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Nevada defeats Portland, 78-69

Dec 29, 2009 - 5:34 AM RENO, Nev.(AP) -- Luke Babbitt scored 22 points as Nevada held off Portland 78-69 Monday night.

Brandon Fields added 17 points and Armon Johnson scored 16 as the Wolf Pack (8-5) improved to 7-0 at home this season.

Robin Smeulders scored 22 points to lead the Pilots (7-5).

Joey Shaw, who scored 14 points, and Babbitt hit back-to-back 3-pointers as Nevada built a 52-41 lead with 14 minutes to play. Johnson's three-point play made it a 71-60 game with 1:56 to play.

Nevada scored the last 11 points of the first half to take a 36-31 lead at the intermission. Babbitt and Fields each hit 3-pointers to key the 11-0 run and Dario Hunt scored on a tip-in just before the buzzer.

Portland went on runs of 10-0 and 8-0 to take a 31-25 lead with five minutes to go in the first half.