The Nevada women’s basketball team traveled to Los Angeles, California, where they were crushed by the Loyola Marymount University (LMU) Lions, 89-64, in their season opener.
The Pack entered a raucous environment as the Lions celebrated their 2025-2026 West Coast Conference (WCC) championship with a ring ceremony. Nevada, still coming out on the short end, allowed LMU to score a program record-breaking high of 89 points.
The first quarter was promising for the Pack, as they kept pace with the Lions’ fiery offense and trailed 20-19. Nevada found success beyond the arc, shooting 62.5%, 5/8, from three.
Nevada started to fall off during the second quarter due to errant shots. They made only four of their 11 attempts inside the paint and 1 of 4 outside. LMU, however, stayed consistent in their shooting game, matching their 20 points from the first quarter.
Nevada came out of the locker room, and despite their fast-pace movement on the attack, they still struggled to find the net or stop LMU’s raging offense. The Lions scored 21 points in the third quarter alone, and Nevada’s inability to defend became prevalent — especially in the 2-point range where the Lions shot for 60%.
The Pack entered the final quarter down 61-44 and it was clear they wouldn’t be able to catch up. Despite finding their groove again on offense and scoring 20 points, they couldn’t stop the Lions from taking to the net for 28 points to hit a record high.
Nevada falling to the reigning WCC champions isn’t terribly surprising, but losing by 25 was worse than expected.
Nevada head coach Kelly Sopak emphasized his desire for a fast-paced offense this season, noting how beneficial that would be forthe team. However, only a few players lived up to that hope.
Junior guard Aili Tanke scored a team high of 18 points and shot 6/10 from the 3-point range. Senior guard Mahaila Harrison was second in scoring with 16 points and sophomore point guard Alexis Swillis added 10.
Forty-four of Nevada’s 64 total points were scored by just three players. This offensive imbalance is not only part of the reason Nevada lost so drastically in this matchup, but is extremely unsustainable for their future.
The Lions were a tough matchup. However, Nevada definitely looked like a brand-new team compared to last season. While the record may not show it after just one game, Sopak is definitely turning this program around with new players and a clear new standard of play.
Nevada’s next challenge will come at home as they take on the Sacramento State Hornets on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 6 p.m.
