The Nevada men’s basketball team (20-11, 12-8) took care of business against the Air Force Falcons (3-28, 0-20), winning 74-59 at home Saturday, March 7 on Senior Night.
Nevada won the opening tip and started fast. Forward Elijah Price backed through two defenders for the opening layup. Moments later, forward Kaleb Lowery followed with a pull-up jumper on the Pack’s next possession.
Price continued attacking the rim, while guard Tayshawn Comer buried a corner 3-pointer as Nevada kept rolling. Guard Corey Camper Jr. joined the action soon after when he found a wide-open Lowery in the paint for a slam, giving the Pack a 12-0 lead just over three minutes into the game.
Air Force eventually got on the board when guard Ethan Greenberg knocked down an open 3-pointer.
Camper Jr. quickly responded by powering through two defenders for his first basket. Forward Peyton White added to the surge after taking a feed from guard Myles Walker to the rim. Guard Vaughn Weems grabbed a missed 3-pointer by Price and finished the putback to extend Nevada’s lead.
After the fast start, both teams cooled off for several possessions before the Falcons strung together a layup and a steal to cut the deficit to 19-13. Nevada guard Amire Robinson then drove to the basket for his first field goal off a pass from Lowery to steady the Pack.
In the next sequence, a turnover by Price led to a free throw opportunity for forward Caleb Walker. Walker forced another steal on the next defensive possession, grabbing a pass from Comer.
Price fouled Walker again, sending him back to the line, where he went 1-for-2 as Air Force failed to fully capitalize on Nevada’s mistakes.
Nevada’s offense stalled for a stretch, going 4:44 without a field goal. Eventually, Camper Jr. ended the drought with a one-handed layup through contact. The Falcons answered with layups of their own, but Camper Jr. added a slam on the Pack’s next possession to push the lead to 30-21 with under two minutes left in the half.
Air Force trimmed the deficit late with driving layups, though Nevada carried a 32-25 lead into the break.
Price opened the second half with another drive to the rim. Camper Jr. blocked Walker’s shot on the other end, and then Comer connected on a long jumper to spark Nevada early.
Weems hit a corner 3-pointer while Camper Jr. added two free throws as Nevada built a 15-point lead early in the half.
The teams traded baskets for several minutes, but Robinson’s corner 3-pointer midway through the half pushed the Pack’s advantage to 17.
From there, Nevada led by as many as 22 points and cruised to the 74-59 victory.
The Wolf Pack dominated the glass, outrebounding the Falcons 41-22, although both teams struggled from beyond the arc. Nevada finished 4-for-18 (22%) from 3-point range, well below its 37% season average entering the game.
The game marked Senior Night for centers Jeriah Coleman and Joel Armotrading, along with Camper Jr., Comer and Lowery.
“I’m just really proud and happy for these guys,” coach Steve Alford said. “They have absolutely been a tremendous joy and blessing to all of our coaches. We are blessed that we got the chance to coach these guys since June. They’ve been wonderful, and hopefully we can extend it and go as long as we can.”
With the win, Nevada clinched the No. 5 seed in the Mountain West Conference tournament. The Pack will face Air Force again Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. in Las Vegas for the right to advance to the quarterfinals.
