NCAA Game Summary - Nevada vs. Gonzaga

03.20.2004

Seattle, WA (Basketball News) - Kevinn Pinkney scored a game-high 20 points as Nevada posted a 91-72 upset of Gonzaga in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Key Arena.

Todd Okeson added 19 points and seven assists, while Kirk Snyder had 18 points and nine rebounds for the Wolfpack (25-8), who will make their first-ever Sweet 16 appearance. Nevada, the No. 10 seed in the St. Louis bracket, will face the winner of the Georgia Tech/Boston College matchup on Monday.

Nevada has won nine in a row and equaled its school record for wins in a season set during the 1945-46 campaign.

Cory Violette paced Gonzaga with 16 points and 11 boards. Adam Morrison had 14 points for the Bulldogs (28-3), who had their school record 21-game winning streak halted.

Ronny Turiaf was in foul trouble most of the game and finished with 13 points. Blake Stepp also had 13 points for the No. 2 seed Bulldogs.

After Sean Mallon’s three-pointer gave Gonzaga an early 7-6 lead, the Wolfpack scored 23 of the next 29 points for a 29-13 advantage. Okeson had eight points during the burst, including a pair of three-pointers.

Nevada surprisingly dominated the Bulldogs throughout the first half and later pushed its lead to 34-16 on Snyder’s three with nine minutes left. Stepp converted a rare four-point play for Gonzaga minutes later, and the Bulldogs were down by a 42-26 score.

The Wolfpack then headed to the locker room with a 47-32 cushion. Nick Fazekas and Okeson had 11 and 10 points, respectively, for Nevada, while Violette paced Gonzaga with 10 points. The Wolfpack also made 15-of-19 from the free throw line compared to a 4-of-6 performance by the Bulldogs.

Gonzaga opened the second half on an 8-2 run to close within 49-40, but a three-point play by Gary Hill-Thomas restored Nevada’s double-digit lead at 52-40.

Pinkney later dunked over a Gonzaga player and was fouled on the play. He buried the foul shot and the Wolfpack had a 68-54 cushion with eight minutes remaining in the game.

With less than five minutes to go in the game, Snyder pulled up and buried a three-pointer to push Nevada’s lead to 76-61. Turiaf then countered with a three-point play, trimming the deficit to 12 points.

The Bulldogs had no bite left and suffered the 19-point loss.

Nevada is 23-0 when leading at halftime this season...Fazekas had 16 points and 10 rebounds for Nevada...The Wolfpack shot 47 percent from the floor and won the rebounding battle, 43-39...Snyder buried 4-of-7 from beyond the arc, while Okeson drained 3-of-6 three-pointers...Nevada also converted 23-of-29 from the charity stripe...Hill-Thomas ended with 10 points...Gonzaga made 37 percent of its shot and made 13-of-18 foul shots.

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