Field Level Media
Dec 29, 2018
Caleb Martin scored 33 points and dished out seven assists to lead No. 6 Nevada to an 86-71 victory over host Utah on Saturday in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Jordan Caroline added 17 points and 12 rebounds while Jazz Johnson chipped in 12 points to help the Wolf Pack finish the non-conference portion of their schedule with an undefeated record for the first time in school history. Nevada (13-0) also improved to 3-0 against Pac-12 teams this season.
Sedrick Barefield scored a season-high 33 points on 10-of-15 shooting to lead the Utes. Donnie Tillman added 13 points and 10 rebounds. It wasn't enough to keep Utah (6-6) from suffering its first home loss of the season.
The Utes committed 18 turnovers, leading to 20 points on the other end for the Wolf Pack.
Nevada struggled to find its shot early in the first half. The Wolf Pack missed 11 of 16 shots to open the game before running off four straight baskets. Caroline ignited the run with a layup and Martin finished it off with a 3-pointer to give Nevada a 23-18 lead.
Barefield scored three straight baskets to keep the Wolf Pack from extending their lead. The third one, a layup, capped a 10-3 run that put Utah in front 28-26.
It ended up being a highly efficient half for the senior guard. Barefield went 5 of 5 from the field and 6 of 7 from the free throw line before halftime, totaling 19 points. It gave the Utes the offensive lift they needed to keep pace with Nevada.
Martin scored the Wolf Pack's first nine points of the second half to help Nevada seize a 51-40 lead over Utah. Martin scored three straight baskets to fuel a 13-3 run that Caroline finally capped off with a layup.
Barefield did his best to keep the Utes in it. His sixth 3-pointer of the game cut Nevada's lead to 53-49. But the Wolf Pack ran off seven unanswered points, culminating in Caroline's wide-open dunk off a steal, to spark a 15-4 run that extended their lead to 68-53.
Nevada made 11 of its first 14 shots in the second half en route to building up a double-digit margin.
--Field Level Media