The No. 2 seed Nevada men’s basketball team cruised past the Murray State Racers 89-75 at home in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) on Wednesday, March 18.
Murray State controlled the opening tip and immediately struck first, as guard Javon Jackson drilled a quick 3-pointer. Nevada answered right away when guard Tayshawn Comer knocked down a long two to get the Pack on the board.
However, the Racers kept their foot on the gas early. Center Fred King pushed the pace for a fast two, and guard KJ Tenner followed with a steal off guard Vaughn Weems that led to another basket.
Nevada responded on its next possession, as forward Kaleb Lowery buried a three to keep the Pack within reach. Moments later, Lowery created a turnover of his own, picking off Jackson and setting up Weems for a putback slam. Forward Elijah Price then grabbed a defensive rebound and converted a hook shot, giving Nevada its first lead at 9-7.
Still, Murray State answered quickly. King knocked down a three to reclaim a 10-9 advantage just under five minutes in, setting the tone for a fast-paced, back-and-forth matchup.
Weems continued to produce offensively, finishing a driving layup, while center Joel Armotrading added a putback. Even so, Jackson stayed hot, knocking down another triple to keep things even.
As the pace continued to heat up, guard Layne Taylor drained a pull-up three to put the Racers back in front. Nevada countered immediately when guard Chuck Bailey III stripped Jackson and found forward Peyton White for a layup.
Meanwhile, Murray State leaned heavily on its perimeter shooting. Forward Brock Vice connected from deep, but White answered with a three of his own. At the first half’s halfway point, the Racers held a narrow edge, shooting 5-9 from beyond the arc compared to Nevada’s 2-6.
Things changed quickly for Murray State as Nevada guard Tyler Rolison knocked down a three to give Nevada a 21-20 lead. From there, both teams traded baskets, with guard Corey Camper Jr. sparking the Pack’s offense. He knocked down a pair of jumpers and added a putback layup to extend the lead to 29-26.
Even then, Murray State refused to fade. Jackson tied the game at 31 with another basket, and center Dylan Anderson added a three before Weems answered with a jumper. Comer then put Nevada back in front with another mid-range shot, and Price followed with two free throws after drawing contact.
Once again, Jackson responded, hitting his fourth three of the half to tie the game. However, Camper Jr. answered on the next possession with his first 3-pointer to keep Nevada ahead.
King closed the half with a late layup, but Nevada still carried a 41-39 lead into the break. Camper Jr. led the Pack with 9 points, while Murray State shot 50 percent from three compared to Nevada’s 40 percent.
Out of halftime, Nevada quickly created separation as Camper Jr. opened the half with a putback jumper and another basket, while Comer added a layup to push the lead to six.
Murray State tried to respond as guard Roman Domon attacked the rim for a slam and added free throws to cut the deficit to 47-45. Despite that, Nevada maintained control. Lowery knocked down a jumper and forced another turnover, leading to free throws for Weems.
Shortly after, Comer hit a pull-up three, and although Jackson answered with a floater, the Pack continued to build momentum. Price found Camper Jr. for another basket, giving Nevada its first three-possession lead at 56-49.
From there, Nevada took over once again. Camper Jr. hit another jumper to energize the crowd, while the Racers struggled with missed shots and turnovers. Weems capitalized with a layup, extending the lead to 61-50 with just under 13 minutes remaining.
As the game went on, Nevada’s advantage grew. Armotrading converted an and-one hook shot, Rolison finished an up-and-under move and Bailey III drilled a corner three to cap a dominant run. The surge pushed the Pack ahead 72-55 with 9:24 left to play.
With full control, Nevada never looked back. Weems fueled the offense with consecutive layups, a corner three and a putback, while Price added a slam and Lowery finished a fast-break opportunity. The Pack stretched the lead to 89-70 with just over two minutes left.
Although Murray State added a few late baskets, Nevada closed out an 89-75 win.
Weems led all scorers with 23 points. After shooting 50 percent from three in the first half, the Racers cooled off significantly, hitting just 27 percent in the second.
In a postgame press conference, Nevada head coach Steve Alford credited the home crowd for its impact.
“Our crowd was really good, you know, for an NIT crowd, and that’s always important,” Alford said. “We had a really good crowd. I don’t know what the numbers ended up being, but they were loud. They were into it right from the beginning.”
Nevada will remain at home to face the Liberty Flames in the second round of the NIT on Saturday, March 21 at 6 p.m.
