Pack drops to 0-8 against Mountain West’s best

The Nevada Wolf Pack's 70-69 loss to the Boise State Broncos on Saturday at Lawlor Events Center came down to just two things.

"We got pounded on the glass and we can't make foul shots," Wolf Pack coach Steve Alford said after the game via The Sagebrush's channel on YouTube. "We did a lot of good things. But we lost because of backboarding and foul shooting."

The Wolf Pack, No. 6 in this week's Nevada Appeal Mountain West rankings with just four games remaining in the regular season, fell to 15-12 overall and 7-9 in league play.

The Wolf Pack, which was swept in its two-game series with Boise State this season, is now 0-8 against the top five teams (New Mexico, Utah State, Colorado State, San Diego State, Boise State) in the Mountain West this season with games against New Mexico (March 4 at home) and at San Diego State (March 8) to close out the regular season.

The Wolf Pack is now looking at a seed of no higher than No. 6 and being forced to win four games in four days (March 12-15) in order to win the Mountain West tournament. The top five seeds get a first-round bye.

Alford says his Wolf Pack has to blame its free-throw shooting this season for failing to finish in the top five. The Wolf Pack, just 6-of-12 from the line against Boise State on Saturday, is shooting .686 from the line this year, the lowest since Alford took over the program for the 2019-20 season.

Alford, one of the greatest free-throw shooters in college basketball history (career success rate of .898), can't explain his team's struggles from the line.

"That's hard to understand," he said. "To me, it's the easiest shot (after) and uncontested layup."

The Wolf Pack was also beaten off the glass, 37-26, by Boise State. The Pack was dominated in rebounding, 71-41, in its two losses (79-71 to Colorado State and 70-69 by Boise State) last week.

"We've lost a lot of one-score games this year (seven by five points or less)," Alford said. "Making those plays down the stretch are toughness plays. We just have to learn that."

The Wolf Pack will host No. 9 Wyoming on Tuesday and go to UNLV on Friday this week with a chance of returning to .500 in league play heading into the final week.

San Jose State was blown out by No. 2 Utah State (105-57) last Wednesday and rebounded to beat (82-73) on Saturday. Josh Uduje had 29 points against Wyoming.

"It was a disaster," San Jose State coach Tim Miles said on sjsuspartans.com after the 48-point loss to Utah State. "We didn't compete well. We didn't meet the moment."

The win over San Jose State was Utah State's largest margin of victory in a conference game in its program's history. Utah State also knocked off No. 4 San Diego State, 79-71, on Saturday at home.

"The physicality, the rebounding, the ball security was great," Utah State coach Jerrod Calhoun said on utahstateaggies.com after the win over San Diego State. "We've been really on our team to finish games, and we did that. You have to play through the fatigue."

Calhoun, whose Aggies are second in the Mountain West in scoring at 82.5 points a game (New Mexico is at 83.0), was ready for the matchup against San Diego. The Aztecs lead the conference in defense, allowing just 63 points a game.

"San Diego State just plays defense differently than any other team in the conference," Calhoun said. "I took it personal that I was going up against one of the greatest defensive coaches (the Aztecs' Brian Dutcher) in the country. But when we're humming like that, we're hard to guard."

Calhoun believes the win over San Diego State might have earned his program at least an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Utah State is 24-4, 14-3 with three games left in the regular season.

"We told the guys at halftime, 'We're 20 minutes away from really putting ourselves in a great spot to get to the NCAA Tournament,’" Calhoun said.

San Diego State (18-7, 11-5), which lost 7-foot center Magoon Gwath to a knee injury on Saturday, likely still needs to impress the selection committee.

"We're gutty, we're gritty," Dutcher said on goaztecs.com. "We have what we have. It was a gutty performance against a good Utah State team."

A crowd of 10,270 showed up to cheer Utah State.

"It was definitely a high-intensity environment," San Diego State guard B.J. Davis said. "It was an aggressive and hostile crowd, and they fed (the Utah State players) energy. It got a little shaky for us with play calls."

The loss of Gwath, who was averaging 8.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.6 blocks a game, could hinder the Aztecs down the stretch if he misses more time. The other significant injury development in the Mountain West this past week was to UNLV guard Dedan Thomas (shoulder), who missed the Rebels' 61-53 loss at home on Saturday to No. 3 Colorado State.

Nevada, which plays UNLV this Friday and goes to San Diego State on March 8, could benefit from both injuries over the next two weeks.

No. 7 UNLV (14-13, 8-8), struggling to keep its head above water lately, has gone 5-8 since Jan. 4.

Rebels coach Kevin Krueger, as he is known to do, is remaining positive about his team.

"We did what we needed to do to win," Krueger said on unlvrebels.com after the loss to Colorado State. "Guys were locked in."

No. 5 Boise State (19-8, 11-5) made a big statement last week, stunning No. 1 New Mexico (86-78) on Wednesday at home and then winning at Nevada (70-69) three days later. Tyson Degenhart had 32 points against New Mexico while Javan Buchanan came off the bench to score 17 at Nevada. Andrew Meadow had 24 against the Wolf Pack.

"We just had to withstand all their (Nevada's) punches," Meadow said on Boise radio station KBOI (according to the Idaho Statesman). "They wanted the win; we wanted the win. We had to show them we wanted it more."

Boise State coach Leon Rice said after the win over New Mexico that his Broncos are "hitting their stride," on Bronco Nation News' YouTube channel. "When we have a bunch of guys playing their best, we are a very, very good team. Nobody has to be superhuman. We just have to be good and let it rip."

No. 9 Wyoming, which comes to Lawlor Events Center on Tuesday to play Nevada, beat No. 10 Air Force, 69-62, on Tuesday and lost at home to San Jose State, 83-72, on Saturday.

"A missed opportunity is the easiest way to describe this," Wyoming coach Sundance Wicks said on gowyo.com after the loss to San Jose State. "The message to the locker room is that you have to be at your best when your best is needed."

Air Force (4-23, 1-15) jumped a spot to No. 10 spot after beating Fresno State, 82-79, in overtime at home on Saturday. Both teams have just one win in conference play (they split their season series).

No. 11 Fresno State (5-23, 1-16), though, has more pressing concerns right now than its win-loss record.

Two of their players, former Wolf Pack guard Jalen Weaver and Bishop Gorman High (Las Vegas) graduate Jaon Collins, were held out the Air Force game because they are being investigated for alleged NCAA gambling infractions. A third player, Mykell Robinson, has also been removed from the roster and is also being investigated.

If found to have gambled on Fresno State games the college basketball careers of the three players (and anyone else involved) will be over.

The Nevada Appeal Mountain West men's basketball rankings for the week of Feb. 24:

1. NEW MEXICO (22-5, 14-2). Last week: Boise State 86, New Mexico 78 (Feb. 19). This week: New Mexico at San Diego State (Feb. 25), Air Force at New Mexico (March 1).

2. UTAH STATE (24-4, 14-3). Last week: Utah State 105, San Jose State 77 (Feb. 19), Utah State 79, San Diego State 71 (Feb. 22). This week: Utah State at Boise State (Feb. 26), Utah State at Colorado State (March 1).

3. SAN DIEGO STATE (18-7, 11-5). Last week: San Diego State 83, Fresno State 60 (Feb. 18), Utah State 79, San Diego State 71 (Feb. 22). This week: New Mexico at San Diego State (Feb. 25), San Diego State at Wyoming (March 1).

4. COLORADO STATE (18-9, 12-4). Last week: Colorado State 79, Nevada 71 (Feb. 18), Colorado State 61, UNLV 53 (Feb. 22). This week: Colorado State at Air Force (Feb. 25), Utah State at Colorado State (March 1).

5. BOISE STATE (19-8, 11-5). Last week: Boise State 86, New Mexico 78 (Feb. 19), Boise State 70, Nevada 69 (Feb. 22). This week: Utah State at Boise State (Feb. 26), Boise State at Fresno State (March 1).

6. NEVADA (15-12, 7-9). Last week: Colorado State 79, Nevada 71 (Feb. 18), Boise State 70, Nevada 69 (Feb. 22). This week: Wyoming at Nevada (Feb. 25), Nevada at UNLV (Feb. 28).

7. UNLV (14-13, 8-8). Last week: Colorado State 79, UNLV 71 (Feb. 22). This week: UNLV at San Jose State (Feb. 25), Nevada at UNLV (Feb. 28).

8. SAN JOSE STATE (13-16, 6-11). Last week: Utah State 105, San Jose State 57 Utah State (Feb. 19), San Jose State 82, Wyoming 73 (Feb. 22). This week: UNLV at San Jose State (Feb. 25).

9. WYOMING (12-16, 5-12). Last week: Wyoming 69, Air Force 62 (Feb. 18), San Jose State 82, Wyoming 73 (Feb. 22). This week: Wyoming at Nevada (Feb. 25), San Diego State at Wyoming (March 1).

10. AIR FORCE (4-23, 1-15). Last week: Wyoming 69, Air Force 62 (Feb. 18), Air Force 72, Fresno State 69, OT (Feb. 22). This week: Colorado State at Air Force (Feb. 25), Air Force at New Mexico (March 1).

11. FRESNO STATE (5-23, 1-16). Last week: San Diego State 83, Fresno State 60 (Feb. 18), Air Force 72, Fresno State 69, OT (Feb. 22). This week: Boise State at Fresno State (March 1).