Nevada coach Steve Alford said the Wolf Pack needed to face some adversity.
"(UC Davis) played really hard and it took us a while to get going," he said. "In the first half our defense was really good and in the second half our offense was really good. .... All in all, it was a really good, gritty win."
"We needed a game like this," Blackshear said. "This was a competitive team. They had a good game plan. We got punched in the mouth in the mouth in the first half, but a good team always comes together and that's what we did."
"We needed a game like this. We haven't been challenged," Alford said. "We needed to be challenged."
There were 11 ties and nine lead changes. The Pack got the lead for good with just under 10 minutes remaining
The Pack won the game at the free throw line, making 32-of-44 from the stripe, while the Aggies made 10-14.
Nevada hit 4-of-10 from 3-point range, while the Aggies hit 10-24.
"It's huge," Alford said of the free throws. "We're not winning because we're making 10 3s, like they made tonight. I do think our three-ball will start going , but we're not even taking that many."
Kane Milling, who was Alford's first recruit at Nevada, is now a senior guard for the Aggies.
He seemed right at home at Lawlor as he finished with 16 points and hit 5-of-8 from 3-point range.
"I support him. I'm glad he had a good game, but I like where we're at," Alford said. "We're 7-0 with the guy I've got on my bench."
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