Matt Weir / The Collegian

Paul George watched as his teammates fought for victory.

Paul George, the leading scorer for the men’s basketball team, found himself in an unfamiliar seat on the sideline Saturday night, while his teammates proved nothing could bring them down.

The ‘Dogs took on the Nevada Wolf Pack without starting forward and team leader George. The team played with heart and finished the game with a 87-77 victory.

George was injured in last Thursday nights game against Utah. The 6 foot 8 inch sophomore left the court with an ankle injury.

Going into the game without George, head basketball coach Steve Cleveland had one thing on his agenda: “throw the ball into the post.”

Cleveland said his team played with a completely different purpose.

“We didn’t play as well together without Paul on Thursday as we did tonight,” Cleveland said.

Other players from the ‘Dogs’ lineup stepped up to lead the team and fill in for the injured George.

Brandon Sperling, who started in George’s position, only spent two minutes on the bench. Sperling contributed 10 points, seven assists and eight defensive boards for the night.

In 24 hours Sperling was determined to learn all the plays, offensive and defensive, to help his team overcome the loss and record a victory.

Sperling said that he was not worried about filling George’s shoes.

“I tried to come in and play within myself, and my teammates found me,” Sperling said.

Cleveland and starting center Greg Smith, both agreed that if there was a game ball it unanimously belonged to Sperling.

“He took over the game”, Smith said. “He did great, and played his heart out.”

Cleveland added, “This is the best game he has played in a Bulldog uniform.”

Smith also chipped in for the win, dominating center position. Smith recorded a career high of 25 points, 11 rebounds, and five steals. Smith also added another double-double, totaling four for the season.

Smith said that he was determined to go strong, take it to the Wolf Pack and play hard, to prove it to his teammate and friend George.

“For a day or so it is good to enjoy a really, really good win for the program,” Cleveland said.

Brianna Campbell / The Collegian

“We love Paul. He is a great player, and he went down, and I can’t wait for him to come back. The guys all played hard, played with a purpose, we played as well as we have all year,” Cleveland said.