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San Diego State 63, Nevada 63
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
RENO, Nev. — Forward JJ O’Brien scored 18 points and guard Aqeel Quinn added 11 to lead San Diego State to a closer-than-expected 65-63 win over Nevada on Wednesday night at Lawlor Events Center.
The Wolf Pack went on an 11-0 surge early in the game and had several runs in the second half to test the Aztecs, but San Diego State crushed Nevada on the offensive glass to win for the seventh time in eight games.
With the score tied at 61 with less than a minute to go, O’Brien made a layup and hit the ensuing free throw to put the Aztecs up three. After a Nevada layup and SDSU free throw, the Wolf Pack had the ball trailing by two on the last possession, but forward AJ West’s layup attempt off an air ball at the buzzer missed.
San Diego State (18-5, 8-2) stayed tied with Wyoming for first place in the Mountain West.
O’Brien took over down the stretch, scoring eight of the team’s final 10 points. Forward Matt Shrigley (nine) and forward Winston Shepard (seven) also chipped in for the Aztecs, who grabbed 18 offensive rebounds (Nevada had just 14 defensive boards).
The Wolf Pack (6-15, 2-7) lost their seventh straight game. Guard Eric Cooper Jr. scored a team-best 17 points, going 7 of 12 from the field, West had 14 points and 13 rebounds, and forward Lucas Stivrins added nine points.
