LAS VEGAS, Nev. – After earning a first-round bye in the Mountain West Tournament, the Nevada Men's Basketball suffered a 77-81 loss at the hands of San José State in the quarterfinal round Thursday evening.

The loss marked Nevada's second consecutive overtime defeat, and the Pack now owns an overall record of 22-10 this season.

Jarod Lucas had an exceptional performance for Nevada, matching a career-high by scoring 28 points on 10-19 shooting from the field and 6-7 at the free throw line. It was one of Lucas' best all-around outings of the season, as the senior guard also pulled down four rebounds, dished out three assists, and recorded two steals.

Kenan Blackshear had a solid game for Nevada, scoring 16 points, pulling down six rebounds, and tallying one block.

Freshmen Nick Davidson and Darrion Williams each had an immense impact on the contest for the Pack, combining to score 22 points and pull down 15 rebounds. Davidson scored 13 points on 5-7 shooting from the field and pulled down a team-high eight rebounds in 27 minutes of action off the bench for the Pack. Williams scored nine points, grabbed seven boards, and dished out three assists

First Half

After falling behind 2-0 to begin the game, Lucas hit his first shot attempt of the contest to tie the game 43 seconds in.

Nevada took their first lead of the game just under two minutes later, as Tré Coleman assisted on a Williams corner 3-pointer, giving the pack a 5-4 advantage with 17:31 remaining in the half.

The Spartans used a quick 5-0 run over the next 64 seconds to recapture the lead; but, Nevada scored four consecutive points to tie the contest at 9-9 with 13:36 left in the half.  

Neither team was able to create any separation from the other until San José State managed to put together an 8-0 run with the game tied at 14 apiece, as the Spartans took a 22-14 lead over the Pack with just 5:40 left until halftime.

Nevada outscored San José State 12-9 over the remainder of the half, as they entered the break facing a five-point deficit.

Second Half

San José State opened the second half on a 9-3 run to push their lead up to 11 points with just under 16 and a half minutes to go in the game.

Trailing 40-29, Nevada significantly elevated their play, as they used a 15-4 run over the next four minutes and 40 seconds to tie the game at 44-44 with 11:46 left.

The Pack then managed to retake the lead on a Lucas 3-pointer two minutes and 44 seconds later, marking the first time Nevada held a lead since the 17:31 mark in the first half.

Nevada did not trail again until San Jose State hit a shot with just 38 seconds remaining to retake the lead, taking a 65-63 advantage over the Pack.

Lucas responded once again on the other end, draining a tough turnaround jumper in the paint to even the score at 65-65 with 20 seconds left in regulation.

San Jose State missed a shot at the buzzer and the two teams headed to overtime.

Nevada struggled offensively in the overtime period, hitting just two of their nine shot attempts, and being outscored 16-12 by San Jose State, as they fell to the Spartans by a final score of 77-81.

Notable Stats:

• Nevada outrebounded San José State, 42-34.

• The Pack knocked down 24 of their 28 free throw attempts. 

• Jarod Lucas scored 20 of his 28 points over the final 25 minutes of game time.

• Nevada pulled down 14 offensive rebounds throughout the game.

• The Pack's bench outscored San José State's bench, 18-13. 

• There were 12 ties and four lead changes throughout the game. 

Up Next

Nevada will now await Selection Sunday on March 12 to find out if they earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

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