Nevada 79, Louisiana Tech 71
RUSTON, La. -- Nevada coach Mark Fox was not happy with the Wolf Pack's play even though they came away with a win.
"We just didn't play at the level we needed to against a Louisiana Tech team that is better than their record shows and who fought extremely hard throughout the game," Fox said. "We were fortunate to be able to get this win."
Nick Fazekas and Marcelus Kemp each scored 20 points as Nevada (No. 13 ESPN/USA Today, No. 15 AP) beat Louisiana Tech 79-71 on Wednesday night in the Western Athletic Conference game, with Fazekas fueling a 12-6 run to start the second half and extend a 31-27 halftime lead to 43-33.
"We got off to a good start in the second half and got a little breathing room with Kemp's outside shooting but then Tech got right back in it with their defensive stops," Fox said.
Louisiana Tech (6-15, 4-5) closed within 47-44 on a 6-2 run. Tech was able to keep the game within three and trailed 68-65 with 2:30 left before Nevada closed the game with a 11-6 run.
"It came down to us just not making enough big stops," Tech coach Keith Richard said. "We had our chances, got pretty close to them late in the game but against a good team like Nevada, you've got to make every big stop every chance you get and we just didn't do that in the last four or five minutes of the game.
"Every time we got close they'd hit big shots and the guys they had coming off their bench, they don't lose much," he said.
After getting down 19-9, the Bulldogs used stingy defense and free throws to climb back, and Trey McDowell connected on a 3-pointer with 6:45 left in the first half to give Tech its first lead in the game 23-21.
Nevada would outscore the Bulldogs 11-7 for the remainder of the half and started the second half much like the first with a 6-0 run, before Jerome Richardson connected on a pair of free throws to cut to the lead to 37-29 with 17:12 left in the game.
Another McDowell 3 later in the half sparked a 6-0 Bulldog run that pulled Tech back within three points at 47-44 with 11:41 left, but the Wolf Pack answered with a 6-0 run of their own to take a 53-46 lead.
Both teams traded baskets for almost the remainder of the half, but it would be Nevada who would come away with the win.
"The thing Nevada does so well is they have good play-makers," Richard said. "If you make a defense mistake, they find the right guy and capitalize on it. It makes it difficult to get over the hump since they make such big plays. You can't make mistakes against this team."
Kyle Shiloh added 10 points for Nevada, who shares first place in conference play with New Mexico State.
Chad McKenzie and Marcus Elliot each had 11 points for Tech while Terry Parker Jr. and Jerome Richardson both added 10.
New Mexico State 78, Boise State 68
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) - Tyrone Nelson and Justin Hawkins accounted for most of New Mexico State's early points and the Aggies held off a late second-half surge by Boise State to beat the Broncos 78-68 Wednesday night in the Western Athletic Conference.
Hawkins and Nelson combined for 13 points in the first six minutes of the game as New Mexico State (18-4, 8-1) built a 17-2 lead. Nelson finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds, and Hawkins added 18 points.
Reggie Larry and Coby Karl each scored 14 for the Broncos (11-9, 5-4).
Boise State cut the lead to 67-62 on a reverse Matt Nelson layup with 2:26 to play. Moments later Anthony Thomas and Coby Karl combined for three free throws to get Boise State within two.
But on the ensuing possession Nelson scored under the basket and was fouled. He would hit the bonus free throw to give the Aggies a 70-65 lead.
With the Aggies leading 72-68, Karl had the chance to make it a single possession game but missed one of two free throws with 33 seconds left.
The Broncos left Hawkins open on the inbound play, and he was uncontested as he made the basket that sealed the win.