Kobe Sanders tied a season high with 27 points as Nevada claimed fifth place at the Charleston Classic with a 90-78 victory over Oklahoma State on Sunday afternoon in South Carolina.
Sanders helped the Wolf Pack (6-1) earn a second win following one-possession games against Vanderbilt and VCU. After hitting the decisive 3-pointer with five seconds left in Friday’s 64-61 win over VCU, Sanders made 7 of 10 shots, hit three 3s and sank 10 of 13 free throws Sunday.
Nick Davidson added 223 points as Nevada led by as many as 19 and shot 58.9 percent. Brandon Love contributed 11 on 5-of-5 shooting as the Wolf Pack scored 46 points in the paint and scored at least 85 for the fourth time this season.
Marchelus Avery led the Cowboys (4-2) with 15 points and Arturo Dean added 13. Robert Jennings and Abou Ousmane added 11 apiece but leading scorer Bryce Thompson was held to seven points on 1-of-9 shooting as Oklahoma State shot 42 percent and 73.2 percent (30-of-41) at the line.
After Avery’s 3 forged a 12-12 tie with 13:41 remaining, Nevada gradually gained separation. The Wolf Pack took a 24-15 lead on Chuck Bailey’s jumper in the paint with 8:28 left but the Cowboys inched back, getting within 33-31 on a dunk by Avery with 4:11 left. Another Bailey jumper staked Nevada to a 40-33 lead by halftime.
Nevada began pulling away early in the second half as it scored eight in a row for a 52-40 lead on a basket by Love with 16:44 left. A 3 by Sanders opened a 62-43 lead with 14:06 remaining before Oklahoma State charged back.
After Nevada made eight straight shots, the Cowboys countered with 11 straight points and trailed 62-54 with 11:19 left on a 3-pointer by Avery. Thompson made his first basket by sinking a jumper with 10:37 left to get Oklahoma State within 64-56 left, and Keller’s triple cut the margin to 70-64 nearly three minutes later.
The Cowboys were within 78-72 on a basket by Avery with 3:56 remaining, but he fouled out about a minute later and the Wolf Pack outscored Oklahoma State 12-6 the rest of the way as Sanders sank five free throws.
–Field Level Media
