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    • Nevada rolls over Santa Clara, 85-59, in men’s basketball on Saturday
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    Nevada rolls over Santa Clara, 85-59, in men’s basketball on Saturday

    Vaseline Posted on

    Nevada shot out the lights and played closing defense to thoroughly dominate Santa Clara in men’s basketball on Saturday.

    The Wolf Pack had four players score in double figures, led by Tre Coleman with 21, and defeated the Broncos 85-59 in front of 8,772 fans at the Lawlor Events Center to start the season 4-0.

    Nick Davidson added 18 points and eight rebounds, Brandon Love had 15 points and eight rebounds, and Xavier DuSell had 11 points for the Wolf Pack.

    “It feels great. Starting the season 4-0 is always a goal, especially going to an MTE event,” Davidson said. “Beating a Santa Clara team that is really good is a testament to how good this (Nevada) team is.”

    Nevada coach Steve Alford earned his 100th win as coach of the Wolf Pack on Saturday.

    He said the Pack players are following the coaches’ scouting reports closely through the first four games.

    “They’re a really good group to coach and we have a chance,” Alford said. “It’s only four games, it’s a very short run of games we’ve played, but I’m very happy that we’re 4-0.”

    He said the Wolf Pack’s defense on the Broncos’ long shots was excellent.

    Elijah Mahi led Santa Clara (1-3) with 22 points, the only Santa Clara player in double figures.

    To shoot

    The Wolf Pack shot 56 percent from the field (27 of 48) and went 9 of 19 from three-point range. The Pack was 22 of 31 from the free throw line.

    The Pack held the Broncos to 40 percent shooting (23 of 58) and 2 of 17 from three-point range.

    Nevada’s Daniel Foster did not play Saturday as he continues to recover from an ankle injury. Alford said he could return later this month, which will give the Pack more depth. Nevada’s bench had 11 points on Saturday, compared to 39 for the Broncos.

    “Putting him back in the mix will only make the defense better,” Alford said.

    100th Nevada win

    Alford credited his staff with reaching 100 wins at four of the schools he coached at: Iowa, New Mexico, UCLA and Nevada.

    “Everywhere I’ve been, I’ve had a great staff. I’ve had a great staff that has been very loyal to me and the program and knows how we want things to run and be done,” Alford said. “Our staff knows exactly what is best for our young men.”

    He said coaching good, high-quality players is also a big factor.

    Rest

    Nevada quickly took control in Saturday’s game, leading 47-26 at halftime after shooting 68 percent from the field (17 of 27), 8 of 12 from the free throw line and 5 of 8 from 3. – points range in the first half.

    The Broncos shot 32 percent (9-28) from the field and 1-8 from deep in the first half.

    Series history

    The Broncos hold a 35-30 series lead, having won 96-74 in their previous meeting on Nov. 16, 2021, in Santa Clara.

    Santa Clara historically has not done well in Reno. The Broncos are 12-21 in road games and have lost the last five meetings at the Lawlor Events Center. The Broncos’ last win over Lawlor was on January 8, 2000.

    Next

    Nevada travels to Charleston, SC starting Thursday for the Charleston Classic.

    The Wolf Pack plays against Vanderbilt (4-0) on Thursday at 4:30 p.m., and either against Seton Hall or VCU on Friday. The Pack closes the tournament on Sunday, November 24.

    The Wolf Pack has won four of the past five multi-team events in which it has played. The team leaves for South Carolina on Monday.

    After taking a week off, the Wolf Pack returns home for a game against Washington State on Monday, December 2 (7 p.m., TV-KNSN, Ch-21).

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