RENO, Nev. — One day after clearing a road block at Fresno State, the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team found a clear road to Nevada.

"It was a beautiful ride," Hawai'i head coach Riley Wallace said of the team's 5-hour bus ride from Fresno, Calif., to Reno yesterday. "You could see forever."

The Rainbow Warriors will have to set their sights high for today's nationally televised game against nationally ranked Nevada.

Hawai'i improved to 13-9 overall and 4-5 in the Western Athletic Conference after a 54-42 victory over Fresno State Thursday. It was Hawai'i's first WAC road victory of the season.

Nevada is 20-2, ranked No. 15 in the Associated Press Top 25, and in a tie with New Mexico State for first place in the WAC at 8-1.

Today's game is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. (Hawai'i time) at Lawlor Events Center, and will be televised on ESPN2.

"That's the best team in the league," Wallace said of the Wolf Pack. "That's the major concern."

And there are other concerns.

For one, no Hawai'i team has ever defeated the Wolf Pack in nine previous trips to Reno.

"That's what's on my mind more than ESPN," Hawai'i point guard Matt Gibson said. "No Hawai'i team has ever won here and I think about being a part of that first team to get it."

Another concern is Nick Fazekas. Nevada's 6-foot-11 senior is the best player in the WAC, and a national player of the year candidate.

He is averaging 20.2 points and 11.6 rebounds per game, even though he has been bothered by an injured ankle since early January.

Fazekas did not play because of the ankle injury in Nevada's 68-66 overtime victory over Hawai'i Jan. 13 in the Stan Sheriff Center.

"He's a great player, one of the all-time greats in the WAC," Wallace said. "Nobody's going to shut him down, but you want to make him work for everything he does get."

Hawai'i center Ahmet Gueye will draw the assignment of defending Fazekas when the 'Bows use their man-to-man defense.

"He's a great player, but they have a great team," Gueye said. "He's not the only one who scores for them. They have a lot of weapons, so we all have to play solid team defense."

Without Fazekas last month, the Wolf Pack turned to guards Ramon Sessions (19 points) and Kyle Shiloh (18) in the victory over the 'Bows. Both guards wreaked havoc by penetrating through the Hawai'i defense for layups.

"We have to stop that penetration," Wallace said. "That's where it starts."

Gibson added: "Defense is definitely what we need to focus on. They got a close one at our house, so it would only be right to get a close one at their place."

The Wolf Pack also has Marcelus Kemp, a 6-5 forward who is averaging 18.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. Fazekas is ranked second in the WAC in scoring, and Kemp is third.

"They've got firepower at all five positions on the floor, so that makes them scary," Wallace said.

The 'Bows are coming off a solid defensive effort against Fresno State, limiting the Bulldogs to 23.6 percent field-goal shooting.

"If we can put forth another effort like that, it gives us a chance against a very good team," junior Bobby Nash said. "Like everybody says, defense wins championship."

Still another concern for the 'Bows is the status of senior guard Matt Lojeski. He attended last night's practice at the Lawlor Events Center, but did not participate in all of the drills because he is still suffering from flu-like symptoms.

He said he will play today. "Of course," he said.

Wallace said: "We rather have him sit out practice and get his strength back for the game. He'll be ready."

Lojeski leads the team in scoring with 16.4 points per game, and in assists with 4.6 per game.

In any case, the 'Bows got to rest on the bus ride from Fresno. Because only 11 players are on this trip, they each got extra room to lie down.

"I think the guys are more fresh now than what they would have been on a flight," Wallace said.

Two years ago, the Hawai'i bus got stuck in a snowstorm on the way to Reno.

"I remember that 15-hour ride," Nash said. "So five hours was nothing compared to that. And winning (at Fresno State) definitely helped. We were all loose, feeling good, and ready to get it going again."

NOTES

Reserve center Todd Follmer celebrated his 21st birthday Thursday.

A crowd of around 10,000 is expected for today's game. White towels were already being passed out yesterday for the student section to wave during the game. The students will also wear T-shirts labeled "Blue Crew."

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.