The Nevada men’s basketball team (8-3, 0-0) returned home on Dec. 13, closing out non-conference play with a 78-75 win against the Duquesne Dukes (6-5, 0-0).
The Dukes capitalized on early Wolf Pack turnovers when guards Tarence Guinyard and Cam Crawford sank two threes. However, junior guard Chuck Bailey III started the game hot, scoring six in a row to cut Duquesne’s lead to one, 9-8.
After three free throws by Guinyard, the Dukes’ lead was 16-8. The Pack responded accordingly, stuffing Duquesne’s offense on multiple possessions, leading to a 5:34 scoring drought.
On the other end of the floor, Peyton White and Amire Robinson led the Pack on a 15-0 run to ignite the home crowd, taking a 7-point lead into the media timeout, 23-16.
The Wolf Pack continued their momentum, as forward Elijah Price fought through contact to give them their first double-digit lead of the night.
Duke’s freshman forward Lazar Milošević got in early foul trouble, including a flagrant foul on Ethan Croley. Croley made both free throws and a layup on the following possession, which extended the Pack’s lead to 14, their biggest of the first half.
However, Duquesne surged at the end of the half, going on a 7-0 run which saw the Pack’s lead cut down to seven going into the break. White led the Pack at halftime with 8 points, while Guinyard scored 14 for the visitors.
The second half began with both teams trading buckets, but a quick 9-0 run led by Guinyard and Maximus Edwards put the game back in the balance for the Dukes.
The game remained in the reach of Duquesne, but baskets by Jeriah Coleman and Robinson extended the Nevada lead back to nine.
Dukes forward Jakub Nečas made two free throws to cut the lead to three, and then tied the game at 69 with a fadeaway three as the shot clock expired.
Tayshawn Comer turned the ball over in transition, leading to Duquesne’s first lead since the first quarter via a fast break slam by David Dixon.
After Nevada regained the lead through a layup by Comer, Guinyard missed a chance to take the lead back. White, Comer and Walker all made free throws to keep the game out of reach, and Duquesne guard Jimmie Williams missed a game-tying three to make the final score 78-75.
The Pack opens up conference play on Saturday, Dec. 20, at home against the Boise State Broncos at 7 p.m.
