Jarod Lucas scored 28 points on 10-of-14 shooting to help Nevada post a 77-64 victory over No. 24 Colorado State on Wednesday night in Mountain West Conference play at Reno, Nev.
Kenan Blackshear added 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting as Nevada (16-4, 3-3 MWC) halted a three-game losing streak. Nick Davidson had 10 points and seven rebounds for the Wolf Pack.
Jalen Lake scored 13 points and Josiah Strong added 12 for Colorado State (15-4, 3-3). Joel Scott chipped in 10 points for the Rams.
Colorado State star Isaiah Stevens had 10 assists but scored just eight points on shaky 4-of-16 shooting, including four misses from behind the arc. The Rams shot just 39.3 percent from the field, including 6 of 23 from 3-point range.
Nevada improved to 10-1 at home this season. The Wolf Pack also defeated Colorado State for the 11th time in the past 14 meetings.
Nevada shot 53.7 percent from the field and made 4 of 10 from behind the arc.
Blackshear knocked down back-to-back jumpers to start the second half as the Wolf Pack took a 39-27 lead.
Colorado State later pulled within 49-44 on Nique Clifford’s 3-pointer with 12:24 remaining before Lucas converted a three-point play and drained a 3-pointer during a personal 6-2 run to push Nevada’s lead to nine with 11:38 left.
Javonte Johnson buried a 3-pointer as the Rams moved within 65-60 with 5:45 remaining. However, Blackshear answered with three consecutive baskets. The latter one came when he grabbed an offensive rebound and laid it in to give the Wolf Pack an 11-point advantage with 2:35 to go.
Lucas hit two free throws with 36 seconds to make it a 15-point margin as Nevada closed it out.
Lucas scored 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting as Nevada held a 35-27 halftime lead. Lake scored nine points on three treys in the half for the Rams.
Colorado State shot just 28.6 percent (8 of 28) in the first half. Stevens missed all four of his shots in a scoreless half.
The Rams led 15-12 after Lake’s 3-pointer with 11:17 left in the half before the Wolf Pack went on a 9-1 run. Pope converted a three-point play to cap the burst and make it 21-16 with 6:27 remaining.
Nevada later led 31-22 on Tre Coleman’s basket with 1:48 left.
–Field Level Media