AP News, February 25th, 2007
Nick Fazekas scored 28 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead No. 11 Nevada to its ninth straight win, 95-81 over Boise State on Saturday night. The Wolf Pack (26-2, 12-1 Western Athletic Conference) clinched their fourth straight conference title.
Nevada will play its third straight road game at Utah State before getting a rematch with one of two teams to beat them, New Mexico State, at home on March 3.
Fazekas, the 2005 and 2006 WAC player of the year, overcame a slow start to score seven points in the last 3 minutes of the first half and 15 in the second half. Ramon Sessions added 17 points, Denis Ikovlev had 14, Kyle Shiloh 12 and Marcelus Kemp 10.
Matt Nelson and Coby Karl paced Boise State (16-11, 8-6) with 19 points apiece. Nelson also added 10 boards.
Nevada led 44-42 at the half and immediately went to work to start the second half.
A quick jumper by Fazekas, a 3-pointer by Ikovlev and another jumper and free throw by Fazekas gave the Wolf Pack some immediate breathing room.
Shiloh then hit a layup to bring the lead to 54-44 before Ikovlev and Kemp each hit 3s for a 60-46 lead.
Boise State got within six points at the 5:38 mark, but a 3-pointer by freshman forward Tyrone Hanson and Fazekas' layup gave the Wolf Pack another double-digit lead, and the Broncos never recovered.
The two teams traded baskets during a fast-paced first half in which both teams shot 60 percent from the field in the first 10 minutes.
Karl hit a pair of free throws to give Boise State a 19-14 lead, but Nevada roared back with a jumper by Fazekas and seven straight points from Kemp.
Nevada also took a five-point lead at one point, when Hanson hit a 3-pointer, but the teams continued to trade points to end the half.
Shiloh also grabbed nine boards for the Wolf Pack.
Nevada hit 53 percent from the field, and 50 percent from 3-point range.
