Wolf Pack can’t win WAC without help

UNR's quest to win its fifth straight Western Athletic Conference regular-season title is alive. But the Wolf Pack is going to need plenty of help.

UNR, 17-10 overall, is third in the WAC at 9-4, a game behind first-place Boise State and a half-game behind second-place New Mexico State.

The Wolf Pack's final push begins Thursday when its hosts New Mexico State. Saturday is the final regular-season home game, against last-place Louisiana Tech, and the regular season closes March 8 at Fresno State.

To win the conference, UNR probably needs to sweep its final three games and hope Boise State loses two of its last three. The Broncos (10-3) are at San Jose State and Hawaii this week, and no WAC team has swept that trip this season. Boise State ends the season at home against Utah State.

"I think if you go back before the season started, there figured to be a bunch of teams stacked at the top," UNR coach Mark Fox said Monday on the WAC coaches' teleconference. "That's certainly been the case this year, and every game at this time of the year is critical."

Fox said his young team has competed well in the WAC and he's hoping that trend will continue during the stretch run.

"With a team as young as ours, every game is a battle," he said.

• NIT FUTURE? -- UNR officials said they have talked to the NCAA about hosting a possible first-round National Invitation Tournament game if the Wolf Pack doesn't qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Also, UNR is interested in playing in an inaugural postseason event being staged by Basketball Travelers.

Paperwork for both tournaments has been sent to the respective organizations, a university spokesman said.

• SLOPPY VS. SALUKIS -- The Wolf Pack's 21 turnovers were probably the worst part of its 74-49 loss at Southern Illinois on Saturday in ESPN's BracketBusters game. That total equaled UNR's season high. The Wolf Pack also committed 21 turnovers in its 86-74 victory over Central Florida on Dec. 16.

The 49 points also represented a season low.

"We got beat in every phase of the game," Fox said after his team lost suffered its first defeat in five BracketBusters appearances. "We didn't play well at either end and they played well at both ends."

• SENIOR NIGHT -- Saturday's game against Louisiana Tech is the final home game for four seniors: Marcelus Kemp, DeMarshay Johnson, David Ellis and Curry Lynch.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2913.