Breakout performances from Nevada’s Grant Sherfield, Warren Washington fueled an 86-64 Wolf Pack victory over NAIA’s William Jessup Monday at Lawlor Events Center in Reno, Nev.
Sherfield led Nevada with a career-high 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including 6-of-8 from the stripe. The do-it-all point guard registered team-highs in rebounds (6), assists (8) and steals (3).
Entering the contest with a previous career-best of 12, the 7-foot Washington totaled 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting with five rebounds.
Those were the only two double-digit scorers for the Wolf Pack. Zane Meeks had nine points while Tre Coleman and Desmond Cambridge added seven. As a team, the Pack shot a season-high 54.1 percent with a 34.8 3-point percentage.
Though it did not affect the outcome of the game, Nevada’s free throw struggles mounted again. It hit just 12 of its 21 free throw attempts (57.1 percent). Nevada is shooting just 67.6 percent from the charity stripe through five games.
Monday marked William Jessup’s fifth-and-final scrimmage versus Division-I opponents. In those five scrimmages, it has lost by an average of 25.8 points.
Because it is a scrimmage, it doesn’t count towards William Jessup’s record or statistical profile, although it counts for Nevada’s. The Pack improved to 4-1 on the season.
William Jessup netted just 35.4 percent of its shots and 27 percent of its 3-pointers. Over 56 percent of its attempts came from 3-point range.
Jayden DeJoseph, a Carson City, Nev. native, and Myles Corey tallied a team-high 14 points apiece. Corey, their leading scorer heading into the game, shot 5-of-16 from the floor.
DeJoseph shot 5-of-14, including 3-of-12 from deep. Nearly 88 percent of DeJoseph’s shots (42-of-48) have been from beyond the arc in the five scrimmage games. Tim Strijaous added 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting.
Nevada did not trail in this game — possessing the lead for 94.2 percent of the contest.
The Wolf Pack dominated scoring on the interior, out-dueling the Warriors 42-18 in the paint. Nevada also had fewer turnovers (12-9) with more points-off-turnovers (17-5).
Coleman’s 3-pointer gave the Wolf Pack an early 9-0 lead with 16:37 to go in the first half.
Back-to-back 3-pointers by Erik Kinnebrew and a dunk by Matt Garrison propelled an 8-0 run, tying the contest at 12.
A lob freed from Coleman to Meeks put the Pack up 25-17 — capping off an 8-2 run. Washington’s two-handed slam awarded the Pack with a 30-22 lead with 6:01 to go in the first half.
Two consecutive baskets by Jaylen Johnson cut the lead to four with just over two minutes to go, but Nevada’s 7-2 run — including a contested lay-in from Sherfield in the waning seconds — gave Nevada the 41-32 halftime advantage. It shot 46.7 percent in the half compared to William Jessup’s 30.3 percent.
After the Pack held a 13-point lead, Strijaous’ 3-pointer cut it back to single digits at 45-37. The Pack followed with a 12-2 — capped-off by a Washington and-1 — prompting a Warrior timeout.
DeJoseph heated up for the Warriors. Back-to-back catch-and-shoot threes and and-1 conversion fueled a singular 9-2 run — trimming the lead to 60-48.
Nevada true freshman DeAndre Henry’s first career layup gave Nevada the 73-51 lead. He finished with six points on 3-of-6 shooting.
Back-to-back baskets from Washington added to his career-high awarding the Pack with an 84-60 lead with 2:40 remaining. The lead did not dip below 20 points for the remainder of the evening.
Up next:
The Wolf Pack will travel to Arizona to face the Grand Canyon on Friday at 6 p.m. PST. It will be aired on the Mountain West Network.
William Jessup’s first official game will be on Tuesday, Dec. 15 against the College of Idaho at home, the 8th-ranked team in the NAIA. It will be at 1 p.m. PST.
Tré Coleman sinks it!
— Nevada Basketball (@NevadaHoops) December 8, 2020
We are now on top 9-2!#BattleBorn pic.twitter.com/jomTz8mqWm
Tré Coleman sinks it!
— Nevada Basketball (@NevadaHoops) December 8, 2020
We are now on top 9-2!#BattleBorn pic.twitter.com/jomTz8mqWm
Tré Coleman = Automatic
— Nevada Basketball (@NevadaHoops) December 8, 2020
Coleman's second three-pointer puts us up 12-4!#BattleBorn pic.twitter.com/2RIm6pYI8k
"I'm going to make this ball... disappear" - probably K.J. Hymes#BattleBorn pic.twitter.com/D0EB6stI3g
— Nevada Basketball (@NevadaHoops) December 8, 2020
TRE COLEMAN ➡️ ZANE MEEKS ON THE LOB FEED pic.twitter.com/fb8pD05tvn
— Pack Center (@PackCenterNV) December 8, 2020
Warren throws it down!
— Nevada Basketball (@NevadaHoops) December 8, 2020
We are now up 30-22 #BattleBorn pic.twitter.com/tBjKXLIsXX
Sherfield ends the 1st half right! #BattleBorn pic.twitter.com/SekHcm0y6A
— Nevada Basketball (@NevadaHoops) December 8, 2020
BIG MAN HITS THE 3!
— Nevada Basketball (@NevadaHoops) December 8, 2020
K.J. Hymes hits the three-pointer to increase the lead!#BattleBorn pic.twitter.com/cQCqZav9Jh
DUB!#BattleBorn pic.twitter.com/l9sau9YKVI
— Nevada Basketball (@NevadaHoops) December 8, 2020