Wolf Pack show they're more than one-man show

	#7 Nevada #10 Creighton 77 71   Box Score Recap All Scores
	Marcelus Kemp scored nine of his 27 points in overtime to lift Nevada after Nick Fazekas fouled out. AP
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By George Dohrmann, SI.com

NEW ORLEANS -- Nevada star Nick Fazekas has always figured heavily in the Wolf Pack's formula for success. The 6-foot-11 forward, who flirted with leaving for the NBA after last season, is the unquestioned star of the team.

But to assume Nevada needed a big game from Fazekas to advance past Creighton would have been a mistake. Earlier this year, Nevada won two big games with Fazekas out or in foul trouble, and so on Friday there was little panic when he picked up his third foul early in the second half or when he fouled out with more than three minutes left in overtime.

"It was disappointing to see Nick walk off the floor in a tight ballgame, but we have been in this situation before," Nevada coach Mark Fox said after the Wolf Pack's 77-71 victory. "I have confidence in all of these kids."

Three of Fox's players -- Marcelus Kemp (27 points, 12 rebounds), Ramon Sessions (16 points) and Kyle Shiloh (10 points, seven rebounds) -- warrant even more confidence now. Though they struggled at times against Creighton's defense, allowing 24 points off of turnovers, that triune of guards saved Nevada and did just enough harassing of Creighton star Nate Funk late in the game to earn the victory.

"We've got other guys, guys like Shiloh and Marcelus, who you just can't back off," Sessions said. "Nick's a great player, but he's not our only player."

Close followers of Nevada knew that already. The team won in overtime at Hawaii when Fazekas was out with injury and then defeated Gonzaga when he fouled out late.

"(This win) reminded me of the Gonzaga game," Fazekas said. "It was like instant replay because I fouled out at the same time. I didn't have any doubt that Marcelus and Shiloh could take over."

The final minute of regulation is a stretch Creighton fans will lament for a long time. Nevada twice rebounded its own misses, giving it three chances to go ahead in the final minute. Still, a blunder by Sessions gave the ball back to Creighton with 19 seconds left. But Funk (23 points) missed a tough runner with five seconds left and no foul was called during a scrum for the rebound.

In the overtime, Creighton looked tired and Nevada's guards took over. Kemp slipped in a driving layup and then followed with a 3-pointer two possessions later to give Nevada a four-point cushion. A basket by Shiloh was followed by two from Sessions, who atoned for his mistake at the end of regulation by putting the Wolf Pack up 72-66 with under a minute left. "I didn't want it to be that I threw the season away on that mistake [at the end of regulation]," Sessions says.

Shiloh played the game on an injured hamstring that isn't likely to heal completely until long after Nevada's season is over. When asked what his evening activities would consist of, he answered: "ice packs."

"I may not look happy right now but I am happy. I'm just tired, too," he added. "I'm glad we got out of this one with a win."

PLAYER WHO IMPRESSED ME

It's a shame Creighton guard Nick Porter won't get a chance to battle Memphis' guards the way he did Nevada's. Porter used his burly 6-foot-3 frame to get points against Creighton's slighter guards. His eagerness to get to the block was reminiscent of another Compton, Calif. native, Baron Davis, now with the NBA's Golden State Warriors. Nevada players like Kemp couldn't hold their ground as Porter burled his way close to the rim; much of his 15 points came in the paint. During one stretch in the second half, he scored and was fouled backing in Kemp, then on the Blue Jays' next offensive possession battled for a loose rebound and ended up tipping it to Anthony Tolliver for an easy dunk. Then, on the defensive end, he snatched a rebound in traffic and led a fastbreak. He had eight rebounds to go with four assists and only a single turnover.

COURTSIDE CONFIDENTIAL

Nevada had trouble getting into its offense for stretches in the first half. At one point, Fazekas turned to teammate Denis Ikovlev and yelled, "What the [obscenity] are we doing?" ... Former Memphis and NBA star Anfernee Hardaway watched the Tigers defeat North Texas in the early game and then congratulated the team in the locker room. When Tigers coach John Calipari saw Hardaway, who was dressed in a red shirt, he said, "Don't you have any blue?" Later, Hardaway emerged from the locker room with a new blue Memphis jersey slung over his shoulder. He then went into the stands and shook hands and signed autographs for the few Memphis fans watching the second game.

BIG PICTURE

After watching Nevada commit 19 turnovers, one has to wonder how they are going to fair against Memphis' press. Porter and Funk, Creighton's guards, are nice players, but they are not close to the caliber of athletes Memphis will throw at Nevada on Sunday. Sessions, Shiloh and Kemp (who accounted for 11 of those turnovers) must do a better job protecting the ball or the Tigers will run them out of the gym.