RENO, Nev. (Interstat) — On a night when its offense never found a consistent rhythm, the Nevada Wolf Pack relied on defensive pressure and dominance on the glass to pull away from the Air Force Falcons for a 74-59 victory in a Mountain West Conference men’s basketball game Saturday at Lawlor Events Center.

A crowd of 10,435 saw the Wolf Pack improve to 20-11 overall and solidify its position in the upper half of the conference standings. The Falcons, struggling through a difficult season, fell to 3-28.

The game was never truly in doubt after the opening minutes, as Nevada established control with a 12-2 run to start the contest. Elijah Price of Nevada won the opening tip and scored the game’s first basket on a layup just 23 seconds in. Kaleb Lowery followed with a 3-pointer off an assist from Tyler Rolison, and another Price layup forced an early Air Force timeout with the Wolf Pack leading 7-0 before the Falcons had managed a point.

Air Force, which shot just 2 for 12 from 3-point range and a dismal 7 for 17 from the free-throw line for the game, could not mount a sustained challenge. The Falcons closed the gap to 16-14 midway through the first half after a hook shot by Kolby Gilles and a steal and score by Kam Sanders, but Nevada responded immediately. Vaughn Weems grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back in, sparking a 14-4 Wolf Pack surge to close the half. Corey Camper capped the run with a dunk in the final minute, sending Nevada into the locker room with a 32-25 advantage.

The second half followed a similar pattern. Air Force’s Eli Robinson opened the scoring with a layup to cut the deficit to five, but Nevada answered with seven quick points. A blocked shot by Camper led to a Tayshawn Comer fast-break jumper, and Weems buried a 3-pointer off a Camper assist, pushing the lead to 39-27 less than three minutes into the period.

The Falcons never got closer than nine points the rest of the way. Nevada’s interior defense, which recorded five blocks and altered numerous other shots, combined with an 8-2 advantage in offensive rebounds, continually stifled Air Force’s attempts to rally. The Wolf Pack extended its lead to as many as 18 points in the final minutes before settling on the 15-point margin.

Camper led all scorers with 18 points for Nevada, adding three assists and two blocks. Price was a force inside, finishing with 13 points and several key rebounds, while Comer and Weems each chipped in 10 points. The Wolf Pack shot 48.2% from the field and converted 16 of 20 free throws.

Air Force was led by Sanders, who scored 14 points in 33 minutes. Gilles provided a spark off the bench with 12 points, and Robinson and Caleb Walker each added 10. The Falcons shot a respectable 49% from the field but were undone by their long-range and free-throw inefficiency, along with being outrebounded 34-22.

The most important sequence of the game occurred early in the second half. With Air Force having trimmed the halftime lead to seven and showing signs of life, Nevada’s defense ignited a decisive run. Camper’s rejection of a Lucas Hobin layup attempt led directly to Comer’s transition jumper. On the next possession, after an Air Force miss, Camper found Weems for a corner three. This quick five-point burst, generated entirely from defensive stops, extinguished the Falcons’ momentum and stretched the lead to 12 points. Air Force would not threaten again, as Nevada methodically built its advantage over the final 17 minutes, leveraging its superior size and athleticism to control the paint and the game’s tempo.

The victory gave Nevada a regular-season sweep of Air Force, having also won 81-66 in Colorado Springs in January. The Wolf Pack will now look ahead to the Mountain West Conference tournament, while the Falcons conclude a challenging regular season.