Box Score Nov. 22, 2015 Box Score
Photo Gallery
HONOLULU, Hawaii - On the final day of the Bank of Hawaii Rainbow Wahine Classic, the Nevada women's basketball team closed its stay on the islands with a 69-58 loss to Loyola Marymount Sunday afternoon.
The Wolf Pack (0-4) were led for a third straight game by senior Nyasha LeSure, who totaled 15 points. LeSure has posted points in double figures in four consecutive outings, the longest streak of her career. Sophomore Halie Bergman also reached double digits with 11 points, the first double digit game of her early career.
Nevada fought and clawed its way to remain in the ball game after being down by as many as 15 in the second quarter. LMU's (1-3) Andee Velasco hit for seven straight points during the middle of the second to reach that 15-point lead, 31-16. The Pack, and more specifically Bergman, was able to bring it to an 11-point Lions' lead at halftime after she ended the second with seven consecutive points.
The third quarter was the Pack's chance to really do some damage and take over the lead, but the team could only get to within one. After being down 11 heading into the third, Nevada used a 9-0 run capped off by a Teige Zeller layup to cut it to a 42-41 LMU lead and forced the Lions' head coach to call a timeout.
Coming out of the timeout, Loyola Marymount hit its next four shots to stretch its lead back out to eight. Both teams struggled to make shots during the closing minutes of the period but a Lions' last second layup gave them a 55-46 lead as the final quarter began.
Behind nine points to start the fourth, not much changed in terms of the lead as it remained near nine for the remainder of the game. Freshman MorningRose Tobey knocked down her first career three-pointer with 1:45 to play which brought the Pack within seven. After a LMU layup on the other end, Kelsey Kaelin was sent to the free throw line and hit both, bringing her team back to within seven with 1:21 remaining, but that would be as close as the Wolf Pack would get.
The Wolf Pack did cut down on its turnover numbers from the last couple of games, finishing with just 13 overall. Additionally, Nevada posted season-highs in steals (11) and assists (10).
Nevada returns to Reno to host the annual Nugget Classic later this week and will face Utah Valley on Friday at 4 p.m. and Middle Tennessee State Saturday at 4 p.m. Alabama will also be one of the four participating teams.
