Pack can’t close the deal in final home game

A look at the key players, plays and moments of the Nevada Wolf Pack men's basketball 71-67 loss to the New Mexico Lobos on Tuesday night at Lawlor Events Center:

KEY RUN

There weren't all that many classic runs by either team. The most unanswered points during any one stretch was six (three times by New Mexico and once by Nevada). But the most significant momentum turn took place in the final eight minutes. The Wolf Pack led 58-57 with 8:38 to go but the Lobos scored 10 of the next 13 points to take a 67-61 lead with 3:11 left. That 58-57 lead would be the last time Nevada led in the game. Donovan Dent hit a pair of jumpers while Tru Washington and Mustapha Amzil both connected on a 3-pointer to fuel the 10-3 Lobo run. The Wolf Pack offense dried up in the final eight minutes, scoring just nine points. The Wolf Pack was just 3-of-10 from the floor and 3-of-7 from the line in the final eight minutes.

KEY HIDDEN DOMINANCE

 The Wolf Pack actually outplayed New Mexico for a huge chunk of the game. The Lobos jumped out of the gate to a 12-4 lead four minutes into the game. But the Wolf Pack then found its footing, rhythm and confidence and was clearly the best team on the floor for the next 27-plus minutes, outscoring the Lobos 54-45 to take a 58-57 lead. The Pack just couldn't close the door on what would have been an important, meaningful victory in the final home game of the year heading into next week's Mountain West tournament. New Mexico basically won this game in the first four minutes combined with the final eight-plus minutes, outscoring the Pack, 26-13.

KEY PLAYER

The Wolf Pack clearly had no answer for the Lobos' Donovan Dent. The Lobos' point guard took advantage of injuries to Tre Coleman and Daniel Foster, arguably the Pack's top two defensive stoppers, to dominate the game. Dent, who never left the floor, scored 33 points, more than the Pack's top two scorers (Nick Davidson and Kobe Sanders, each with 15) combined. He was 12-of-18 from the floor, 2-of-3 on threes and 7-of-9 from the line. Dent also fed his teammates for seven assists, leading to 20 points (six threes and a dunk). Nobody else on the Lobos scored more than nine points (Nelly Joseph). Dent had more field goals (12) than the rest of his teammates combined (11).

KEY STAT

 Win or lose, the Wolf Pack has dominated its opponents since late January when it comes to points off turnovers. That, unfortunately for the Pack, was not the case on Tuesday night as New Mexico enjoyed a game-deciding 18-9 edge in points off turnovers. It is the first time since Jan. 29 (a stretch of eight games) that the Pack did not enjoy an edge in points off turnovers. The Wolf Pack won the battle in points off turnovers, 132-60, in its eight previous games before Tuesday. The Wolf Pack only turned the ball over one more time (11-10) than New Mexico but the explosive Dent was the difference as the driving force behind turning those 11 Pack turnovers into 18 Lobo points. He had two threes and two layups after Pack turnovers. Tru Washington and Filip Borovicanin also had threes off Pack turnovers.

KEY HIDDEN STATS

Free throw and 3-point shooting continue to haunt the Wolf Pack. The Pack was 4-of-19 on threes and 13-of-20 from the line against New Mexico for one of its poorest shooting performances at home this season. The Wolf Pack is 7-of-40 on threes over its last two games, losses at UNLV and against New Mexico at home. The Pack has also shot under 70 percent from the line in seven of its last 11 games. Nevada went 45-of-146 (31 percent) on threes over its last seven home games this year.

KEY LOBO DEFENSE

Nevada's Kobe Sanders went into Tuesday's game having scored 87 points in his previous three games against UNLV, Wyoming and Boise State. He was 30-of-54 in the three games from the floor, 5-of-12 on threes and 22-of-27 from the line. The Lobos, though, seemingly made sure Sanders never took over the Pack offense, let alone the game, on Tuesday. Sanders still had an efficient, productive offensive game with 15 points (7-of-12 from the floor) but the difference was his inability to get to the line. Sanders was 0-for-2 from the line, the first time this year he didn't have a successful free throw when he went to the line at least once (he was 0-for-0 twice).

KEY PACK DISAPPEARANCE

Xavier DuSell's roller coaster career against New Mexico continued on Tuesday. The fifth-year shooting guard, playing his ninth career game against the Lobos on Tuesday, was like a meteor flashing across the sky for a few bright minutes before flaming out and vanishing. DuSell scored all nine of his points (two threes and three free throws) over just 62 white-hot seconds midway through the first half as the Pack took a 28-21 lead. The two threes came just 16 seconds apart followed by three free throws 46 seconds later (Mustapha Amzil fouled DuSell on a 3-point shot). That was basically the end of DuSell's production. The rest of the game (the final 28 minutes) he did not score as he missed four 3-pointers and a layup.

KEY HISTORICAL NOTE

The Wolf Pack finishes its regular season with a record of 11-6 at Lawlor Events Center, going 5-5 in Mountain West games. It is coach Steve Alford's second-worst season at Lawlor in the six seasons he's been head coach. His worst at Lawlor was in 2021-22, when the Pack was 7-7 overall at home and 3-6 in Mountain West games. His 2019-20, 2020-21, 2022-23 and 2023-24 Pack teams were a combined 51-8 at Lawlor overall and 31-5 in league games.

UP NEXT

The Wolf Pack (16-14, 8-11) will finish its regular season on the road this Saturday at San Diego State. The Aztecs (20-8, 13-6) lost at UNLV, 74-67, on Tuesday, missing 22-of-29 3-pointers. San Diego State is 11-3 at home this year and beat Nevada at Lawlor Events Center, 69-50, on Jan. 25. The Wolf Pack is 1-14 in its school history at San Diego State with the only victory coming in overtime on Nov. 14, 1998 (76-71) when the Aztecs' Viejas Arena was called Cox Arena.