Nevada holds off Vandals at the line

RENO, Nev. – Armon Johnson scored 23 points to lead Nevada over Idaho 69-61 in a Western Athletic Conference basketball game on Thursday.

Marcelus Kemp scored 18 points and JaVale McGee and Brandon Fields had 13 apiece for the Wolf Pack (10-6, 2-1).

Jordan Brooks had 20 points and Michael Crowell 16 for the Vandals (4-12, 1-4), who stayed close after halftime.

Nevada led by nine several times in the second half, the last at 56-47 with 6:52 to play on a pair of free throws by Fields.

Clyde Johnson hit a pair of 3-pointers around a free throw by McGee as the Vandals cut the deficit to 57-53 with 5:28 left.

Armon Johnson hit 7 of 8 free throws down the stretch for the Wolf Pack. He was 10 of 12 from the line for the game.

Nevada trailed 23-22 with 6:27 left in the first half but went on a 13-5 run to lead 36-27 at halftime.

The teams combined for 46 fouls. Nevada hit 23 of 33 free throws.