Photo by Rachel Jackson. Nevada has a close win against Fresno State on Jan. 21. 

The Nevada Wolf Pack men’s basketball team got a statement win against the Fresno State Bulldogs 77-73, improving  to 9-7 overall and 3-2 in conference play.

In the first half of the game, it was a back-and-forth matchup between the two teams for the first five minutes. The Fresno State defense showed why it was third in the nation in defense, scoring with 11 points off turnovers. 

Nevada’s defensive rebounds had been a plus in the first half, with 10 rebounds coming from the defense. The Wolf Pack were also efficient in points in the paint with 20. The bench has also improved with 7 points.

The second half was all Nevada as they took a 12-0 run with 11:06 remaining. While the free throw shooting was off all night, the defense stepped up with a season high 13 steals and forced the Bulldogs to turn the ball over.

Grant Sherfield led the Wolf Pack with 17 points and seven assists. Kenan Blackshear went on to have a career-high 16 points and five rebounds. Will Baker had 14 points and five rebounds. Daniel Foster was productive off the bench as he had four points and six rebounds on the night.

As for Fresno State, Orlando Robinson was the high scorer of the game with 26 points and 12 rebounds. Isaiah Hill was productive with 22 points, and Jordan Campbell had 10 points.

The Bulldogs fell to 13-5 overall and 3-2 in the Mountain West.

Next up, Nevada faces a tough opponent: the Colorado State Rams. The Wolf Pack will compete against the Rams on Tuesday, January 24 at 6 p.m. 

Jake Gardner can be reached at kelseymiddleton@sagebrush.unr.edu or on Twitter @NevadaSagebrush