By SCOTT SONNER
Associated Press Writer
RENO, Nev. (AP) -- Nick Fazekas had 31 points and 14 rebounds, and Nevada shut down Vermont's sharpshooters the second half en route to a 74-64 victory Saturday.
The win gave Nevada the first back-to-back 20-win seasons in school history.
Ramon Sessions added 16 points for Nevada (20-5, 11-2 in the Western Athletic Conference), which won its sixth in a row and eighth of its last nine.
T.J. Sorrentine scored 24 points, but was held to nine in the second half for the Catamounts (19-5, 14-1 in the America East Conference). Taylor Coppenrath, who entered the game ranked third in the nation averaging 24.1 points per game, finished with 18.
Vermont made 7-of-13 3-point goals the first half, 4-of-4 by Sorrentine, to take a 38-34 halftime lead but managed only 1-of-14 from behind the arc the second half. Kyle Shiloh and Mo Charlo shadowed the star point guard, who was 1-of-4 from there after the break.
Sessions scored 6 points and Fazekas 5 on a 13-4 run to open the second half and put Nevada ahead 47-42 with 14:50 left. Sorrentine cut through the defenders for consecutive layups to pull Vermont to within 51-50 at 12:10. But Nevada answered with a 9-2 run to go up 60-52 on Charlo's bank shot at 7:34.
Josh Duell hit from 17 feet and Coppenrath scored inside to cut the lead to 62-58 with 3:43 left. But Fazekas scored off a rebound and added a pair of free throws for a 67-60 lead at 1:47, and Charlo made four free throws and Sessions two in the final 46 seconds to secure the win.
Nevada held Coppenrath scoreless the first 8 minutes of the game and went ahead 20-17 on Fazekas' 3-pointer from the top of the key midway through the first half.
Ryan Schneider and Sorrentine hit consecutive 3-point shots on an 8-0 run that put Vermont on top 25-20 at 7:52. Sorrentine made his fourth 3-pointer in as many tries for a 38-32 lead at 1:44 before Sessions' layup just before the half made it 38-34.
