Nevada Edges Saint Mary’s 96-95 in Overtime Thriller at Caesar Lake Tahoe Classic
Nevada defeated Saint Mary’s 96-95 in overtime on Sunday evening at the inaugural Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic in Stateline, Nevada.
Vaughn Weems and Styles Phipps posted career highs in scoring to lead the Wolf Pack to a 58 percent shooting performance from the field and 46 percent from beyond the arc. Weems contributed 33 points and five rebounds, while Phipps added 25 points, five assists, and three rebounds. Elijah Price recorded his first double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds, and Peter Bandelj chipped in 10 points alongside a team-high six assists.
The Wolf Pack capitalized on defensive stops, outscoring the Gaels 19-15 in points off turnovers, 46-26 in the paint, and 15-13 on fast breaks. On the defensive end, Nevada limited Saint Mary’s to 43 percent shooting from the floor and 37 percent from three-point range. Weems added three steals and one block, while Price recorded two steals.
Saint Mary’s opened the contest with a 9-0 run before Nevada answered with nine consecutive points of its own. The Wolf Pack gradually built a 42-35 lead by halftime, fueled by 16 first-half points from Weems. Nevada maintained a double-digit advantage for much of the second half.
Joshua Dent sparked a late comeback for the Gaels, finishing with a team-high 20 points. Dent sank three free throws after being fouled on a three-point attempt with under 90 seconds remaining in regulation to pull Saint Mary’s within a single point at 75-74. Weems missed a potential game-winning three-pointer in the final seconds of regulation, leaving the score tied at 79-79.
Neither team missed a field goal during the first three minutes of the extra period. Phipps scored 11 of Nevada’s 17 overtime points before fouling out, helping the Wolf Pack edge the Gaels 17-16 in the extra frame. Weems sank two free throws with five seconds left to push Nevada’s lead to 96-92.
Dent banked in a near mid-court shot as time expired for Saint Mary’s, but Nevada held on for the 96-95 victory in front of 3,323 fans at the Tahoe Blue Event Center.
Nevada returns to action on Nov. 11, 2026, traveling to face UCSB in Santa Barbara, California, with tip-off scheduled for 6 p.m. The matchup marks the team’s lone true road game of the non-conference schedule.