Keys: Pack overcomes slow start for 2nd win over Bulldogs

A look at the Nevada ‘s 69-59 men’s basketball victory against Fresno State on Saturday at Lawlor Events Center:

KEY PACK RUN

A nervous and anxious home crowd of 10,032 saw the Wolf Pack trailing 45-40 with just under 12 minutes to play. That all changed midway through the second half as the Pack finally found some extended energy and production, igniting the home crowd with a much-needed 13-0 run for a 53-45 lead with seven minutes left.

All five players on the floor (Elijah Price, Corey Camper, Tyler Rolison, Kaleb Lowery and Vaughn Weems) scored during the run. Camper hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 45-45 and Lowery had an offensive rebound and layup for a 49-45 lead. Fresno State went 0-for-4 from the floor and 0-of-2 from the line with five fouls and two turnovers during the four-minute Pack run.

KEY PACK STRETCH

The Wolf Pack led just 53-52 after Fresno State’s David Douglas hit a jumper with just under five minutes to play to cap a 7-0 Bulldog run. The Pack then grabbed the game by the collar to take a game-over 66-55 lead with 68 seconds to play. Vaughn Weems’ 3-point play for a 56-52 lead with 4:36 and Corey Camper’s offensive rebound and short jumper in the paint with 3:32 left made the score 58-52 and pointed the Wolf Pack in the right direction. The Pack then grabbed control of the game on a pair of 3-pointers 47 seconds apart by Tyler Rolison (2:37 to go) and Camper (1:50) for a 66-55 lead with 68 seconds to play.

KEY HIDDEN STRETCH

Fresno State was clearly more prepared and ready to play on Saturday than the Wolf Pack. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 15-6 lead five-plus minutes into the game and still led 28-21 with just over four minutes to play in the first half. Nevada’s Myles Walker, who played just three minutes on Saturday, then pulled down an offensive rebound off a missed 3-pointer by Kaleb Lowery and fed Corey Camper for a 3-pointer. That play seemed to ignite the Pack, starting a 7-0 run (Lowery followed with two free throws and a jumper) over the final four minutes of the half. Fresno State missed its final seven shots of the half and the Pack suddenly went into halftime even with the Bulldogs at 28-28 and not trailing for the first time since it was 2-2 just a minute into the game.

KEY PACK PLAYER

Tyler Rolison came off the bench to give the Wolf Pack 11 points, five assists and four rebounds in 22 valuable minutes. Rolison was on the floor when the Pack needed him the most in the second half, scoring all 11 of his points over the final 10 minutes of the game. His lone 3-pointer gave the Wolf Pack a 61-55 lead with 2:37 to play.

Rolison played 12 of the final 13 minutes as the Wolf Pack outscored the Bulldogs, 31-16. Rolison was coming off a game four nights earlier in which he scored just two points in 16 minutes in a 91-87 overtime loss at Boise State.

KEY HIDDEN PACK PLAYER

Vaughn Weems gave the Pack consistency all night with 15 points, four rebounds, three steals and a block in his 30 minutes. The 6-foot-5 guard had two 3-point plays, cutting Fresno’s lead to 23-19 in the first half and giving the Pack an important 56-52 lead with 4:36 left in the game.

Weems was 5-of-10 from the floor, despite missing 4-of-5 3-pointers. His 10 shot attempts are his season high as are his three steals. Weems was on the floor for the all-important final 10 minutes of the game, helping turn a 45-45 tie into a 69-59 victory.

KEY FACTOR

The Wolf Pack bench, led by Rolison’s 11 points, outscored the Fresno State bench 16-4. Jeriah Coleman also contributed seven rebounds, three points and two blocks in 14 minutes off the bench. Joel Armotrading, a 6-foot-10 center who started the Pack’s first seven games, also played in his first game since Nov. 27 and played six minutes off the bench and scored two points.

The Wolf Pack bench played a huge part in the Pack’s two victories over Fresno State this year. The Pack beat Fresno State 66-65 on Jan. 3 as its bench outscored the Fresno bench, 27-1 (Rolison had 16 points) The Pack bench on Saturday was coming off a game at Boise State in which it was outscored 23-3 in an overtime loss.

KEY HIDDEN FACTOR

The Wolf Pack out-rebounded Fresno State, 43-31. The Pack also had 13 offensive rebounds to Fresno State’s 5, leading the way for the Pack’s 17-10 edge in second-chance points and 28-14 advantage in points in the paint. Six Pack players had between four and nine (Kaleb Lowery) rebounds. Coleman had an average of one rebound every two minutes off the bench with seven n 14 minutes. A third (three) of Lowery’s nine boards were on the offensive glass.

KEY PACK ADVERSITY

Three Pack starters (Elijah Price, Corey Camper, Tayshawn Comer) didn’t, for the most part, provide their normal production. Camper was solid with 15 points, three threes, five rebounds, three assists and a steal in 36 minutes. But he was coming off two games in which he scored 32 (UNLV) and 35 (Boise State) points. Fresno State didn’t allow Camper to take over the game, holding him to just a dozen shots after he averaged 18.5 against UNLV and Boise State combined.

Price had eight rebounds but he struggled with foul trouble all night and contributed just 10 points in 24 minutes. Comer played just 22 minutes because of a lack of production, contributed just five points and was sent to the bench for all but 19 seconds of the final 4:53 with the game on the line.

UP NEXT

The Wolf Pack (17-7, 9-4) will play at San Diego State on Saturday at Viejas Arena. The Aztecs (17-6, 11-2) will be coming off an 88-54 victory over Air Force. The Wolf Pack has lost its last 13 games at San Diego State after winning there 76-71 on Nov. 14, 1998.