Bounce Back: Nevada destroys SJSU in 39-point victory

Coming off a 27-point loss to New Mexico, The No. 10 ranked Nevada Wolf Pack bounced-back with a 92-53 offensive assault over San Jose State Wednesday. Nevada improved to 15-1 in the process and they are 26-3 coming off a loss during the Eric Musselman era.

The Pack have tallied eight games scoring 80 points or more this season, and their recent defeat may have awoke the beast come post-season play.

THE RUNDOWN:

OFFENSE:

• Nevada shot 52 percent from the field and 38 percent from three on a whopping 34 attempts. Four players scored in double-figures off 22 assists. Jordan Caroline finished with 19 points and a season-low three rebounds. Corey Henson tallied a season-high 15 points and seven assists in his first start of the year.
• Caleb Martin Returns to All-American Form: AP Preseason All-American Caleb Martin requested to come off the bench after two-straight games with nine points. Martin proceeded to find his shooting stroke in 25 minutes of action, scoring 21 of his game-high 23 points in the second half and ultimately put the game away in the Wolf Pack’s favor.

Floor General: Cody Martin stuffed the stat sheet once again with 14 points, five rebounds and five assists on the night. He leads the Mountain West in assists per game and assist to turnover ratio. Martin is in full command of the Wolf Pack offense and it’s paying dividends.

Second Half Dominance: The Pack stormed out of the gates with a 30-4 run that spanned over the first eight minutes of the second half. Caroline capped-off the double-digit lead with a signature thunderous dunk.

DEFENSE:

• The Pack held the Spartans to 40 percent shooting from the field and 29 percent from behind the arc. Nevada won the rebounding battle for the first time in six games, 38-36. Much of that was courtesy of senior transfer Trey Porter, who totaled 13 rebounds and added two steals.
• Turnover Battle: San Jose State had just nine assists to 22 turnovers, Nevada took advantage with 27 points of turnovers. Henson was a menace on the perimeter, coming up with four steals which put the Pack in transition and cashing in on coast-to-coast layups.
• Just one player scored in double-figures for the Spartans, Brae Ivey scored a team-high 10 points. The Pack also limited San Jose State on the free-throw line, limiting them to just six attempts in what was an all-around complete performance on both ends of the floor.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

The disappointing loss to the Lobos must have gotten the Wolf Pack’s attention, as they played with an aggressive energy all game. Despite dropping to 10 in the AP Top 25 rankings, the Pack displayed why they’re one of the most complete teams in the country and their experience on the floor can lead them to a potential deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

UP NEXT:

Nevada goes back on the road to face-off against the Fresno State Bulldogs Saturday, January 12. Fresno State is 12-3 this season and 3-0 in conference play, placing them first in the Mountain West.