[jwplayer 18QegcJn-sNi3MVSU]
Lindsey Drew’s 30 Point Performance Not Enough, As Nevada Falls to Utah At Home
Lindsey Drew’s return to the court was a good one, but not good enough for an opening night win.
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Is this Drew’s breakout season? And will anyone step up to help him?
The Steve Alford era officially tipped off in Reno on Tuesday Night. The Wolf Pack welcomed back a familiar face in senior guard Lindsey Drew, who started the night out with three straight three pointers and 11 of his team’s first 13 points. He ended the night with 30 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, and 0 turnovers while looking like the clear leader of this inexperienced squad after sitting out last season following a couple of hip surgeries.
It was nice to see him excelling in his new leadership role for new Head Coach Steve Alford, but the Utes ended an 18 game winning streak at home for the Wolf Pack.
Drew didn’t receive much help from his team in terms of scoring. Fellow senior guard Jazz Johnson scored 16 points but went 6-16 from the field and 3-8 from deep. No other player scored in double digits for Nevada. Plus a young and thin bench may cause problems in late game situations down the road as they saw forwards JohnCarlos Reyes and KJ Hymes both foul out in the second half.
Utah brought an extremely young group to Reno led by sophomore guard Timmy Allen who did what we expected him to do leading his team with 23 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. He and fellow sophomore guard Both Gach, both members of our 25 opposing players to watch out for this season article showed out. Both got to the rim with ease, and Gach knocked down three pointers when they were needed in the second half.
Allen struggled from the free throw line going 7-14 but his performance and Gach’s 19 points in the second half were enough for a Utah win. Larry Krystkowiak’s team has 11 freshmen, and they looked fluid at times and displayed exceptional length at all positions outrebounding Nevada 45-30.
The Wolf Pack have a long road ahead but had some bright spots, Drew being one of them. Only time will tell if Steve Alford and his staff can build around their senior leaders and compete in his first season back in the Mountain West.
What’s next:
The Wolf Pack take on Loyola Marymount on Saturday in the second game of a four-game stretch at home. The Lions are coming off of a 105-62 win against Westcliff University on Tuesday night.
Jalen Harris:
Junior guard Jalen Harris didn’t play in the second half and was seen with a boot on his right foot. Harris who didn’t make any of his four field goal attempts is a key part of Nevada’s success this season with an already inexperienced group.
