#5 Nevada secured their first true road win of the season Tuesday night by defeating Loyola-Chicago 79-65. The Wolf Pack opened the game red hot, making 11 of their first 15 shots. Nevada dominated the game from tip to finish, and were able to steady a hostile Gentile Arena crowd.
The Ramblers game plan was to try and slow down the tempo of the Wolf Pack, particularly the Martin twins and Jordan Caroline. Caleb Martin finished the game with 21 points on 8-13 shooting and added 5 assists and 4 rebounds. Cody Martin dropped 20 on 9-14 shooting and added 7 assists. Caroline also scored in double figures, finishing with 15 points on 6-10 shooting.
Last year’s Sweet 16 loss really stung the Wolf Pack, and they were eager to get revenge. The Ramblers continued to fight throughout the game, but were never able to break off a big run. Credit to Nevada, as the Wolf Pack improve to 7-0 and will look to secure their second true road win on Saturday as they will face USC in LA (2:30 PM FOX). Following Saturday’s game at the Galen Center, the Wolf Pack will face a likely ranked Arizona State team at the Staples Center on Friday 12/7. Eric Musselman’s team has all the pieces to contend with the likes of Gonzaga, Duke, and Tennessee, and hopes should be high in Reno.
As for the Ramblers, they fall to 4-3 and are losing chances for quality wins if they have any hope to receive an at-large bid to the tournament. The Ramblers will have one more chance for a solid non-conference win next Saturday when they head to Baltimore to play #24 Maryland on a neutral court.