RENO, Nev. --- Portland senior Kari Luttinen scored a team-high 19 points, but it wasn't enough as the Nevada Wolf Pack opened the Nugget Classic with an 84-59 win over the Pilots at the Lawlor Events Center on Friday evening. The 19 points leaves Luttinen just eight points shy of 1,000 for her career.
 
The Pilots (0-4) jumped out to an early lead when Jasmine Wooton hit a three-pointer to begin the game. Moments later Cassandra Brown converted a traditional three-point play and the Pilots led 6-4 three minutes in. Nevada (2-3) would then surge ahead, but the Pilots hung around with the help of 12 first-half points by Luttinen, which included a lay-up to pull Portland within 14-13 with about 12 minutes left in the half.
 
The Wolf Pack then created a little separation and soon claimed a double-digit lead. But Portland would keep Nevada within reach and a three-pointer by Brown late in the half made it a 42-31 game at the break.
 
Luttinen began the second half by burying a three-pointer and the Pilots were within single digits. The Pilots then had the deficit down to seven points when Wooton hit one from deep, making the score 46-39 with 17:42 left to play.
 
Nevada had an answer and with the help of a sizable advantage on the glass the Wolf Pack lead would then grow to 19 points. The Pilots did cut into the deficit momentarily and Cassandra Thompson hit a lay-up on a nice feed from Sara Zaragoza that made it 60-49 with just under nine minutes showing on the clock.
 
But Nevada again had an answer the lead would soon stretch to 20 points.
 
Luttinen hit three three-pointers on the night and she's poised to become the 22nd 1,000-point scorer in UP program history. The Seattle native enters Saturday's game with 992 points.
 
Wooton also hit double figures for the Pilots, finishing with 10 points, and Zaragoza led the way on the boards with a career-best nine rebounds.
 
Iman Lathan led three Nevada players in double figures with a game-high 21 points. The Wolf Pack shot 48.5 percent (32-for-66) overall, connected on four three's and converted 16 free throws. Nevada also finished with a decisive 54-31 edge on the glass..
 
Portland combined to shoot 36.4 percent (20-for-55), made six three-pointers and made 13 of 23 at the foul line.
 
The Pilots will next conclude their stay at the Nugget Classic against Utah on Saturday at 2 p.m.