RENO, Nev. - The Nevada Men's Basketball team limited Montana to just 66 points on 34.8 percent shooting from the field and 18.5 percent from behind the arc, propelling the Pack to their fifth consecutive victory to commence the 2023-24 season.  

Nevada remains undefeated with the victory, as they are one of 22 Division I teams that have not sustained a loss yet this season.  

Nevada was incredible on the defensive end of the floor over the first 20 minutes of the game, limiting the Grizzlies to just 18 first half points on a putrid 25 percent shooting from the field (8-32) and 0 percent from behind the arc (0-11). 

Nevada was once again exceptional at getting to the free throw line and converting those opportunities, as the Pack attempted 38 free throws throughout the game, making 30 of them for a clip of 78.9 percent.  

The Pack also did a quality job of taking care of the ball once again, as they completed the contest with just 10 total turnovers.  

Individually, Kenan Blackshear led the way for Nevada, posting a double-double for the second consecutive game, marking the second time in his career that he has accomplished the feat. Blackshear scored a game-high 22 points and pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds, while finishing the contest with a plus/minus of +17 in 29 minutes of action.  

Blackshear has now scored at least 14 points, pulled down at least three rebounds, and dished out at least two assists in all five games for the Pack this season. The fifth-year senior has also now reached double figures in scoring in 33 of his past 38 games for Nevada dating back to the 2022-23 season-opening contest.  

K.J. Hymes had his best game of the season for the Pack, scoring 13 points on 2-4 shooting from the field and an impressive 9-12 at the free throw line. Hymes also pulled down five rebounds and completed the contest with a plus/minus of +10 in 25 minutes of playing time.  

Jarod Lucas was the third Pack player to reach double figures in scoring, pouring in 16 points in the game. Lucas has now reached double figures in scoring in 33 of 38 games for the Pack and has made at least one 3-pointer in 37 of 38 contests with Nevada.  

Tre Coleman had a tremendous impact on the game off the bench for Nevada, scoring seven points, pulling down six rebounds, and dishing out a team-high five assists, in addition to tallying one steal and one block.  

Daniel Foster also made a significant impact for the Pack, scoring four points, pulling down three rebounds, and earning a plus/minus of +9 in 25 minutes of action. 

Freshman guard Tyler Rolison provided a strong offensive spark off the bench in the game, scoring five points and tallying one assist in just 14 minutes of gametime. 

Nevada never trailed in the game, leading for 39:09, and building their lead to as large as 23 points.  

The Pack scored 13 points off 10 Montana turnovers and outscored the Grizzlies in the paint, 28-24.  

First Half 

The Pack got off to a sensational start, making three of their first four shots to build a 10-0 lead four minutes into the game. 

Montana scored their first bucket of the contest out of the under-16 media timeout, however, the Pack responded, as Lucas hit a mid-range jumper followed by a 3-pointer to push Nevada's lead to 15-2 at the 14:42 mark. 

The Pack maintained a double-digit lead for the remainder of the first period, pushing their advantage to as much as 23 points. Nevada took a 39-18 lead into halftime after shooting 52.4 percent from the field (11-21), 42.9 percent from behind the arc (3-7), and 82.4 percent at the free throw line (14-17).  

The Pack outrebounded Montana across the first 20 minutes, 21-16, and Nevada recorded seven assists on 11 made field goals. 

Second Half 

Hymes initiated the scoring in the second half, finishing a layup after pulling down his own offensive rebound to increase Nevada's lead to 41-18 with 19:38 left in the game. 

Montana responded in a strong way, ripping off a 12-0 run over a 1:39 stretch to cut the Pack's lead to 11 with 17:12 remaining.  

Coleman responded for Nevada by draining his first 3-pointer of the night, and after Blackshear made a lone free throw, Coleman hit a tough turnaround jumper, increasing the Pack's lead back up to 17.  

After another stop by the Pack, Blackshear drilled a pull-up jumper in the lane, giving Nevada a 49-30 lead.  

Nevada got another defensive stop and after Jazz Gardner missed a midrange jumper, Foster pulled down a tough offensive rebound and finished a layup at the rim. Coleman proceeded to get a steal on the other end and find Foster wide open in the lane for another layup, completing a 12-0 run for the Pack to match the Grizzlies 12-0 run and put Nevada ahead 53-30 with 14:22 left in the game. 

Montana continued to battle back, cutting the Pack's lead down to 16 with 11:36 left in the half; but, Rolison connected on a 3-pointer on the Pack's next possession to extend Nevada's lead back up to 19. 

Nevada maintained a 16-point advantage entering the under eight-minute media timeout, and Blackshear converted a layup on the Pack's first play out of the short break to extend the lead back up to 18 with just 7:44 to go. 

Montana refused to give up, and the Grizzlies managed to trim Nevada's lead down to nine points with 4:06 remaining, marking the closest the game had been since the 13:10 mark in the first half.  

The Grizzlies were able to get within eight points with 1:59 remaining; but, Nevada knocked down 9-10 free throws over the final 1:15, as they went on to secure the 77-66 victory and improve to 5-0 on the season. 

Notable Stats: 

• Kenan Blackshear recorded the fifth double-double of his career with a 22-point, 10-rebound outing. 

• K.J. Hymes' nine made free throws marked a new career high. 

• Kenan Blackshear, Jarod Lucas, and K.J. Hymes combined to score 66.2 percent of the Pack's points. 

• Seven different players recorded at least three rebounds for Nevada. 

• After scoring 28 points in the paint, Nevada is averaging 35 points in the paint per game. 

• Nevada never trailed throughout the contest. 

• The Pack outscored Montana in transition, 14-2. 

Next Up 

Nevada will have a short break before returning to the court on Saturday, Dec. 2 when they are slated to host LMU at 7 p.m. 

Season and Single Game Tickets on Sale   

Season tickets, mini plans, and single game tickets are on sale now. Season tickets for Nevada Men's Basketball start at just $149. Student admission for regular season games is free on a first come first served basis on Gameday.    

Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.  

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