Nevada basketball opened its home slate with a loss Saturday, falling 70-60 to Sacramento State at Lawlor Events Center. The Wolf Pack never led, and a slow first half left too much ground to make up.
Mahaila Harrison led Nevada with 16 points, adding five rebounds, two assists and two steals, but the Wolf Pack still trailed 20-12 after the first quarter and 44-27 at halftime. Sacramento State shot 53.5 percent from the field, while Nevada finished at 39 percent.
The numbers told the rest of the story. Sacramento State turned 16 Nevada turnovers into 27 points and won the second-chance points battle 9-1, two edges that mattered most when Nevada needed a clean possession or a quick stop. That was the difference between a game that stayed within reach and one that slipped away early.
Nevada did show more life after halftime. It cut a 19-point deficit to nine in the fourth quarter, but never got close enough to threaten the lead, because Sacramento State answered every push and controlled the game from start to finish. The loss dropped Nevada to 0-2 and left it still searching for a first win of the season.
The next chance comes Tuesday night at 6 p.m., when Nevada is scheduled to host Jessup. After two straight losses and another game decided by an early hole, the Wolf Pack need a cleaner start more than a late rally.
