Without Fazekas, Wolf Pack Survives

NEW ORLEANS, March 16 -- No Nick? No problem.

All-American big man Nick Fazekas fouled out, but junior guard Marcelus Kemp scored nine of his game-high 27 points in overtime as seventh-seeded Nevada staved off No. 10 Creighton, 77-71, in a first-round game of the South Region of the NCAA tournament.

"I knew that as a team, we could do it without Nick," said Kemp, whose Wolf Pack (29-4) advanced to a second-round matchup Sunday against second-seeded Memphis, a 73-58 winner in the earlier game in the New Orleans Arena.

"We found ways to get different guys some shots and in the end our balance was the key," Nevada Coach Mark Fox said.

Fazekas, a 6-foot-11 senior, finished with 17 points -- two in overtime before fouling out with 3 minutes 6 seconds left -- and 11 rebounds for his nation-leading 21st double-double of the season. He also had four of Nevada's nine blocks. Junior Ramon Sessions scored 16 points, five in overtime; senior guard Kyle Shiloh added 10 points and seven rebounds, and Kemp added 12 rebounds and four assists.

Creighton, which won the Missouri Valley Conference tournament, had a chance to win in regulation when Sessions gave the Bluejays the ball with 19 seconds left by firing a pass to Kemp that sailed out of bounds. But they went to overtime tied at 59 after Creighton senior guard Nate Funk, who led the Bluejays with 23 points, drove the lane but couldn't get a shot off and teammate Anthony Tolliver's effort fell short.

Fazekas missed a shot to start overtime, but Kemp rebounded and powered up for a basket. Shiloh fouled Funk, who missed the front end of a one-and-one. Nevada built the lead to 63-59 on two free throws by Fazekas.

Nick Porter, who like Tolliver finished with 15 points, pulled Creighton to 63-62 on a three-point play with 3:33 left. But that was as close as the Bluejays would get. Kemp hit a three-pointer from the left side to make it 66-62 before Fazekas fouled out while defending Funk above the key. Funk hit both resulting free throws, but WAC champion Nevada seemed to find new enthusiasm with its star on the bench.

"They figured out the way to make plays in overtime," said Creighton Coach Dana Altman, whose team was outrebounded 48-31. "The way it started, with the offensive rebound then us missing the one-and-one, we played behind the whole overtime."

· MEMPHIS 73, NORTH TEXAS 58: The Conference USA champion Tigers stretched their nation-leading win streak to 23 games, but North Texas made them earn it.

"It took every ounce of what we had, and I had to leave guys in longer than I normally would," Memphis Coach John Calipari admitted.

That included reserve guard Andre Allen, a junior who scored 14 points while playing a career-high 36 minutes.

"It was win-or-go-home, and I ain't ready to go home," Allen said with a smile. "And plus we're out of school."

North Texas led by six in the first half, but Memphis responded with a 9-0 run and outscored the Mean Green 14-2 in the final 5:25 of the first half.

"That is a good basketball team," North Texas senior center Kendrick Davis said. "They did a great job of capitalizing on our mistakes."