MW rankings: Pack back on top following two big wins

The Nevada Wolf Pack is back on top of the Mountain West.

The Wolf Pack (19-5, 6-4) climbed into the top spot of the Nevada Appeal Mountain West basketball rankings after beating No. 2 Utah State and No. 3 San Diego State this past week. The Pack, which also beat No. 5 Colorado State two weeks ago, has now beaten three Top Five teams in a row.

“These guys have just been real good for 24 games,” Nevada head coach Steve Alford said. “It’s real hard to get 19 wins in 24 games and be where we’re at.”

The Wolf Pack’s latest winning streak came after a stretch of four losses in five games that put the team’s Mountain West title hopes in jeopardy. The Pack is now one of seven teams in the 11-member conference with three or four league losses.

“Getting the two wins this week at Utah State and against San Diego State, it can really set up a pretty special month,” Alford said.

The Wolf Pack beat Utah State, 77-63, last Tuesday, behind 25 points by Nick Davidson and 18 from Kenan Blackshear. Nevada then outlasted San Diego State, 70-66, in overtime three nights later at Lawlor Events Center as Blackshear led the way with 22 points.

A crowd of 11,394, the largest at Lawlor Events Center since March 4, 2017 (11,662 against Colorado State), saw the Pack beat San Diego State on Friday.

“The number one (Nevada at 66.13 points a game allowed) and number two (San Diego State at 67.29) defenses in the conference went at it,” said Alford of the 45-minute win over the Aztecs. “Every shot was contested. It was hard.”

The Wolf Pack, which has eight Mountain West games remaining, will host No. 4 New Mexico on Tuesday and travel to No. 7 UNLV on Saturday. UNLV will also close out Nevada’s regular season with a game at Lawlor Events Center on March 9.

“We just keep getting better day by day, week by week,” Alford said.

The Wolf Pack’s game against New Mexico on Tuesday is just 16 days after the Lobos blitzed Nevada, 89-55, in Albuquerque on Jan. 28.

“The Pit (the Lobos home arena) was wild when we went down there,” Alford said. “We need to return the favor on Tuesday.”

No. 2 Utah State (20-4, 8-3) rebounded from its loss to Nevada at home last Tuesday by beating No. 6 Boise State, 80-61, on Saturday.

Mason Falslev led Utah State with 25 points. The Aggies swept their season series with Boise State.

“This was a defining moment for us,” Utah State coach Danny Sprinkle said. “Tuesday (in the loss to Nevada) was not who we are, and it wasn’t who we’ve been all year.”

Utah State currently leads the Mountain West as the only team in the conference with just three league losses. “That’s great but we also have to be in first place in about a month,“ Sprinkle said.

Tyson Degenhart led Boise State with 17. The Broncos also lost to Colorado State, 75-62, last week to fall to 16-8, 7-4. Degenhart had 25 points and seven boards against Colorado State.

Colorado State (19-5, 7-4) won its fourth game in a row on Friday, 66-47 over No. 11 San Jose State, which lost for the seventh time in a row to fall to 8-16, 1-10.

Isaiah Stevens had 16 points, 11 assists and just one turnover in the Rams’ win over Boise State.

“I felt like we gave up a lot of possessions at their place (in a 65-58 loss in Boise on Jan. 9) with turnovers,” said Stevens who had six of the Rams’ 16 turnovers at Boise. “We just wanted to make sure we took care of the ball this time because when we take shots, we like our chances of them going in.”

No. 3 San Diego State (18-6, 7-4) beat No. 10 Air Force, 77-64, last Tuesday before losing at Nevada three nights later. A crowd of just 1,550 showed up at Air Force to see the loss to the Aztecs.

“I’m ecstatic to get out of here with a win,” San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher said after the win over Air Force.

No. 4 New Mexico (19-5, 7-4) beat No. 8 Wyoming, 91-73, last Tuesday as all five starters scored in double figures. But the Lobos then were upset 80-77 at home on Saturday by UNLV.

“We’re obviously disappointed to drop two in a row at home,” said New Mexico coach Richard Pitino, referring to back-to-back losses at The Pit to Boise State (86-78 on Jan. 31) and UNLV.

UNLV, which also beat the Lobos 83-73 in Las Vegas on Jan. 9, swept the season series with New Mexico.

“UNLV went and got it,” said Pitino of Saturday’s game when the Rebels got 25 points from freshman Dedan Thomas. “Dedan Thomas was terrific.”

New Mexico’s J.T. Toppin had eight points, 12 rebounds (six offensive boards), five blocks and a steal. Toppin, a 6-foot-9 freshman, is now the first Mountain West player to have at least six offensive rebounds for three consecutive games since Nevada’s A.J. West in 2014-15.

No. 7 UNLV (13-9, 6-4) has now won four games in a row. UNLV has also won seven of its last nine games at New Mexico’s Pit.

“They (UNLV) were getting to the rim,” said Pitino of UNLV’s 48-26 advantage in points in the paint against his Lobos. “They’re tough at the rim.”

No. 9 Fresno state (11-13, 4-7) won two games last week, beating San Jose State, 69-57, and Air Force, 68-66. The Bulldogs used an 11-0 run in the final four minutes to beat San Jose State.

Xavier DuSell had 23 points against San Jose State and 29 (seven threes) against Air Force. Isaiah Hill hit a jumper in the paint for a 68-64 lead at Air Force with 25 seconds to play.

The Nevada Appeal Mountain West men’s basketball rankings for the week of Feb. 12.:

1. NEVADA (19-5, 6-4): Last week: Nevada 77, Utah State 63 (Feb. 6); Nevada 70, San Diego State 66, OT (Feb. 9). This week: New Mexico at Nevada (Feb. 13), Nevada at UNLV (Feb. 17).

2. UTAH STATE (20-4, 8-3): Last week: Nevada 77, Utah State 63 (Feb. 6): Utah State 80, Boise State 61 (Feb. 10). This week: Utah State at Wyoming (Feb.14), Utah State at Colorado State (Feb. 17).

3. SAN DIEGO STATE (18-6, 7-4): Last week: San Diego State 77, Air Force 64 (Feb. 6); Nevada 70, San Diego State 66, OT (Feb. 9). This week: Colorado State at San Diego State (Feb. 13), New Mexico at San Diego State (Feb. 16).

4. NEW MEXICO (19-5, 7-4): Last week: New Mexico 91, Wyoming 73 (Feb. 6); UNLV 80, New Mexico 77 (Feb. 10). This week: New Mexico at Nevada (Feb. 13), New Mexico at San Diego State (Feb. 16).

5. COLORADO STATE (19-5, 7-4): Last week: Colorado State 75, Boise State 62 (Feb. 6); Colorado State 66, San Jose State 47 (Feb. 9). This week: Colorado State at San Diego State (Feb. 13); Utah State at Colorado State (Feb. 17).

6. BOISE STATE (18-6, 7-4): Last week: Colorado State 75, Boise State 62 (Feb. 6); Utah State 80, Boise State 61 (Feb. 10). This week: Fresno State at Boise State (Feb. 17).

7. UNLV (13-9, 6-4): Last week: UNLV 80, New Mexico 77 (Feb. 10). This week: UNLV at Fresno State (Feb. 14), Nevada at UNLV (Feb. 17).

8. WYOMING (12-11, 5-5): Last week: New Mexico 91, Wyoming 73 (Feb. 6). This week: Utah State at Wyoming (Feb. 14); Wyoming at San Jose State (Feb. 17). 

9. FRESNO STATE (11-13, 4-7): Last week: Fresno State 69, San Jose State 57 (Feb. 6); Fresno State 68, Air Force 66 (Feb. 10). This week: UNLV at Fresno State (Feb. 14); Fresno State at Boise State (Feb. 17).

10. AIR FORCE (8-15, 1-10): Last week: San Diego State 77, Air Force 64 (Feb. 6); Fresno State 68, Air Force 66 (Feb. 10). This week: Air Force at San Jose State (Feb. 13).

11. SAN JOSE STATE (8-16, 1-10): Last week: Fresno State 69, San Jose State 57 (Feb. 6); Colorado State 66, San Jose State 47 (Feb. 9). This week: Air Force at San Jose State (Feb. 13); Wyoming at San Jose State (Feb. 17).