GEORGE TOWN, Grand Cayman – The University of Nevada Men’s Basketball team fought until the very end but came up just short, dropping their first game of the season in overtime to Kansas State, 96-87.
Playing shorthanded with K.J. Hymes and Daniel Foster out for the second consecutive game, Nevada played only eight players in the contest. The Pack had five players reach double figures in scoring, as Jarod Lucas, Will Baker, Kenan Blackshear, Tre Coleman, and Darrion Williams each surpassed the mark.
Lucas led the way for Nevada, scoring 20 points on 6-12 shooting from the field, including 4-9 from behind the arc.
Baker had his best offensive performance of the season, pouring in 19 points on 8-13 shooting from the field, in addition to grabbing five rebounds.
Blackshear recorded his second consecutive double-double, putting up 17 points and dishing out 10 assists in the contest. Blackshear also pulled down five rebounds and knocked down 9-10 shots from the free-throw line.
Coleman and Williams finished the contest with 10 points apiece, combining to hit 4-6 shots from three and 7-11 shots from the field overall.
The Pack had an efficient game on the offensive end of the court, as they shot 51.9 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from three for the game.
The 87 points scored by Nevada also marked their second-highest point total in a game this season.
The Pack fell behind 8-2 two minutes into the game; however, they responded with an 8-2 run of their own in the form of a Baker dunk followed by back-to-back 3-pointers from Lucas.
The two teams went back and forth for the entire first half, as there were seven ties and three lead changes in the first 20 minutes of action.
The Pack shot a stellar 57.1 percent from the field during the first half, as well as 44.4 percent from three and 83.3 percent from the free throw line, taking a 38-36 advantage into the halftime break.
Nevada opened up the second half strong, as Williams drilled a corner 3-pointer 11 seconds into the period and then recorded a steal on the Pack’s first defensive possession. Williams then grabbed a strong offensive rebound and scored in the paint, reeling off five straight points to begin the half, giving Nevada their largest lead of the game.
Kansas State responded with an 8-0 run over the next two minutes to retake the lead with 17:24 to go.
The Pack managed to tie the game six separate times over the next nine minutes; unfortunately, they were unable to recapture the lead.
With the score tied at 67 apiece with 8:31 remaining in the contest, The Wildcats went on a 9-0 run to build their largest lead of the game with just 4:08 to play.
Despite Kansas State controlling the momentum of the game and nearly holding a double-digit advantage, Nevada once again displayed their exceptional poise, using a 12-1 run over the next three minutes and 42 seconds to take their first lead in over 15 minutes.
Lucas drained a contested 3-pointer to cap off the run and give Nevada 79-78 advantage with just 48 seconds to go.
Nick Davidson came up with a phenomenal block on the Pack’s next defensive possession and corralled the rebound with 23 seconds to go. Nevada got the ball in Blackshear’s hands, and the Wildcats were forced to foul.
Blackshear knocked down one of two shots at the line, giving Nevada a two-point lead with 14 seconds to play.
Kansas State brought the ball down the court and scored in the paint to even score with less than five seconds to go. Blackshear managed to get a shot attempt for the win from near half-court. Although there was a lot of contact on the play, no foul was called as Blackshear lost control of the ball on the attempt, and the two squads ended regulation tied at 80 apiece.
After the Wildcats scored first in overtime, Baker hit a contested hook shot in the paint to tie up the game for the 16th time. Kansas State then went on a 14-5 run to end the contest, as the shorthanded Pack came up just shy of earning their sixth straight victory to begin the season, in addition to tomorrow’s Championship game.
Notable Stats:
- There were 16 ties and 10 lead changes throughout the game.
- Nevada was +4 in turnover margin.
- Nick Davidson had a career-high two blocks.
- Darrion Williams, Tre Coleman, and Kenan Blackshear each recorded two steals in the game.
- Blackshear and Coleman each set new career highs in minutes played, seeing 42 minutes and 41 minutes of action, respectively.
- Nevada made 22 of their 27 free throw attempts in the game.
- Blackshear set new career highs in free throws made (9) and free throws attempted (10).
- Tyler Powell had a career-high seven points on 2-2 shooting from the field and 2-2 from the free throw line.
Up Next
Nevada will close out tournament play at the 2022 Cayman Islands Classic tomorrow afternoon, as they will take on Akron at 2:30 PM with the opportunity to claim third place in the tournament.
