Box Score I Video Highlights
PORTLAND, Ore. --- Sophomore center Kramer Knutson scored a career-high 15 points as the Portland Pilots knocked off the Nevada Wolf Pack 63-61 Saturday night at the Chiles Center before an announced crowd of 1,358. Nevada overcame a 10-point second deficit and had a good look at the buzzer to tie the game, but Armon Johnson’s runner rimmed out as Portland improved to 3-0 at home this season.
Four Pilots (4-1) reached double figures for the fifth consecutive contest as Portland extends its winning streak to three games. Nevada, the Western Athletic Conference preseason favorite, falls to 2-3 on the young season.
Knutson finished 6-for-7 from the field and established a new career-high for the second time in the last three games. He also went 6-for-6 from the floor and had 14 points last Friday versus Yale. Knutson is now shooting 75 percent from the field this season.
Junior point guard T.J. Campbell had another solid game for the Pilots and finished with 13 points and six assists. He committed only one turnover and made all four of his three-point attempts. Junior guard Nik Raivio finished with 11 points and eight boards, while junior forward Robin Smeulders chipped in 10 points.
Freshman Luke Babbitt paced the Wolf Pack with 17 points and eight rebounds, while Malik Cooke was the only other Nevada player to score in double figures and finished with 11.
Free throws nearly cost the Pilots the game as the team finished just 10-for-22 from the foul line and missed two front end, one-and-ones. The Pilots entered the game shooting 71 percent from the stripe.
“Nevada came out and played really tough and aggressive,” Portland head coach Eric Reveno said. “They made some shots and kept us out of rhythm, but I though we responded well. We tried to be positive (in the locker room) at halftime, but I thought we hadn’t played very well. We talked about defense and rebounding, which we didn’t do well in the first half.”
Trailing 37-33 at the half, Portland drained three consecutive three-pointers to open the second half, two by Campbell and one by Raivio. Babbitt tied the game at 46 with a layup, but the Pilots used a 12-2 run over the next six minutes capped by another Raivio three to gain the largest lead of the game for either team at 58-48.
Nevada crept back into contention as Portland continued to struggle from the free throw line. Babbitt converted two free throws with 1:33 remaining to make it 63-60 and then hit 1-of-2 on the next possession to make it a two point game with 40 seconds left. Nevada chose not to foul and Babbitt blocked Campbell’s runner as the shot clock expired with five seconds remaining. Out of a timeout, Johnson went coast-to-coast with a good luck from the left side of the key, but could not convert.
Portland shot 48 percent from the field compared to Nevada’s 45 percent. The Pilots made 7-of-15 three-pointers for the game, including 4-of-6 in the second period. The Wolf Pack struggled to 4-of-17 from beyond the arc, but gained a 33-27 edge on the boards.
“Defense and rebounding is going to give us a chance to win every night,” Reveno said. “Whatever we’re shooting now, overall I don’t know if we’re going to shoot that well for the rest of the year, so you can’t just rely on outshooting people. I thought the guys responded well and did a better job in both of those areas in the second half.”
The Pilots will continue their three-game homestand with a game against Eastern Washington on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Idaho Vandals then visit the Chiles Center on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 2 p.m., before the Pilots embark on a three-game road trip.
