SAN DIEGO – San Diego State scored the final seven points of Thursday night's clash at Viejas Arena, overcoming Nevada's late lead and dealing the Pack a 65-60 defeat in the series opener.
Grant Sherfield scored the final two of his game-high 22 points with a pair of free throws to put Nevada (8-4, 3-2 MW) ahead, 60-58, and cap a 9-0 run with 2:16 to play.
But San Diego State answered right away on Jordan Schakel's 3-pointer to go back up, 61-60, and the Pack came up empty on its final three possessions. Sherfield would get a shot to tie, but his step-back 3-pointer hit iron and went out of bounds, to the Aztecs, with four seconds left.
It was a frustrating end for the Pack in a game in which the teams were never separated by more than seven points. Defensively, Nevada locked in after San Diego State opened the game making its first eight shots from the field, holding the Aztecs to 29.3 percent (12-for-41) the rest of the way.
But the Pack couldn't take full advantage. San Diego State would miss its next nine attempts after its 8-for-8 start, going scoreless for over six minutes, but Nevada also endured an 0-for-9 stretch after Sherfield's layup brought the Pack within four at 20-16 with 12:10 left in the half.
San Diego State (8-2, 2-1 MW) stretched its lead to seven for the first time at 27-20 with 5:49 left before halftime, but Nevada fought back as a pair of triples from Sherfield cut the gap to two at 30-28, as the Pack eventually went into the break trailing just by four at 32-28.
Nevada opened the second half by taking its first lead of the contest, using a
Zane Meeks jumper and a triple from
Desmond Cambridge, Jr., who went 4-for-6 from deep on the night and scored 16 points.
From there, the lead would change hands five times more, capped by Schakel's triple. San Diego State would hit all four of its free-throw attempts in the final minute to seal the win. Matt Mitchell, who went 9-for-10 from the line, posted a double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Aztecs.
The teams will run it back in Saturday's finale, set for a 6 p.m. tip and broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
