Perfection: Wolf Pack finish road trip undefeated with win over Grand Canyon

The sixth-ranked Nevada Wolf Pack’s 74-66 victory over Grand Canyon Sunday capped-off their six-game non-conference road trip in undefeated fashion. Nevada moves to 10-0 on the season, their best start in the Division 1 era in school history.

THE RUNDOWN:

OFFENSE:

• Nevada shot just 43 percent from the field and 27 percent from behind the arc (6-22). Jordan Caroline posted his 34th career double-double with 22 points and 14 rebounds. Caleb Martin followed with 13 points and 12 rebounds for his first double-double this year. Both players have scored in double figures in every game this season.
• Spark off the bench: Junior guard Jazz Johnson poured in 19 points off the bench, one point short of tying his season-high for the Wolf Pack. Johnson’s impact on the court has been huge for the Pack, he brings a new element to the offense and spreads the floor with a smooth-shooting stroke from the perimeter. Johnson buried the Antelopes with three three-pointers.

• Excluding Cody Martin’s 12 points on the night, the rest of the Nevada offense combined for just eight points on 6-12 shooting. Freshman forward Jordan Brown was the only other bench scorer with six points.

DEFENSE:

• The Pack held Grand Canyon to 41 percent shooting from the field, but gave up 10 threes at a 47 percent clip. Trey Drechsel and Oscar Frayer combined for 25 points and 7-10 from the three-point line.
• Nevada won the rebound battle 36-33 and forced 14 turnovers. The Pack also allowed just six free throws for the Antelopes all game.
• After Grand Canyon jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first half, the Pack limited them to 34 points in the second half.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Nevada’s undefeated six-game road trip displayed the various ways they can dismantle their opponents. The Pack are battle tested and experienced to make another long run in the 2019 NCAA Tournament this coming spring. The harder parts of the schedule are out of the way, but Nevada will get the best of every opponent they face including conference play from here on out.

UP NEXT:

The Wolf Pack return home to Lawlor Events Center Dec. 15 to face-off against South Dakota State. The Jackrabbits are 8-3 overall and are undefeated at home (5-0). Their last game ended in a 101-92 victory over the Southern Jaguars.