Tré Coleman scored with 12 seconds left in overtime and contributed a pair of key steals in the extra session as Nevada defeated the 24th-ranked San Diego State Aztecs 70-66 on Friday at Lawlor Events Center.
The Wolf Pack set a program high-water mark, that can be extended next Tuesday when they host a ranked New Mexico team, by beating ranked opponents in back-to-back games for the first time in Nevada basketball history.
“Honestly, I can’t comprehend it right now,” said a delighted and exhausted Kenan Blackshear.
Nevada (19-5, 6-4 MW) returned home after avenging a soul-crushing loss in Logan, Utah, last season by outmuscling Utah State on their home floor and showing the toughness lacking in the Wolf Pack’s defeats. Facing an even more physical San Diego State team in a game featuring the Mountain West’s top two defenses, Friday’s game was set up to be a battle royale, and it did not disappoint.
Jarod Lucas got the sixth-largest crowd at Lawlor into it early, hitting his first two shots, both from downtown, for an early 6-0 lead just 1:14 into the game.
Both defenses would dig in over the next seven minutes. At the under-11:00 media timeout, the score stood at just 10-3 Nevada, which would be their biggest lead of the night, with SDSU’s Darrion Trammell shooting free throws coming out of the commercial timeout. Trammel made one-of-two, and the Pack maintained a six-point lead midway through the half.
The Aztecs slowly crept closer, and with every surge, Nevada would maintain the lead, but SDSU had cut the margin to three by halftime at 30-27.
The physical and suffocating defenses resulted in both teams being whistled for 11 fouls, meaning both coaches would have to navigate players who were in foul trouble as the game wore on.
The second-half focus on defense only intensified as every inch was earned on both ends of the floor.
Again and again, SDSU nipped at the Pack’s heels, threatening to pull in front. Each time, Nevada would answer. But with 3:47 to play, the Aztecs finally pushed past the Pack for their first lead of the night.
SDSU would maintain the lead down the stretch, and with 24 seconds to go, LeDee was stepping to the free throw line with an opportunity to put the visitors up three.
But LeDee missed his first free throw. He made the second to put SDSU ahead 60-58. After the inbound, Blackshear handled the press that the Aztecs had played most of the second half and called timeout with 21 seconds on the clock.
The play head coach Steve Alford drew up was for Blackshear to take a jumper from the top of the key. But SDSU switched the 6′- 9″ Jay Pal to defend him, and the shot was altered. The attempt was woefully short, clanking violently off the front of the rim and down to the floor.
In a mad scramble, the ball found its way to Nick Davidson, who, in many ways, has been the key to the Pack’s resurgence of late. Davidson scooped up the ball in the middle of the paint and to his surprise had a clear path to the basket. A pair of dribbles and his layup tied the game with five seconds remaining.
A Micah Parrish foul on the play would give Davidson a chance to give Nevada the lead. But he missed, and the game would be decided in OT.
Blackshear led the Pack with 22 points, including eight of Nevada’s ten points in overtime. The 6′- 6″ fifth-year senior showed off his considerable skill set in the OT.
MW’s leading scorer, Jaedon LeDee, put the Aztecs out in front by four in the first 90 seconds of OT, and that’s when Blackshear took over.
SDSU’s Lamont Butler, the 2023 MW Defensive Player of the Year, drew the assignment to guard Blackshear all night. But that assignment took its toll on Butler and, ultimately, the Aztecs, having fouled out of the game late in the second half.
Blackshear took advantage of Butler’s absence, scoring the following six Nevada points, starting with a layup off a laser pass from Daniel Foster when the SDSU defense lost track of him.
The next bucket came after Coleman anticipated a LeDee pass off a double-team and raced up the court prize before turning and dishing to a trailing Blackshear, who completed a slashing drive across the lane with a reverse bank off the glass to tie the game at 64-64.
The last came after driving LeDee back in the lane one-on-one to create some space, stepping back and swishing a lean-back floater from 15 feet to put Nevada ahead 66-64.
A pair of Micah Parrish free throws tied the game at 66, and that’s when Blackshear’s basketball IQ helped lead Nevada to victory following Alford using his one overtime timeout.
“The play wasn’t really for Tre’ actually. Really it was supposed to be to Jarod (Lucas) coming off a curl. But I just said, ‘Bump the script’ and threw it to Tre,” said Blackshear. “I trust my teammates, and I knew he’d make the play.”
What Blackshear saw when Lucas got held up trying to get to his spot as the play had been drawn up was that the 6′- 7″ Coleman was being guarded by the talented but 5′- 10″ Trammell. From the top left of the arc, Blackshear swung the ball to Coleman at the right angle, who backed down Trammell before turning and elevating to convert a deft three-footer for a 68-66 lead with 12 seconds remaining.
Blackshear didn’t care that his teammate, who regularly draws the most difficult defensive assignment night in and night out, was 1-for-9 from the field so far in the game. He trusted him, and Coleman delivered.
“He’s been big all year. He’s our glue, our everything really,” said Blackshear. “He’s the person that’s keeping everyone even keel. We love Tre’.”
Next up: Nevada hosts New Mexico on February 13th at 8 p.m. before traveling south to face UNLV in Las Vegas on February 17th at 8:30 p.m.
Notes
- Daniel Foster did an outstanding job of muzzling SDSU’s Darrion Trammell defensively, including on Trammel’s desperation three to win it for the Aztecs in OT.
- Foster led Nevada with four offensive rebounds, helping the Pack to an 11-6 advantage on the offensive glass, leading to 15 second-chance points.
- Nick Davidson had 14 points and a game-high plus-seven while guarding the bigger Jaedon LeDee much of the night with K.J. Hymes in foul trouble.
- Freshman Tyler Rolison contributed an important 17:44 with Blackshear on the bench in foul trouble. Rolison had two steals, four points, two rebounds, and two assists while also drawing two fouls in his time on the floor.
- Nevada won points in the paint 30-22.
- The top two defenses in the MW each forced 16 turnovers.
- Nevada has now beaten three ranked teams in the same season for the first time in program history.
- Nevada shot just 19-32 (59.4%) from the free throw line, while SDSU was 23-27 (85.2%).
