 51-44 with 7:11 to play and then went scoreless over the next 6:31 to suffer its third consecutive defeat.

The defeat was similar to a 76-75 loss to Pepperdine in Los Angeles on Tuesday when the Pack blew another seven-point lead (71-64) with just under five minutes to play.

Dario Hunt scored 16 points to lead the Wolf Pack for the fourth consecutive game in scoring. The junior also had seven rebounds in 27 minutes.

Devonte Elliott, who had six points and 14 rebounds in 18 minutes, hit a free throw for a 51-44 Wolf Pack lead with 7:11 to play. The Pack, though, missed its next five shots and turned the ball over five times in the next 6:31 as George Washington (2-1) took control.

Tony Taylor had 14 points to lead George Washington. Joseph Katuka added 12 points and 11 rebounds and Aaron Ware had 11 points, including the tying (51-51) and go-ahead (53-51) baskets in the final two minutes.

The Pack actually went over eight minutes down the stretch between successful field goals. Derrell Conner hit a 3-pointer for a 50-44 lead with 8:18 to play and the next Pack field goal came with one second to play, on a 3-pointer by Malik Story.

Wolf Pack point guard Deonte Burton missed all 11 of his shots and finished with two points in 25 minutes. Burton had seven assists and four turnovers.

Story, who missed seven of his nine shots, finished with eight points in 32 minutes.

The Pack shot 37% as a team (21-of-57). George Washington struggled as well, hitting just 35% (20-of-57) of its shots. The Pack was 10-of-15 from the free throw line and the Colonials were 12-of-21.

Story drained a 3-pointer for a 29-26 Pack lead with 4:29 to play in the first half. The Pack then did not score over the final 4:29 of the opening half and settled for a 29-29 halftime tie.

The Wolf Pack, now 0-3 in the NIT Tip-off Tournament after losses to Pacific (64-53), Pepperdine and George Washington, will meet Boston University on Tuesday at George Washington.