The Nevada men’s basketball team defeated the Portland State Vikings 77-71 in their final preseason game at Lawlor Events Center on Sunday, Oct. 25.
Nevada won the tip, but Portland State got the scoring started via a 3-pointer from sophomore guard Yaroslav Nikonov.
Nevada responded quickly and got on the board through a mid-range jumper from redshirt junior forward Elijah Price.
Both teams traded baskets to keep the game close, but Nikonov took over, scoring six consecutive points to give Portland State a 14-10 lead.
Nikonov, a native of Gelendzhik, Russia, signed from CSKA-2 of the Russian Superleague, led the Russian second division in scoring last year.
After Portland State extended their lead to 17-13 on a three from senior forward Luke Kearney, Nevada went on a brief 6-0 run, led by three points each from junior guard Peter Bandelj and sophomore forward Peyton White.
Vikings redshirt senior guard Koren Johnson tied the game at 19, before four consecutive Wolf Pack points put them up by two scores again.
The teams traded points from the free-throw line before the game went into a media timeout, with the Wolf Pack still up by four, 30-26.
Depth scoring from freshman Hudson Lucas and SJ Madison extended the Pack’s lead to eight, their largest of the afternoon.
However, the Vikings came roaring back, on a 14-4 scoring run led by Nikonov and Johnson to give them the lead back, 46-43, going into halftime.
Nikonov led the way with 13 for Portland State, while Price had 9 points for the Pack.
After a scoreless first two minutes of the second half, senior guard Vaughn Weems kicked off an offensive surge.
Sophomore center Simon Majok continued the Pack’s momentum with two buckets from inside the paint, putting the Pack up 49-48.
A free throw by Price, followed by two makes from the line by Nikonov, tied the game up at 50.
Price and Weems converted more from the line before Nikonov made his third from beyond the arc. At 11:37 of the second half, with the score 56-55 Wolf Pack, Nevada had yet to make a three (0-10).
Price converted an and-one opportunity to put Nevada up three possessions. Kearney responded with two threes before and after White finished at the rim, to cut the lead to three, 66-63.
Nikonov then made a 3-pointer of his own, adding onto an explosive 9-2 run, which tied the game at 66.
Vikings redshirt senior forward Charles Chukwu gave Portland State the lead back, 68-66 with a spinning layup from under the basket.
With 3:27 left on the clock, Price sank two free throws, which once again tied the game.
The back-and-forth continued with 2:38 remaining, as Nikonov made two from the line, which gave the Vikings the lead back.
Nevada retook the lead, the ninth lead change of the game, as Price and Weems combined for two layups on consecutive possessions.
However, Portland State had a chance to tie, but fifth-year center KC Ibekwe missed his second free throw, leaving the score at 72-71.
The free throw shooting errors continued on the other end of the floor, as White also missed one, keeping the Vikings’ deficit at two.
After a miss from Nikonov, Nevada sophomore guard Myles Walker had a chance to make it a 4-point game, but also missed his second free throw, keeping the game in the balance for Portland State.
However, an airballed three from Johnson with 18.6 seconds on the clock gave Nevada possession back.
Nevada’s junior guard TJ Coulter made one of two from the line, but quick thinking from Weems allowed him to pounce on the rebound, and extend the lead to 77-71, which made for the final score.
Although Nevada failed to make a three, they attempted 55 free throws to Portland State’s , shooting 70% from the line to propel them to victory.
Nikonov was the game’s top scorer with 23 points, while Price had 21 of his own for the Pack.
“The guys found a way,” said Nevada head coach Steve Alford. “We have the versatility and athleticism to attack the paint.”
Nevada will next take on the Robert Morris Colonials in their season opener on Monday, Nov. 2.
