RENO, Nev. - A balanced offensive effort on one end of the floor, complemented by a suffocating defensive performance on the other end of the court fueled the University of Nevada Men's Basketball to a commanding 78-60 victory over Sam Houston State, dealing the Bearkats their first loss of the season. 

With the win, Nevada improved to 7-1 on the year and 4-0 at the Lawlor Events Center. 

The Pack had five different players reach double-figures in scoring and six who scored at least nine points.  

The 78 points scored by Nevada mark the most that the Bearkats have allowed this season. Sam Houston had not allowed any of their six previous opponents to surpass 55 points, and they were limiting their opponents to just 48.3 points per game entering Monday night's contest.  

The Pack finished with a 42.9 percent shooting clip from the field, including a stellar 40.9 percent from behind the arc (10-25) and an impressive 76.5 percent from the free throw line (26-34). 

Jarod Lucas and Kenan Blackshear led the way offensively for Nevada, as the senior backcourt duo combined to score 32 points on 8-17 shooting from the field and 3-5 from three. 

Lucas had his most efficient game of the season, scoring 16 points on just seven shots. He knocked down 2-3 shots from behind the arc and all six of his free throw attempts on the night.  

Blackshear also had a 16-point outing to go along with four assists and three rebounds.  

Will Baker continued his fierce play on offense, picking up right where he left off at the Cayman Islands Classic, as the big man scored 14 points on 3-6 shooting from the field, in addition to pulling down seven rebounds, recording two assists, two blocks, and two steals. 

Freshman forward Nick Davidson came off the bench to score 13 points on 4-6 shooting from the floor, including 3-4 from 3-point range. The three 3-pointers made marked a new career-high for Davidson, and the freshman also matched a career-high by grabbing six rebounds in the contest. 

Tre Coleman was the fifth Pack player to reach double figures, marking the third time in the past four games that the junior forward has done so. Coleman finished the contest with 10 points and a season-high four assists. 

Darrion Williams had another phenomenal outing for the Pack, as the freshman scored nine points on 3-8 shooting from the field and 2-5 from three, while also managing to collect a game-high 10 rebounds, three of which were on the offensive glass. Williams also dished out a game-high and career-high five assists in the contest, while recording two steals.  

Nevada started the game strong, as Lucas and Blackshear hit back-to-back 3-pointers on the Pack's first two possessions, giving Nevada a 6-0 lead just over one minute into the contest. 

Sam Houston State responded with a 14-2 run over the next four and a half minutes of play, as the Bearkats took a 14-8 lead over the Pack with 14:10 remaining in the first half. 

After two made free throws by Lucas followed by Davidson's first 3-pointer of the night, Nevada was able to trim the deficit to just one with 11:30 to go in the period.  

The Bearkats managed to push their lead back up to five over the next four minutes of game time; but, the Pack ripped off a 9-0 run to take a 24-20 lead with 3:35 to go in the half.  

The two squads went back and forth over the last few minutes of the period, as Nevada took a 29-28 lead into halftime. 

After an empty possession for each team to begin the second half, Williams found a cutting Blackshear in transition, who then finished strong at the rim, drawing a foul to convert an and-one opportunity and extend Nevada's lead to four points early in the second period.

Two possessions later, with Nevada holding a three-point advantage, Williams tallied a steal on the defensive end of the court and then drained a huge 3-pointer on the offensive side of the floor to push the Pack's lead back up to six. 

The Bearkats were able to get a bucket in the paint, but Nevada came down and drilled another 3-pointer, this time by Will Baker, giving the Pack their largest lead of the contest, as they held a 39-32 advantage with 17:31 to go. 

Just over two minutes later, Baker made a sensational move in the post and threw down a two-handed dunk to put Nevada up by 10.  

The Pack continued rolling, as they began to take complete control of the game on both ends of the court.  

Nevada proceeded to add to their lead and took a 16-point advantage on another Williams 3-pointer with just over 12 minutes remaining in the game.  

The Bearkats were unable to trim the deficit to less than 13 points throughout the remainder of the game, and the Pack led by as many as 21, as Nevada continued to put pressure on Sam Houston State on both ends of the floor, and went on to earn the 18-point victory.  

Nevada limited the Bearkats to just 34 percent shooting from the field for the game, and an abysmal 29.4 percent from three. 

Notable Stats 

• Nevada outscored Sam Houston State, 49-32, in the second half. 

• The Pack had just 10 turnovers in the contest, marking the least amount of turnovers Sam Houston State has forced in a game this season. 

• Nevada's three-point field goal percentage of 40% marked the highest percentage Sam Houston State has allowed an opponent to shoot from behind the arc in a game this year. 

• Jarod Lucas owned a game-high plus/minus of 21 in 39 minutes of action throughout the contest. 

• The Pack scored 17 points off 13 forced turnovers. 

• Nevada had five blocks in the contest. 

• The Pack had six different players make at least one 3-pointer. 

• Nevada recorded 17 assists on 21 made field goals. 

• Nevada knocked down 6-13 shots from behind the arc in the second half.  

• Will Baker has scored at least 14 points in three consecutive contests. 

• Jarod Lucas has reached double-figures in scoring in seven out of eight games this season, and Kenan Blackshear has eclipsed the mark in six out of eight contests. 

• Nevada is now 4-0 against Western Athletic Conference opponents this season. 

Up Next 

Nevada has a three-game road stretch on the schedule next, beginning with a contest at Loyola Marymount this Saturday, December 3, with tip-off set for 7 p.m.  

Single-Game Tickets on Sale Now  

Single-game tickets for future Nevada men's basketball home contests are available at www.mynevadatickets.com. Fans may also purchase single-game tickets for the season by phone at 775-348-PACK (7225). Those who have questions or need assistance may also contact the ticket office by phone or by emailing wolfpackticketinfo@unr.edu.  

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