RENO, Nev. — It was rather symbolic that the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team had to wait an extra 10 minutes in the 30-degree air for its bus to arrive after a 73-55 loss to Nevada last night.

The Rainbow Warriors were also left in the cold during the game in what would become their worst loss of the season.

"They had the hustle, they had a good game plan, and they beat the ... out of us," Hawai'i head coach Riley Wallace said. "That's all I can say."

A crowd of 11,485 at the Lawlor Events Center watched the Wolf Pack jump past Hawai'i into third place in the Western Athletic Conference with the victory. The 'Bows are now 10-7 overall and 4-3 and tied for fourth place in the WAC. Nevada is 15-5 and 5-3.

Hawai'i is now 0-5 on the road this season, and 0-9 against Nevada in games played in Reno.

"We just didn't have the intensity we normally do tonight," Hawai'i senior forward Julian Sensley said. "We were getting beat on both ends of the floor and that usually doesn't happen to us."

On offense, Hawai'i shot just 38.2 percent from the field (21 of 55), including 1 of 10 from 3-point range. On defense, the 'Bows allowed the Wolf Pack to shoot 54.4 percent (31 for 57) from the field, including 42 "points in the paint."

Matt Lojeski led the 'Bows with 15 points, although 12 came in the final six minutes, when Nevada already had command of the lead.

"We didn't execute on offense and we didn't play aggressive on defense," Lojeski said. "We were just sluggish the whole game. I don't know why."

Sensley added 11 points, shooting just 4 of 12 from the field. Chris Botez contributed 10 points and four rebounds off the bench.

"We knew they were going to come out with energy, looking for revenge," Botez said. "We just didn't do the same. We let up. Right from the start, we didn't come out ready to play with them."

Nevada's 54.4 field-goal percentage was the highest by a Hawai'i opponent this season. The Wolf Pack also out-rebounded the 'Bows, 40-24.

Just three weeks ago, Hawai'i beat Nevada, 73-69 in overtime, in Honolulu.

"Our defensive effort was similar, we just executed offensively a little better here than we did there," Nevada head coach Mark Fox said.

It also helps to have the WAC Player of the Year in Nick Fazekas.

He finished with 19 points and 17 rebounds last night, giving him 56 points and 32 rebounds in two games against Hawai'i this season.

"I don't know what it is," the 6-foot-11 junior forward said. "I don't really think it's a match-up thing. I just have a tendency to play well against Hawai'i."

And this time, he got a lot more help.

Marcelus Kemp scored a game-high 21 points, and went 3 of 4 from 3-point range. Mo Charlo added 10 points, six assists and six rebounds.

"We have to have three or four guys score the ball for us to be good," Fox said. "We can not be a one-man team."

It was Hawai'i's first double-digit loss of the season. Each of the previous six losses were by six points or fewer.

"We took quick shots, and it hurt us early," senior co-captain Deonte Tatum said. "They were the aggressors and it showed. That they out-rebounded us by (16) shows who wanted it more."

Sensley scored the first basket of the game, but that was the only lead Hawai'i would enjoy.

Nevada jumped to a 21-11 lead with 7:51 remaining in the half on a basket by Kemp. The 'Bows got as close as 21-19, but the Wolf Pack went on a 15-2 blitz and eventually took a 36-23 lead at intermission.

Hawai'i got as close as seven early in the second half, but could never string a run of points like Nevada could. The Wolf Pack seized control for good with a 17-3 run midway through the second half.

Nevada led by as many as 26 late in the game.

"When that fatigue hits, you have a tendency to cling to your man instead of helping and playing team defense," Wallace said.

The 'Bows stayed in their traditional man-to-man defense for most of the game, and Ahmet Gueye, Botez and "Big Matt" Gipson took turns defending Fazekas.

"He's their go-to guy and the rest of the guys get around him and work," Wallace said of Fazekas. "He comes up with a big basket or a big rebound and that gives the whole team energy. That's why they don't have the big lulls in there like we have."

Fazekas shot 8 of 18 from the field and 3 of 4 from the free-throw line.

"We knew what he was going to do, and we stopped him a couple of times," Botez said. "But then we let him get some easy ones, too."

The 'Bows will stay on the road to play another WAC game at Utah State tomorrow.

"We just got our butts kicked, so we have to have the attitude now that we can never let it happen again," Lojeski said.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.