The Nevada women’s basketball team (8-12, 3-4) picked up their fourth win in conference play in a 62-59 home victory against Air Force (11-8, 1-6) on Saturday, Jan. 25, completing a season sweep over the Falcons.
The Pack started the game sluggishly, struggling to finish at the rim and failing to secure offensive rebounds. As a result, the team was outrebounded 10-5. Poor passing lanes contributed to five turnovers, and after a sloppy first quarter, the game was tied at 11.
Both teams traded baskets to start the second quarter, with Nevada guard Dymonioque Maxie leading the way, scoring on a fast-break opportunity.
Air Force guard Keelie O’Hollaren quickly stole the lead back for the Falcons with a quick three-pointer. However, Maxie scored the Pack’s final four points of the quarter, helping Nevada tear into Air Force’s lead. With one half in the books, Nevada was left trailing 25-23 at the break.
Maxie led the team with 12 points while shooting 83 percent (5-6) from the field at halftime.
With points at a premium, the Pack began to find their stride early in the third quarter. Guard Izzy Sullivan drilled two early three-pointers, giving Nevada an early four-point lead.
In her first action of the game, guard Audrey Roden nailed a turnaround jumper and scored two more after a Falcons turnover. Maxie drove through the paint for another layup followed by a pull-up jumper from Roden to cap off the third quarter with a 44-38 lead for Nevada.
Sullivan got the Pack started in the fourth quarter, splashing her first three-pointer and converting on a second-chance layup. This was matched by O’Hollaren, who quickly knocked down back-to-back triples to keep the Falcons alive. However, Roden drove to the rim and converted the subsequent free throws to keep it a two-score game with two minutes to play.
Despite a late three-pointer by O’Hollaren, with less than 30 seconds left on the clock, the Falcons were forced to foul. After going 5-for-6 from the charity stripe in the final half minute of the game, the Pack was able to put the game away with a final score of 62-59.
Maxie led the team in scoring with 16 points, while Sullivan and Roden also recorded double-digit figures in the win.
Despite not playing in the first half due to “disciplinary reasons” as stated by head coach Amanda Levens in the post-game press conference, Roden recorded 12 points and six rebounds in 17 minutes of game time, providing the Pack with an offensive spark they were missing in the first half.
Levens noted how Maxie elevated her team with one of her strongest offensive outputs this season.
“We weren’t very good anywhere in the first half,” Levens said. “Audrey gave us a huge lift in the second half and Dymonique really kept us in it. There was nowhere to go with baskets in the first half and she kept us in it.”.
Maxie highlighted that the team’s week off allowed her to get more practice finishing at the rim.
“This week I worked a lot on finishing through contact if there’s someone in front of me,” Maxie said. “Knowing Audrey wasn’t playing in the first half, I knew I needed to get those points up.”
The Pack (9-12, 4-4) who are still in search of their first win versus a team above them in the standings, will have the chance to do so on Wednesday, Jan. 29 as they take on the Fresno State Bulldogs (13-8, 4-4) in the program’s annual “When I grow up” game.
James Wolfgang Perez can be reached via email at dominicgutierrez@unr.edu or via X @JamesWPerezUNR
