No Steve Alford, no problem! Nevada climbed over the West Coast Conference hill!
In the absence Alford, Nevada’s third-year head coach who tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, the Nevada Wolf Pack raced past the Pepperdine Waves, 79-66, on Tuesday at Lawlor Events Center in Reno, Nev. The win rewards Nevada with its first victory over a WCC opponent in four tries this season.
Nevada assistant coach Kory Barnett, 32, was the team’s acting coach on Tuesday and will be for the following two games — when Alford’s eligible to return.
The Wolf Pack led by just three points at halftime, but their second-half onslaught — including a 28-6 run with six 3-pointers from the 16:45 mark to 10:39 — was the ultimate difference in their 13-point win, despite going basket-less for nearly eight minutes thereafter, where the Waves outscored them 16-3.