CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Wolf Pack came up with a 90 – 78 statement win against the Oklahoma State Cowboys to conclude the 2024 Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic and earned 5th place within the MTE Event.

This will be the second consecutive year in a row where the Wolf Pack achieved a win over a Big 12 opponent, with last year getting the 88-75 win over TCU in the semifinals of the 2023 Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The win against Oklahoma State marks a new streak between both schools, with the overall series between both teams being 1-3, with Oklahoma State winning the first three, with the last matchup before today being on December 30, 1996.

With the win to conclude the classic, the Nevada Wolf Pack now stands at 6-1 to continue through the non-conference schedule.

The Cowboys were held to 28.6 percent from the three-point line, only making 6 of their 21 attempts.

The Wolf Pack also shot a total of 58.9 percent from the field and a total of 38.9 percent from the three-point line. The Wolf Pack also won the battle in the paint, outsourcing the Cowboys 46 to 26 in the paint.

First Half 
The Wolf Pack found their momentum early, going on big runs and scoring contributions from top to bottom. The Wolf Pack were Led By Kobe Sanders in the 1st half, scoring 12 Points, shooting 3 of 4 from the field, and knocking down 5 of 6 free throws.

In addition, despite the Cowboys being known for their inside game, the Wolf Pack won the battle in the paint, ending the half with 22 paint points to their 12. Oklahoma State finished the half shooting 12 of 19 from the free throw line to the Wolf Pack’s 8 of 11 from the line.

The Cowboys were led by Abou Ousmane and Marcellus Avery, who had 6 points a piece. The Wolf Pack entered halftime, being up seven over the Cowboys.

Second Half
Despite the very physical game overall, the Wolf Pack managed to turn the corner due to their offensive cohesiveness in the second half. Coming out of the first four minutes, they achieved a big 12-5 run to head into the first media timeout.

Slowly but surely, the Wolf Pack continued their momentum, going up as much as 11 with less than 9 minutes left of play.

However, the Cowboys willed their way back into the game, reducing the Wolf Pack lead to as little as 4 points, making it a tight game for a period of time. Jennings, Ousmane, Dean, and Avery from the Cowboys continued to help Oklahoma State get back into the game.
Contributions from all ends of the Wolf Pack halted the Cowboy’s comeback and eventually created separation to secure the 12-point win over Oklahoma State.

Kobe Sanders finished with 27 points, four rebounds, and three assists, shooting 70 percent from the field and 60 percent from three.

Nick Davidson also had a stellar performance, tallying 23 points, four rebounds, and two assists on an efficient 56 percent shooting from the field.

Brandon Love scored 11 points and three rebounds, with two blocks and two steals, while shooting 100% from the field on five attempts.

Xavier DuSell performed excellently, contributing 8 points and shooting 60 percent from the field and 50 percent from the three-point line on four attempts.

Notable Stats:

  • Nevada won the battle in the paint, scoring 46 points, compared to Oklahoma State’s 26 points.
  • Oklahoma State shot 41 total free throws to the Wolf Pack’s 25 free throws.
  • The Wolf Pack held the Cowboys to 28.6 percent from the three-point line.
  • Nevada had eight players score at least four points or more for the Wolf Pack.

Up Next:

With the win to conclude the Charleston Classic, the Wolf Pack will host Washington State at the Lawlor Events Center on December 2nd. The game will be broadcast on NSN, with play-by-play being presented by John Ramey and Len Stevens. The radio broadcast audio is simulcast on the network for both radio and TV audiences on NSN. Fans in Northern Nevada can listen to all Nevada men’s basketball games on terrestrial radio at 95.5 FM KNEV. Additionally, all games are available online through the Varsity Network app and are accessible from any location with internet access.