RENO, Nev. — Nevada guard Marcelus Kemp didn't want the game to come down to the last second.

Not after the last time, when he was called for a controversial charging foul in the closing seconds of a loss at Hawai'i on Jan. 5.

So last night, he scored a game-high 21 points and seemed to come up with all the timely baskets in a 73-55 Wolf Pack victory over the Rainbow Warriors at the Lawlor Events Center.

"I know it wasn't my fault that we lost at Hawai'i," Kemp said. "But that kind of went on me, so I took this game personally. I wanted to win real bad. I would do anything it took to win."

Kemp, a 6-foot-5 sophomore, started last night for only the sixth time this season. He is second on the team in scoring this season, but usually is the team's spark off the bench.

Last night, he scored 10 points in the first half, including two 3-pointers that gave Nevada a 27-19 lead after Hawai'i got within 21-19.

"I did a horrible job defensively," Hawai'i senior forward Julian Sensley said. "We were making a run at them and I let Kemp make that run on me. I feel like I have to take the blame."

The 'Bows scored the first six points of the second half to get within seven, but Kemp again stopped the Hawai'i threat with a 17-foot jump shot that put the Wolf Pack up by nine. Hawai'i never got closer than eight in the final 17 minutes.

In Hawai'i's 73-69 overtime victory over Nevada in Honolulu, Kemp was called for charging on Sensley with the Wolf Pack trailing by two.

Kemp said ever since that game, "I was thinking if I just slowed down a little bit or did something different."

Kemp was so excited about last night's victory, he was assessed a technical foul with 1:45 remaining for an excessive celebration after teammate Nick Fazekas completed a highlight-reel dunk.

Tatum injured: Hawai'i senior point guard Deonte Tatum had a temporary cast on his right ankle after last night's game.

He sat out the final seven minutes with what was diagnosed as a sprained ankle.

His status for practice today is questionable, although he vowed to be ready for tomorrow's game at Utah State.

"It's not that bad; I just rolled it," he said. "I'll be ready by game time."

House of horrors: Hawai'i is now 0-9 all-time against Nevada in games played in Reno. Since Nevada joined the WAC in the 2000-01 season, the 'Bows are 0-6 in the Lawlor Events Center.

"There's the altitude and the travel and they have a lot of good fans who show up for the game," Sensley said. "I don't know what else it is. It's kind of like us, how we're really good in our home gym. You just feel more confident when you're at home."

'Bows on ESPN: Tomorrow's game at Utah State will be televised nationally on ESPN, and Hawai'i coach Riley Wallace said he hopes for an improved performance from his team.

"I'm glad the world didn't watch this one," he said. "But they'll be watching (tomorrow), so we better get some fire in our butts or we're going to be embarrassed."

Hawai'i beat Utah State, 69-59, in Honolulu on Dec. 17.

Other stats: Hawai'i's Ahmet Gueye did not block a shot last night for the first time this season. He had 40 blocks in the previous 16 games.

Hawai'i is now 0-2 this season when wearing its black road jerseys. The 'Bows' other loss in black this season was at Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.