The Nevada men’s basketball team lost to San Jose State, 87-71, on Tuesday night at Provident Credit Union Event Center to fall to 17-9 overall and 9-6 in the Mountain West. Here are three takeaways from Nevada’s loss to the Spartans.

1. Nevada losses to SJSU more infrequent than presidential elections

San Jose State beats Nevada so infrequently it’s easy to remember each time it has happened in the last 20-plus years. Since 2003, the Spartans have five wins over the Wolf Pack, which entered last night’s game 40-4 against the Spartans in their last 44 matchups. In that same period, there have been six presidential elections. That’s how rarely Nevada loses to SJSU. Here are the last five occurrences:

Jan. 10, 2008: Known as the game JaVale McGee kicked a basketball into the stands

Feb. 18, 2014: Known as the beginning of the end of the David Carter era

Jan. 8, 2020: The first major proof the Steve Alford tenure would not be like the Eric Musselman tenure

March 9, 2023: SJSU’s first MW Tournament win in its decade in the league; should have knocked Nevada out of NCAA Tournament contention

Feb. 17, 2026: Whatever happened last night

In its 16-point loss at SJSU, which (a) entered 1-13 in the MW; (b) was 6-19 overall; (c) had not beaten an above-.500 team all season; and (d) was missing three starters who ranked among the team’s top-four scorers, Nevada posted its worst adjusted offensive efficiency this year and third worst adjusted defensive efficiency. It was a complete no show.

2. Point guard play has become problematic

My theory on why the MW could be a one-bid league this season is the quality of the point guard play. Frankly, the league has been medicore at that position, with Utah State’s Drake Allen the top-ranked point guard in the league, per EvanMiya.com, who ranked him 37th in the nation at his position. Gone are Donovan Dent, Alvaro Cardenas, Kobe Sanders, Nick Boyd, et al. And that point guard spot has become problematic for Nevada. Tayshawn Comer, Tyler Rolison and Myles Walker have all had some good to great games, but consistency has been an issue. And consistency is crucial at point guard, which runs the offense and spearheads the on-ball point-of-attack defense.

Against SJSU, Nevada’s point guard trio was 4-of-13 from the field, 1-of-8 from three and attempted zero free throw attempts (the Wolf Pack shot 32 overall free throws). Those three players combined for five assists with four turnovers, with none of those assists coming in Comer’s 19 minutes, with those 19 minutes showing the staff was not thrilled with his play. In MW games, Comer is shooting 37.5 percent, Rolison 37.7 percent and Walker 17.6 percent. Nevada has generally taken good care of the ball, but had nine first-half turnovers and 15 overall at SJSU, which doesn’t usually create many takeaways. Only four of those were from the point guards, but Nevada is seeing too many games where Comer and/or Rolison, who is battling a back injury, are not productive.

3. Does this team have any fight left?

This is anecdotal, but it seems like it’s easier than ever for teams to quit on a season. In the NIL/transfer portal era, there’s constant roster turnover, so it’s not like you have to prove to your coaching staff you deserve a spot on the team the following season because you’re likely off to the next school anyway, and oftentimes fielding offers from other colleges mid-year. This is not to say Nevada has quit on its season. The Wolf Pack has generally fought hard and showed good resolve. But that was not evident in the loss at SJSU, which was only the second time the team no-showed this year along with the early-season loss to UC Davis.

With the loss at San Diego State on Saturday, the Wolf Pack fell out of NCAA Tournament at-large and MW regular-season title contention. The result was a lackluster effort at SJSU, which cost Nevada double-digit spots in the NET and KenPom rankings (both 70th). Next, Nevada faces Utah State and New Mexico at home before road games at UNLV and Wyoming. Does this team have any fight left after going 3-4 in its last seven games, which included the fortunate win against Grand Canyon? We’re about to find out.

Columnist Chris Murray provides insight on Northern Nevada sports. Contact him at crmurray@sbgtv.com or follow him on Twitter @ByChrisMurray.