Nevada had taken care of the Rams in both conference matchups with a lop-sided win at home and then a tough three-point road win in Dermott last month. Friday night the Jays and Rams were back and forth, but you got that feeling that the Jays would find a way to make a big play at the right time to swing the result in their favor at some point. The defense put the clamps down late in the fourth, and a couple of big buckets in the final few minutes led to a Nevada 56-51 win. 

Keyonte Wingfield led the Jays in points with 17. Keyonte also addded 4 assists, 4 boards, and he continues to make plays on defense with 6 steals. Brycten Harris posted a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Brycten has found a way to impact the game in a positive way all season. Kavion Coleman had 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals. Kavion scored some big points late in the second-half. 

Kobe Hughey played great with 6 points and 8 rebounds, as he continues to play huge minutes for the Jays. Cardi Adair had 6 points and 5 boards, as his presence on the floor is huge for the Jays. Coach Jamario Bell and I spoke about the possibility of this matchup before the tourney, "It's gonna be a fight. We got them twice this year, but we know they're going to give us a really tough game." 

With the win the Jays secure the #1 seed in this week's Regional Tourney in Emerson. Nevada is set to tip off on Wednesday against Mineral Springs at 5:30 p.m. A win Wednesday would punch the Jays' ticket to the State Tournament and send them to the Regional Semi-Finals on Friday night. 

Photos Courtesy of Heather Kathryn