Jeff Hawkins drove the length of the floor with 6.9 seconds remaining and got a pass into C.J. Giles.

But the KU sophomore couldn’t get off a quality shot as Nevada’s defense collapsed on him on a possession that could have been possibly ended with a foul, which Kansas coach Bill Self thought as he ran onto the court to question a official.

Nevada’s Nick Fazekas, who finished with a career-high 35 points, as the Jayhawks fell to 2-3 for the first time since 1972.

“They had a great player tonight, he was better than anybody on the floor,” Self said of Fazekas. “The reason we lost the game is because we didn’t come as individually ready early in the game.

“It was just one bona fide mental mistake after another. Nevada has a good ball club, and we were a good ball club in the second half.

“We couldn’t execute it better there at the end.”

Giles, who himself was bothered by foul trouble Thursday, said he was unsure of whether he not he was fouled on KU’s final possession as the Wolf Pack swarmed him in the lane.

“I don’t know if I got fouled or not. I felt some contact. Hands were basically holding my arm,” Giles said.

Kansas was led by Sasha Kaun’s 19 points and nine rebounds, while Brandon Rush, who had a big dunk and assist on Micah Downs’ three in the final seconds, finished with 15 points and eight rebounds.

After Downs’ trey cut Nevada’s lead to one with 20 seconds to go, KU almost stole the ball away from NU guard Marcelus Kemp.

Instead the Wolf Pack called a timeout and Mo Charlo — who had 12 points, including 7-of-8 free throws down the stretch, made one of two charities to set up the final possession with 6.9 to go.

“It was a good feeling, but we aren’t surprised by it,” said Fazekas of his team’s win, which was the Wolf Pack’s 13 straight road victory. “Kansas is a great team and we came in here with a lot of respect for them, but we’re not surprised about winning because we feel as if we are good enough to beat anyone.”

“I’m personally hoping that it will actually motivate us to work harder in practice,” Kaun said. “We came close, but you got to play good through the whole game.”

Second Half Action

After a turnover by Nevada, Brandon’s Rush knocked down a three-pointer to start the second half.

The Wolf Pack answered though when Kyle Shiloh cut in for a quick lay-in.

Jeff Hawkins followed with his first basket on a jumper to cut the deficit to 37-32.

Nevada’s Charlo gave the ball back to the Jayhawks and Russell Robinson scored on a lay-up to cut the game to three.

The Wolf Pack’s Ramon Sessions hit a pair of free throws to stop Kansas’ 9-2 run.

With 16:09 to go, Kaun used a left-handed hook over Nick Fazekas to cut Nevada’s lead to 39-36.

Fazekas got his first basket of the second half with a shot from the right wing to give him a game-high 16 points.

The Nevada junior followed with two more with 14:59 to go on an easy lay-in.

Rush added a shot from inside the circle to make the score 43-38.

Rush then blocked 7-0 Chad Bell’s shot near the rim. But back the other way Bell delivered a hard foul on Mario Chalmers, who flew into the basket support under the goal.

Bell was whistled for an intentional foul as Chalmers left the court, grabbing onto his right foot, and went to the lockerroom.

Hawkins hit both free throws and the Jayhawks have the ball trailign 43-40 with 13:41 to go.

Hawkins followed with a left-handed leaner to close KU’s defcit to one.

But Fazekas quieted the crowd with a three-pointer from the right side for the four-point lead.

With 12:43 to go, KU’s Giles was whistled for his third foul.

Nevada’s Marcelus Kemp knocked down a jumper to push the lead to 48-42. Kemp, the Wolf Pack’s leading scorer, has six points.

With 11:03 left, Rush scored on a fancy scoop shot to cut Nevada’s lead to four.

A long three missed by the Wolf Pack, but Fazekas added his 23rd points on a putback.

Rush followed with a 14-footer.

Kaun followed a Moody miss with a lay-in to give him 14 points and reduce KU’s deficit to 50-48 with 9:25 to go.

Jayhawk Russell Robinson tied the game on a leaning lay-up with just over nine minutes to go. The Jayhawks, which shot just 34-percent in the first half has increased its shooting percentage to 42.

Moody missed the front end of a one-and-one. But the Jayhawks got the rebound and Kaun gave KU its first lead, 52-50, since early on with a lay-in with 8 1/2 to go.

KU’s Micah Downs came up with a loose ball, but a Hawkins three rolled in and out.

Fazekas grabbed the rebound, and KU’s Giles, who had just reentered the game, picked up his fourth foul with 7:06.

Fazekas tied the contest with two free throws for his 25th point.

Nevada coach Mark Fox was upset that the KU clock-keeper gave Moody a basket on a putback that didn’t go in. But the KU senior did hit one of two free throws to give KU a 53-52 lead with 6:42 to go.

But Fazekas came right back with a put in for the Nevada lead.

Moody came right back on the Wolf Pack star and hit a jumper over him for the 55-54 lead with just under six minutes to go.

A travel by Bell gave KU the ball with 4:55 to go.

Rush was fouled on his way to the hoop, and the freshman knocked down a pair of free throws with 4:42 to go to give Kansas a 57-54 lead. Rush has scored 13 points.

Fazekas tied the game, Rush followed with a monster block to save a easy basket, but Ramon Session gave Nevada the lead again on two free throws with 4:02 to go.

Robinson tied the contest once again with two free throws with 3:52 to go.

Charlo gave the lead back to Nevada with two free thows the other way with 3:40 left.

Kaun, who has 17 points, hit one free throw, but Nevada leads 61-60 with just over three mintues to go.

But Fazekas tied his career-high with 33 points when he nailed a three pointer from the right wing right at the three-minute mark.

Kaun couldn’t hang on to a lob pass and Nevada has the ball with a timeout with 2:15 to go.

Moody fouled out when he fouled Fazekas with 2:04 to play. The Nevada star added to his career high with a pair of free throws to give the Wolf Pack a 66-60 lead.

Kaun answered with two free throws to close the game to four with 1:45 to go.

Rush fouled Charlo away from the ball and the Nevada forward hit both for the 68-62 lead. Nevada has hit all 13 free throws.

Kansas has missed only four as Robinson made the first of his, but missed the second which was followed in by Giles to cut the lead to 68-65 with 1:24 to go.

Fazekas fell down and Robinson drove the lane but missed a lay-up with 45 seconds to go.

Nevada’s Shilo hit just one free throw to give the Wolf Pack a four point lead.

Rush answered for KU with a thunderous two-hand jam in the lane to reduce the lead to two, 69-67 with 35 seconds to go. KU took its final timeout to set up its strategy.

Charlo hit two free throws to make the score 71-67 with 32.5 seconds to go.

Rush drew defenders off of him as he went to the lane, but the kicked it back out to Micah Downs who drilled a three-pointer with 20 seconds to go to cut KU’s deficit to one.

Kansas almost stole the ball away from Kemp, but Nevada was able to call its last timeout with nine seconds remaining.

Nevada recovered a deflected inbounds pass and Charlo was fouled. He made one to give Nevada a 72-70 lead with 6.9 to go.

Hawkins drove the length of the court and got a pass into Giles, who missed a shot that was heavily guarded and looked like it could be a possible foul, which KU coach Bill Self ran onto the court asking for.

Nevada escaped with a 72-70 victory, dropping the Jayhawks to 2-3 for the first time since 1972.

Halftime

An early 8-0 run and big spark from star forward Nick Fazekas, who scored 14 first half points off of 6-of-10 shooting, gave the Wolf Pack a 35-27 halftime lead over the Jayhawks Thursday night at Allen Fieldhouse.

Nevada shot 50-percent, while Kansas fired at just 34.3-percent.

The Jayhawks got 10 first half points from Sasha Kaun and four a piece from both C.J. Giles and Mario Chalmers, who also dished out four assists. Kaun and Giles each had six rebounds.

Kansas outrebounded Nevada 20-19 and outscored the Wolf Pack in the paint 18-16.

The Jayhawks hit only 1-of-8 three-pointers.

First Half Action

Kansas won the tip but Brandon Rush was fouled by Nevada’s Mo Charlo. When the Jayhawks got the ball back, Sasha Kaun missed a short shot, but C.J. Giles tipped the ball back in for the game’s first points.

Kansas had back-to-back turnovers, but Nevada came away empty on its first two possessions.

With 17:38 to go the Wolf Pack’s Nick Fazekas stepped back and hit a long jumper over Giles to tie the game at 2-all.

Kaun scored in the lane off a nice feed.

Nevada’s Chad Bell had a short shot to tie things again.

But the Jayhawks came back and took a 6-4 lead when Rush soared to the hoop for a lay-in with 16:04 to go.

Ramon Sessions hit a pair of free throws after the game’s first time out to create the third tie early into this contest.

After a Jeff Hawkins miss from three-point range, Nevada took its first lead on a reverse lay-up by Fazekas.

Julian Wright checked in for Giles, whose battling a ankle injury, at the 14:54 mark. So too did Wolf Pack’s leading scorer Marcelus Kemp, who missed his first shot but Nevada got a big time tip dunk from Charlo for the 10-6 lead.

Kemp didn’t miss his second shot, connecting on a short jumper to give the Wolf Pack a 12-6 lead thanks to an 8-0 with 13:54 to go.

Kaun broke KU’s scoreless streak with a putback to close the deficit, but Nevada answered with a long alley-oop to Demarshay Johnson for the 14-8 advantage.

A travel by Nevada at the 11:51 mark gave the ball back to KU, who cut the deficit to four when senior Christian Moody scored on an up-and-under move.

Another Wolf Pack turnover allowed the Jayhawks to go back to the lane where Kaun scored an easy bucket.

But Fazekas hit a guarded turnaround over a pair of Jayhawks for the 16-12 lead.

After a runner by Nevada, KU freshman Micah Downs hit a short one off glass.

But Fazekas, who is 4-of-5, came back to get another roll off the glass as the Wolf Pack took a 20-14 lead.

A save by Moody got the ball back to Downs, who hit a three with 7:25 to go.

KU’s freshman guard Mario Chalmers followed with a drive to cut the Jayhawks deficit to 20-19.

Nevada, which had missed seven shots in a row, finally got back on the scoreboard when Kemp hit a long jumper right in front of the three-point stripe with 5:20 to go.

Rush missed a point-blank shot but the Jayhawks go the ball back on a Russell Robinson steal. But Robinson missed a jumper back the other way.

Fazekas reached double figures on a lay-in.

The Wolf Pack junior got another basket and was fouled with 3:46 to go. Fazekas hit the free throw to give him 13 points and increased Nevada’s lead to 27-19.

Kaun banked in a bucket with 3:10 to go, but couldn’t tip in a follow on a Chalmer’s drive.

Fazekas was fouled on a wide-open lay-in, but the 6-11 forward hit one free throw for the 28-21 lead with two and a half minutes to go.

Giles hit second basket on a jumper behind the free-throw line to close KU’s deficit to 28-23.

Charlo missed a three, but then Nevada got the ball back and Charlo hit one from downtown this time for the 31-23 lead.

KU’s Kaun hit a pair of free throws to give him 10 points.

After a monster dunk by Nevada’s Johnson, the Jayhawks caught a break when Charlo ran into his own teamamte on a break and turned the ball over. Nevada still leads 33-25 with 1:04 to go in the half.

Giles swatted away a drive by Shilo, but Johnson got a ball to roll in from the lane to give Nevada a 10-point lead.

Chalmers got a drive to go down right before the half to cut the Jayhawks’ deficit to single digits as Nevada took a 35-27 halftime lead.

Kansas started forwards C.J. Giles and Brandon Rush alongside Sasha Kaun, and guards Russell Robinson and Jeff Hawkins.

Nevada countered with forwards Mo Charlo and Nick Fazekas, center Chad Bell and guards Kyle Shiloh and Ramon Sessions.

Pregame

Kansas University’s basketball team is returning to Allen Fieldhouse tonight after a 1-2 trip to Maui, Hawaii. The Jayhawks will take on No. 20 Nevada in an 8:05 p.m. tip that can be seen live on ESPN 2.

“Coach has had some good talks with all of us, what we need to learn from Maui,” said KU senior Christian Moody. “A lot of us have taken to heart what he’s talking about.”

The young Jayhawks (2-2) had better said Kansas coach Bill Self, who said otherwise a quality Nevada (3-0) team could the best of KU on its home court.

“The team is battle tested,” said Self, who is going for his 50th win at KU in his third season. “They certainly have a legitimate ranking now. I don’ know if they’ll be the best team we played to date but they can play with anybody we’ve played so far (including Arizona and Arkansas).”

The Wolf Pack, the preseason favorite to win the Western Athletic Conference, is led by 6-foot-11 junior forward Nick Fazekas, the 2004-05 WAC Player of the Year.

“He can shoot it. He’s kind of a face-up guy with a low-post game,” said of Fazekas, who is averaging 18 points per game to go with 8.3 rebounds and 3 assists per contest. “He’s very good at getting to the line. His shot fake gets you off balance. We need to be very sound defending him or he could make our young guys not look very good.”

Fazekas, however, isn’t the leading scorer for a Nevada team that has won 12 straight games dating back to last season.

That would be sophomore guard Marcelus Kemp, who is scoring at a 21 point per game clip. Kemp, who comes off the bench, missed last season because of a torn ACL. Senior Mo Charlo is averaging 14 per game.

Kansas, which is coming off a 102-54 victory over Chaminade in its final game in the EA Sports Invitational, has squared off against the Wolf Pack the last two seasons — which many Kansas fans probably would like to forget Nevada’s 75-61 victory in Reno, Nev. two years ago.

Kansas is led by freshman foward Brandon Rush, who is averaging 15 points a game. KU sophomore big men Sasha Kaun and C.J. Giles are next in line with 14.5 and 10.5 points per game, respectively. Kaun also leads the Jayhawks with 9.3 rebounds per contest, while Giles is averaging 7.5 for a team that has outrebounded every opponent this season and holds a +8 rebound margin in four games.

Last season the Jayhawks easily handled Nevada 85-52 win in the Fieldhouse, but Self warns this year’s Wolf Pack team is probably better.

“I think they’re every bit as good as last year and maybe better because of Marcelus Kemp,” Self said. “They lost some guys, but Kemp, who was hurt last year, is really good. He’s their leading scorer with 24 points a game and hasn’t even started yet.

“This is going to be a very tough game for us.”

But a game nonetheless that KU senior Jeff Hawkins said Kansas should be excited about, and a test that should tell a lot about a young Jayhawk team.

“It’s a really big game,” Hawkins said. “They are a ranked team. This would help us and our program a lot.”