The Wolf Pack’s Nick Davidson led Nevada on Wednesday night, scoring 16 points on 5-for-7 shooting.
Photo by Steve Ranson.
A look at the key moments, players and plays from the Nevada Wolf Pack men's basketball team's 77-63 victory over the South Dakota State Jackrabbits on Wednesday at Lawlor Events Center:
KEY RETURN TO FORM
Veteran players Nick Davidson, Tre Coleman and Xavier DuSell, who had combined for just 23 points in the last two Wolf Pack losses to Washington State and Loyola Marymount, rediscovered their offensive production against South Dakota State. The three combined for 40 points against the Jackrabbits (Davidson 16, Coleman 13, DuSell 11) on 14-of-25 shooting overall and 8-of-18 on threes. The three were 7-of-41 from the floor overall and 2-of-26 on threes the last two games combined.
KEY COACHING DECISION
Pack coach Steve Alford trusted this game to his bench during a crucial stretch in the second half. The Wolf Pack led just 48-46 with 14:35 to go, with starters Coleman and Davidson on the floor with bench players Tyler Rolison, Daniel Foster and K.J. Hymes. A minute later Davidson was replaced by bench player Justin McBride and another minute later Coleman was lifted for reserve Tre Coleman. For the next three-plus minutes, therefore, from 12:44 left in the second half to 9:13 left, the five bench players (Rolison, McBride, Bailey, Hymes and Foster) completed a 9-0 run to take a pivotal 57-46 lead. Rolison scored all nine points in the run. Alford then took out Bailey, Foster, McBride and Hymes with 9:13 to play and replaced them with starters Coleman, Davidson, Kobe Sanders and Brandon Love as the Pack secured its 14-point win.
KEY DEFENSIVE EFFORT
South Dakota State center Oscar Cluff (6-foot-11) came into the game having scored between 14-23 points and pulling down 9-14 rebounds in all 10 Jackrabbit games this season. The Pack held Cluff to just six points and four rebounds. Cluff, who was averaging 10 shots a game, found enough room to go just 3-for-3 against the Pack. Cluff had 19 points and 14 rebounds against Boise State in a narrow 83-82 loss in late November. Cluff, who is from Australia and transferred to South Dakota State this past offseason from Washington State, still leads the Summit League in rebounds (11.0 per game) and shooting percentage (76-of-104 for .731).
KEY JACKRABBIT RUN
South Dakota State went on a 12-3 run over the final 3:38 of the first half and first 18 seconds of the second half to take a 39-30 lead. All 12 points during the run came on layups as the Pack went 1-of-4 on threes with two turnovers. Cluff started the run with a layup to break a 27-27 tie and ended it with another layup for a 39-30 lead. He never scored again in the game.
KEY TURNING POINT
The Wolf Pack, trailing 42-32 with 18:49 to play, got right back in the game with a 13-0 run to take a 45-42 lead with 15:50 left. Nick Davidson keyed the run with eight points on two threes and a layup. His first three started the run with 18:31 to play. A Xavier DuSell 3-pointer closed the run for a 45-42 lead with 15:50 left. Kobe Sanders' layup evened things at 42-42 with 16:37 to go.
KEY HIDDEN CONTRIBUTORS
Alford used his bench perfectly against the Jackrabbits to inject life into the Pack offense. The bench, led by Tyler Rolison's 14 points, scored a combined 26 points on an efficient 11-of-19 shooting (4-of-9 on threes). The bench played a combined 66 minutes and also added six rebounds, three blocks and four steals (one each by Rolison, Daniel Foster, Justin McBride and K.J. Hymes). The bench's contribution wasn't always hidden (see "Key Coaching Decision" above) but this game got everyone back on track as far as roles and production was concerned.
KEY PACK TREND
Something clearly is happening to the Wolf Pack in the halftime locker room lately. The Wolf Pack, over the last three games, looks like a team that just can't miss a shot in the second half. The Pack was on fire in the second half against South Dakota State, shooting 19-of-27 (70 percent) overall and 7-of-14 on threes. The offensive improvement of the Pack over its last three games in the second half is eye-opening.
In the first half of the last three games the Pack has shot 29-of-97 (30 percent) overall and 9-of-46 (20 percent) on threes. In the second half of the last three games the Pack has shot a scorching 44-of-74 (59 percent) overall and 13-of-27 (48 percent) on threes.
The Pack has scored just 76 points in the first half of the last three games combined, leading to halftime deficits of 31-21 (Washington State), 35-25 (Marymount) and 37-30 (South Dakota State). The Pack has come out of its halftime locker room the last three games combined to score 122 points, winning the second half in two of the games: 39-33 against Marymount and 47-26 to South Dakota State while losing the second 20 minutes to Washington State, 37-36.
UP NEXT
The Wolf Pack (7-3) will host the Texas Southern Tigers (2-7) on Saturday (7 p.m.) at Lawlor Events Center. The Pack beat Texas Southern, 91-73, on Dec. 18, 2019, at Lawlor behind 18 points each by Jalen Harris and Lindsey Drew in the only other meeting of the two teams. This will be the Tigers' second of three games this season against a Mountain West team after a 99-68 loss to New Mexico in front of 11,286 at The Pit in Albuquerque. The Tigers go to Boise State on Dec. 17.