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Fazekas carries No. 20 Nevada past UC Irvine

Nov 22, 2006 - 5:15 AM RENO, Nevada (Ticker) -- Senior Nick Fazekas did it from the outside and inside.

Fazekas collected 29 points and 14 rebounds and Marcelus Kemp scored 23 as the 20th-ranked Wolf Pack remained undefeated with an 83-64 triumph over California-Irvine in a non-conference matchup.

Fazekas made 8-of-14 shots, including 3-of-3 from 3-point range, and sank 10-of-13 free throws. He is looking to become only the second player in Western Athletic Conference history to win three consecutive Player of the Yeard Awards.

"I've been working on it, I'm not trying to force anything," Fazekas said about his 3-point shooting.

Three-time defending conference champion Nevada (4-0) has won 12 consecutive home games dating to last season and is 48-5 here since the 2003-04 campaign.

The Wolf Pack used an impressive 14-5 surge after the intermission to extend their advantage to 56-38. They were never threatened thereafter.

"The whole night we were on offensively," Nevada junior guard Kyle Shiloh said. "Coach gave us a pep talk (at halftime) and we came out with more urgency."

"I told them it your don't defend we might as well go home," Nevada coach Mark Fox said of his halftime speech.

Shiloh scored 15 points for Nevada, which shot 49 percent (27-of-55) from the floor and made 11-of-19 3-pointers.

"I've always been confident. I've been taking the shots that are given to me," said Shiloh, who went 4-of-7 from the arc. "It has a lot to do with everybody focusing on Nick."

Patrick Saunders scored 15 points and Adam Templeton chipped in 13 for the Anteaters (2-4), who shot 44 percent (19-of-43).

" I was pleased with the way we battle," UC Irvine coach Pat Douglass said. "We don't have a lot of experience at the guard position right now, but I was proud of our guys. We're a young team."