Wolf Pack starters bench Jackrabbits in Reno

Saturday, December 12

Reno, Nev.

7 p.m. PT

South Dakota State University

Nevada

12/13/2009 1:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball

By: SDSU Sports Info

RENO, Nev. - The South Dakota State starting lineup combined for 24 points while the Nevada starting five combined for 70 points in a 92-72 Wolf Pack win over the Jackrabbits on Saturday in Reno, Nev.

"They're a good team, but it all falls back on leadership and being ready to play, and myself included, we weren't ready to play," said senior forward Kai Williams, who finished with six points and a team-high eight rebounds. "Our first five got us off to a bad start and that was the tale of the game."

Nate Wolters led the way for the Jackrabbits with a career-high 15 points off the bench and tied a career mark with six assists in the loss, which drops the Jacks to 4-6 on the season.

"I was really pleased with the way that Nate played, he was one of two guys tonight, Nate and Michael Palarca," said SDSU head coach Scott Nagy. "We may get to the point where we play those two guys together, especially if Nate plays the way he did tonight."

A starter in the last two games, Palarca scored just three points in the game on 1-of-4 shooting, but he dished out five assists and committed just two of the Jacks 19 turnovers. Anthony Cordova finished with 10 points as the only other Jackrabbit to score in double figures.

Brandon field led four Nevada players, all starters, in double figures with 20 points, Armon Johnson added 17, Luke Babbit scored 16 and added 10 rebounds for the game's only double-double, while Joey Shaw finished with 13 points for the Wolf Pack, who even their record at 4-4 with the win.

Nevada's Dario Hunt opened the game with a dunk on the Wolf Pack's first possion, and it all went downhill from there for the Jackrabbits, who trailed by 10 points less than five minutes into the contest.

The Jacks would get that lead below 10 points just once more before going into the lockerroom down 18 points at 49-31. Nevada kept its foot on the gas in the gas in the second half, increasing its lead to as many as 29 points.

The Jackrabbits try to get back on the winning track on Tuesday, when they host Cal Poly in Frost Arena at 7 p.m. The Mustangs come to Brookings riding a two-game winning streak, but with an 0-5 record on the road.