UCI Feels Unwelcome in Nevada : College basketball: Irvine runs into an efficient offense and loses, 95-79.

RENO —  Lawlor Center can be a difficult place for opposing basketball teams to play these days even when Nevada is not at the top of its game.

But when Nevada is rolling offensively the way it was Saturday night, playing there can be even more of a challenge. Just ask UC Irvine, which faced an uphill battle all the way.

All the pieces fit together offensively for Nevada in a 95-79 Big West Conference victory in front of 5,681, even if the defense was inconsistent at times.

It was the fourth consecutive victory at home and eighth in 10 home games for Nevada (12-9, 8-5 in the Big West). Irvine is 8-12, 4-9 in the conference.

Give considerable credit for Nevada’s strong play on offense to junior guard Brian Green, who put on a three-point shooting show in the first half and finished with a season-high 29 points.

Green hit seven of 12 shots from the field in the first half, including five of eight from three-point range. “I just took the shots they gave me and they happened to fall,” Green said. “I had a lot of confidence after those first two went down.”

Irvine Coach Rod Baker believed his team missed several opportunities to make the game closer than it turned out.

“We could never get over the hump,” Baker said. “We would get the game back to where it was manageable, but never could get over it. We’d go down and then make a turnover, or not get a rebound. It seemed like the game was hanging on one play or another at times, and we just didn’t get that play.”

Although Irvine played solidly on defense at times, Baker was concerned. “You can’t win games giving up those kinds of numbers,” he said. “This isn’t the NBA.”

The way Green shot at times in the first half, however, made it seem like it. “He made some shots well beyond the NBA three-point line,” Baker said. “What we tried to do in the second half was take that away from him.”

The Anteaters went to a box-and-one zone in the second half in an attempt to deny Green from long range.

Green had solid scoring support. Forward Jimmy Moore had 15 points and reserve guard Shawn Pughsley added 14. Point guard Eathan O’Bryant delivered 14 assists.

“Offensively, that’s as good a game as we’ve played this season,” Nevada Coach Pat Foster said. “If our defense had played better, it could have been a blowout. They played zone all night and we had a good scheme for it. If one thing stood out it was our passing. We moved the ball around well to get those threes.”

Junior forward Michael Tate led Irvine with a career-high 17 points and freshman Kevin Simmons had 12 points and 12 rebounds. Guard Raimonds Miglinieks had 13 points and 10 assists.

Nevada’s 57.6% shooting in the first half led the Wolf Pack to a 49-36 halftime lead. The Wolf Pack finished at 50% for the game. Irvine shot 43.9% from the floor, but struggled at the free-throw line, making only 12 of 25.

Green made three consecutive three-point tries to push Nevada to a quick 13-5 lead. The Anteaters battled back to cut the deficit to 26-23 midway through the first half. But when Green took a break on the bench, Pughsley was almost as hot as Green. Pughsley was three for three from three-point range in the first half.