Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Nevada
Stirring Comeback Leads Men's Basketball Past Nevada 72-69
1/20/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 20, 2001
RENO, Nev. (AP) - Demetrius Porter scored 18 points as Fresno State overcame a 19-point second-half deficit to beat Nevada 72-69 Saturday night in the Western Athletic Conference.
Melvin Ely and Chris Jefferies added 17 points - 15 of Jefferies' coming in the second half - for Fresno State (16-2, 5-0 WAC), which won its 12th straight and could move into The Associated Press Top 25 this week. The Bulldogs were 26th in last week's balloting.
Terrance Green scored 15 points and Richard Stirgus had 15 points and 13 rebounds for Nevada (7-9, 0-5 WAC), which lost its seventh straight after scoring only three field goals in the final 12:36 and failing to score in the final 2:35.
The Wolf Pack led 53-34 with 15:50 remaining in the second half after a short jumper by Sean Paul.
Jefferies scored 13 points, making two 3-pointers, as the Bulldogs outscored Nevada 27-7 over the next nine minutes to take their first lead of the game, 61-60, on Porter's layup with 6:53 remaining.
Nevada took its last lead, 68-67, on a 12-footer by Green with 3:24 to play. Porter's 3-pointer with 3:02 left put Fresno State ahead for good, 70-68.
After Stirgus made a free throw with 2:35 left to pull Nevada within 70-69, Fresno State point guard Tito Maddox blocked a shot by Green with 53 seconds left. Jefferies missed two free throws with four seconds left, but Green's 3-point shot at the buzzer was short.
Nevada shot 51.6 percent in the first half and 32.3 percent in the second half, while Fresno State improved from 34.5 percent in the first half to 54.3 percent in the second.
Nevada, which never trailed in the first half, bolted to a 12-3 lead after five minutes and was up 43-30 at halftime.
