Men’s basketball: Nevada takes first game

By: Lukas Eggen

Saturday, November 14, 2009 - 11:19 PM

Nevada guard Brandon Fields scored 14 points during the Wolf Pack's 75-61 victory over Montana State. Photo by Casey Durkin/Nevada Sagebrush

The men’s basketball team started the 2009-10 season with a 75-61 victory over Montana State.

The Bobcats kept the game close early in the first half, trailing12-10, but Nevada went on a 28-4 run to pull away from the Bobcats.

“I think we played a pretty good first half,” forward Luke Babbitt said.

The Wolf Pack took a 50-31 lead into the half time.

“I thought the first half we had a lot of energy,” head coach David Carter said.

However, in the second half the Wolf Pack failed to continue its offensive output, scoring only 25 points in the half.

“The second half, we came out flat,” Carter said. “I attribute that mostly to being overconfident with the big lead and, secondly, not respecting the opponent.”

Babbitt said the Wolf Pack need to come out with a whole new mentality after half time.

“We have to play better at the start of the second half,” Babbitt said. “We have to play as if it was 0-0 and try and beat them again.”

Nevada was led by Babbitt, who scored a game-high 26 points while guard Brandon Fields added 14.

Guard Armon Johnson was second on the team in scoring with 16 points, but was taken out of the game in the second half after he attempted to bounce the ball off the backboard to himself and dunk it.

“I tried to make it,” Johnson said. “But I missed it.”

Coach Carter said he would have taken Johnson out of the game even if Johnson made the dunk.

“That’s not Nevada basketball,” Carter said. “That’s not what we’re about. We’re not about showboating or disrespecting the opponent. He understood that and he was embarrassed.”

Nevada’s next game is at UNLV on Wednesday. Last season, the Rebels defeated the Wolf Pack 64-57. Despite the victory, Babbitt knows the team needs to improve.

“We have to play a better all around game in the second half,” Babbitt said. “These next four games for us will be really difficult.”

In addition to the Rebels, the Wolf Pack will play Houston, Virginia Commonwealth University and North Carolina.

“It felt good to get the win,” Carter said. “But we have a long ways to go.”

Lukas Eggen can be reached at leggen@nevadasagebrush.com.