FRESNO, Calif. -- Fresno State was able to keep it close against Nevada until Mo Charlo stepped up and gave star Nick Fazekas some help.
Charlo scored the first six points of a key second-half run and Fazekas scored 28 points to help No. 25 Nevada win its eighth straight game, 76-63 over Fresno State on Saturday night.
"The coaches told me to be more aggressive," Charlo said. "The guys were getting me the ball in the right spot. I was being a slasher and taking it to the basket and finishing the play."
Fazekas scored 22 of Nevada's first 50 points and Fresno State was able to keep it close, trailing by only two with 12:39 to play, before the Wolf Pack took the game over.
Charlo then started taking the ball hard to the basket. He scored on three straight possessions and set up a fastbreak basket by Ramon Sessions with a steal. Charlo added one more basket in the spurt that ended with a basket by Fazekas that made it 68-51 with about 4 minutes to play.
"Nick gets so much attention from the other team that it opens things up for everyone else," Nevada coach Mark Fox said. "Mo was able to take advantage of it. ... That's why we're a team."
Charlo finished with 17 points and Kevinn Pinkney added eight points and 12 rebounds for the Wolf Pack. Fazekas had 11 rebounds for his 14th double-double this season.
The Wolf Pack (22-5, 13-2 Western Athletic Conference), ranked in the Associated Press poll for the first time ever, haven't lost since a 66-63 home loss to the Bulldogs on Jan. 29 and clinched at least share of the regular season title.
"We don't want to share the title," Charlo said. "We want it outright. We need to take care of business."
Ja'Vance Coleman had 18 points to lead Fresno State (14-12, 8-8), which has lost six of eight since the win at Nevada. Donovan Morris added 15 and Dreike Bouldin had 10 as the Bulldogs struggled to score in the second half.
Fresno State made only two field goals -- both by Chris Berry -- in the first 16:56 of the second half against the conference's top defensive team.
"We just weren't executing very well offensively," Fresno State coach Ray Lopes said.
The Bulldogs shot just 24 percent in another lackluster second half. They are shooting just 31 percent and averaging 27.3 points over their last four second halves.
"In the first half we didn't exert enough energy defensively," Pinkney said. "In the second half, we locked down. ... From the point guard to the big men, we contested every shot."
This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Wolf Pack, who were picked fourth in the preseason WAC coaches poll after losing star guard Kirk Snyder and coach Trent Johnson from last season's team that made it to the third round of the NCAA tournament.
"I couldn't be more proud of these kids, because they accomplished something that no one thought they would," Fox said.
Fazekas reached 1,000 career points in just his second season, hitting the mark with two free throws with 6:03 to go in the game. He now has 1,004 points for his career.
Nevada improved to 5-0 at the Save Mart Center, including three wins in last year's WAC tournament. The Wolf Pack are also 7-0 on the road in conference play this season.
"They're a tough team," Lopes said. "They'll be a great representative for our league in the NCAA tournament."
Fazekas scored 18 points in the first half to help Nevada take a 37-36 lead at the break. The Bulldogs stayed in the game despite shooting just 37 percent in the half by forcing nine turnovers.
The Bulldogs, the worst free-throw shooting team in the conference, also stayed in it early by making their first 13 from the line. They were 24-of-29 for the game.
