by RENO, Nev. – Playing in front of a season-high 3,812 fans in the eighth annual ‘When I Grow Up’ game, the Nevada women’s basketball team snapped a two-game losing streak with an 80-62 win over Stanislaus State.
The Wolf Pack (5-3) recorded one of its best offensive showings of the season, hitting 46.9 percent of its shots from the field. Nevada knocked down seven 3-pointers, second-most on the year and its highest since the season opener against Saint Mary’s when it made eight. Three of the Pack’s seven triples came from junior Jacqulynn Nakai (Navajo), who tied her season-high of nine points.
Nevada was led for the second straight game by sophomore Imani Lacy, who continues to be extremely consistent. Lacy totaled a team-high 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting and added 10 rebounds to post the first double-double of her career. She has reached points in double figures in seven of the team’s eight games. The Pack also got double figure performances from junior Miki’ala Maio and sophomore Essence Booker, who each tallied 12 points.
The first half was all Nevada as the team shot 53.1 percent from the field and held the Warriors (5-4) to just 25.6 percent shooting in the first 20 minutes of play. The Pack rattled off four 3-pointers in that span as well to take a 45-28 lead into halftime. Stanislaus State however did not go away quietly as the Warriors were outscored by just one point in the second half.
Nevada took a 21-point lead into the final quarter of action, but the Warriors began to slowly chip away at the lead. By the 6:59 mark of the fourth, Stanislaus State had cut it to a 12-point game after putting together an 11-2 run. The Wolf Pack got it right back though, going on a run of its own to stretch the lead back out to 21 after a made triple from junior Nia Alexander with just over four to play. Nevada was able to keep the Warriors at bay for the final four minutes to earn its fifth win of the season.
Nevada will hit the road and travel to Salt Lake City, Utah to face the Utes of Utah this Saturday, Dec. 14 at 10:30 a.m. PT
