No. 19 Nevada beats Hawaii in overtime

The WAC front-runner wins at the Sheriff Center despite the absence of Fazekas, its best player

Nevada's top player spent the entire night on the end of the Wolf Pack bench with a sore ankle.

But when the buzzer sounded, it was Hawaii's sprits that were left aching following a 68-66 loss in overtime to the 19th-ranked Wolf Pack last night at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Nevada    Hawaii 68 66 Next Up at Idaho on Thursday

Nevada guard Ramon Sessions' driving layup with 27.1 seconds left in the extra period, the last of his team-high 19 points, proved to be the difference as the Wolf Pack held the Rainbow Warriors scoreless over the last 3:12 of the game.

"It's just frustrating," Hawaii guard Matt Lojeski said. "We didn't play very well, we didn't focus at crucial times of the game. It just sucks that we had an opportunity like this to win and we just let it slip away."

Hawaii's first overtime loss since 2003 dropped the Rainbows to 10-7 overall and 1-3 in WAC play and came before a season-high crowd of 6,322.

Nevada (16-1, 4-0) remained tied for first place in the conference with New Mexico State with its 14th straight regular-season WAC win. The Wolf Pack have also won 11 consecutive regular-season road games.

The win was the Wolf Pack's second straight without forward Nick Fazekas, the two-time WAC Player of the Year, who was sidelined with a sprained ankle suffered earlier in the week.

"Without Fazekas they're still a top-three team in the WAC," UH coach Riley Wallace said. "They really run their offense, they execute, they have the burning desire to win and keep their streaks going and play like a top-20 team."

"It's a great win, because Hawaii's very good," Nevada coach Mark Fox said. "So this is just a big win for our team."

Hawaii took advantage of Fazekas' absence in the paint as forward Ahmet Gueye led the Rainbows with 20 points and 14 rebounds. Lojeski finished with 17 points and six rebounds.

With Fazekas out, Nevada's veteran backcourt of Sessions, Marcelus Kemp and Kyle Shiloh handled most of the scoring for the Wolf Pack. Shiloh made eight of 10 shots, several in clutch situations to finish with 18 points, and Kemp scored seven of his 11 points in the second half.

"Experience paid big dividends for us tonight," Fox said.

Hawaii's upset hopes were stymied by 12 second-half turnovers after giving the ball away just four times before the break.

With Fazekas strictly a spectator, Hawaii fed Gueye in the post in the first half and the senior was able to power his way to 11 points to lead the Rainbows to a 30-26 lead at the break. He also grabbed six of UH's 20 rebounds.

"The first half we attacked the zone, we went inside, we had some high-percentage shots and swung it out and got our shots from the perimeter and played really well. I thought we dissected the zone," Wallace said. "The second half, we became strictly perimeter."

Nevada generated most of its offense driving to the basket led by Sessions. Nevada entered the game atop the WAC in 3-point shooting at 43 percent, but made just one of 10 attempts in the first half and four of 18 in the game.

Hawaii was able to maintain a slim lead until Sessions gathered a loose ball and calmly hit a short jumper to knot the score at 43 with 9:11 left.

The teams took turns in the lead from there and Nevada opened up a four-point edge when Shiloh nailed a 3-pointer then poked away a steal and Sessions was fouled going to the basket. His free throws gave Nevada a 57-53 lead with 3:13 left.

Hawaii came back to tie the game and led 60-59 when Nash hit the front end of a bonus with 1:35 left.

Nevada appeared destined to go back in front with less than a minute left when Sessions grabbed a long rebound to start a two-on-one break. But Lojeski hustled back and blocked Sessions' shot and the Rainbows came away with the rebound.

After Waters made one of two free throws to give UH a two-point edge, Sessions responded with yet another driving shot to tie the game at 61 and Hawaii couldn't get a shot off before the buzzer, sending the Rainbows into overtime for the first time this season.

Hawaii took the early lead, but Nash's turnaround jumper in the lane with 3:12 left would be the Rainbows' last score.

Nevada tied the score at 66 on two free throws by David Ellis. Sessions then gave the Pack the lead by driving to the basket for a layup with 27.1 seconds remaining.

"It wouldn't say I wanted the ball -- we just run the offense," Sessions said. "If the ball comes in my hands or Shiloh's hand, anybody can make that play."

"(Sessions) took me off the dribble repeatedly, I'd cut him off one way and he'd spin back," said UH guard Dominic Waters. "I take full responsibility for my part in it. We didn't stop them when we needed to."

Hawaii then tried to work the ball in to Gueye, but his shot didn't fall and the Rainbows got another chance when the rebound went out of bounds off a Nevada player with 5.5 seconds left.

But a miscommunication led to a turnover on the inbounds play under the basket and Nevada secured possession with 2.2 seconds left and ran out the clock.

The Rainbows will try to regroup back on the road, heading out tomorrow for a trip to Idaho and Boise State.

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