RENO, Nev. (Interstat) — The Nevada women’s basketball team used a dominant performance in the paint and a balanced scoring attack to secure a 76-59 victory over Air Force in a Mountain West Conference matchup Wednesday night at Lawlor Events Center.

The Wolf Pack, improving to 8-16 overall, avenged a 61-45 loss to the Falcons in Colorado Springs in December. Air Force fell to 11-13 with the defeat.

Nevada established control early, opening the game on a 10-0 run before Air Force’s Keelie O’Hollaren connected on a three-pointer nearly four and a half minutes into the contest. The Wolf Pack led 20-10 after the first quarter and maintained a 34-26 advantage at halftime, despite a 20-point first-half effort from Air Force guard Milahnie Perry.

The Falcons, who entered the game with a three-game winning streak, struggled to find consistent offensive rhythm. They shot just 32.7% from the field for the game and were hampered by 13 offensive rebounds surrendered to Nevada, which led to a 40-24 advantage in points in the paint for the home team.

Perry, a sophomore from Tampa, Florida, finished with a game-high 20 points for Air Force. Emily Adams added 11 points. The Falcons managed only five assists on their 18 made field goals.

Nevada was led by Izzy Sullivan’s 17 points and three assists. Britain Backus, a native of Winnemucca, Nevada, provided a significant spark off the bench with 12 points, including two crucial three-pointers in the second half. Skylar Durley filled the stat sheet with 11 points, five assists and eight rebounds, while Makayla Carter and Maia Rosarion contributed eight and six points, respectively, off the bench.

The Wolf Pack’s offensive efficiency proved decisive. Nevada scored 76 points on 67 possessions, an offensive rating of 113.2, while Air Force managed an 88.9 rating with 59 points on 66 trips. The Falcons were more effective at the free-throw line, making 19 of 26 attempts, but it was not enough to offset Nevada’s 48.3% shooting from the field.

Air Force closed the gap to 56-52 late in the third quarter after an Adams hook shot, but Nevada responded with a 9-0 run bridging the third and fourth quarters. A three-pointer from Rosarion and back-to-back baskets from Backus and Durley pushed the lead to 62-52 early in the final period.

The Falcons made one last push, cutting the deficit to 62-59 with 6:55 remaining after a Perry layup. Following a Nevada timeout, however, the Wolf Pack slammed the door with a decisive 14-0 run over the next five minutes. The surge was fueled by Sullivan, who hit a three-pointer and converted a four-point play, and Backus, who added five points during the stretch. The run sealed the victory, extending Nevada’s lead to 76-59.

The most critical sequence of the game occurred with Nevada holding a narrow 62-59 lead in the fourth quarter. After an Air Force timeout, the Wolf Pack defense forced a missed layup by Jayda McNabb, which was blocked by Ahrray Young. On the ensuing possession, Britain Backus drained a three-pointer off an assist from Amelia Raidaveta. Nevada then forced a turnover and capitalized with an Izzy Sullivan three-pointer, part of her four-point play, to suddenly stretch the lead to nine points. This quick, seven-point burst in under a minute effectively broke the Falcons’ resistance and ignited the game-clinching run.

Attendance was 1,244 at Lawlor Events Center.

Air Force returns home to face San Jose State on Saturday. Nevada remains at home to host San Diego State, also on Saturday.