Mar 4, 2007, 6:00 GMT
Reno, NV - Marcelus Kemp and Nick Fazekas combined for 54 points as 10th-ranked Nevada held off New Mexico State, 69-65, at Lawlor Events Center.
Kemp scored 32 points to go along with seven rebounds, while Fazekas chipped in with 22 points and nine boards for Nevada (27-3, 14-2 WAC), which had its nine-game overall winning streak snapped Thursday at Utah State.
The Wolf Pack had already clinched sole possession of the 2007 WAC regular- season title. It is the fourth consecutive year that the team has earned at least a share of the top spot in the conference and the third straight season Nevada has won the WAC title outright.
Tyrone Nelson had a team-high 15 points for New Mexico State (22-8, 11-5). Elijah Ingram added 13, and Ted Knauber finished with 12 for the Aggies.
Nevada led by three, 17-14, on a pair of Fazekas' free throws at 10:13. Kemp later drained two shots from the charity stripe, extending the Wolf Pack lead to six, 21-15, at 8:45.
It was a tightly played contest until the final 2 1/2 minutes of the front half. Knauber's trey tied it at 27-27 with 2:22 on the clock, and the teams traded buckets to the break.
New Mexico State led 31-28 at intermission.
The Aggies kept it close in the second half and trailed by just a point until Kemp's jumper opened a 44-41 Wolf Pack lead at 13:18.
Nelson's jumper gave New Mexico State a 47-46 edge at 10:40, but Nevada quickly regained the lead on four consecutive Kemp free throws.
The Wolf Pack lead grew to seven, 56-49, on Kyle Shiloh's layup at 8:11, but New Mexico State proved pesky down the stretch.
The Aggies trailed by just two when Knauber drained a jumper with 29 ticks remaining, but Fazekas carried Nevada to the final buzzer.
Game Notes
Kemp scored 21 of his 32 points in the second half...New Mexico State leads the all-time series 14-9...The Wolf Pack honored its three seniors - Fazekas, Shiloh, and Denis Ikovlev - prior to the game...Nevada has won its last 12 home games and 24 of its last 25 contests at Lawlor Events Center...The game had a sellout crowd of 11,462.
© 2007 The Sports Network
Game Notes.
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