Key keywords: Nevada Wolf Pack men's basketball, Grand Canyon University (GCU) basketball, 2024-25 NCAA season opener, college basketball comeback, Lawlor Events Center, Jarod Lucas, game-winning three-pointer, Mountain West Conference Wednesday night’s 2024-25 NCAA Division I men’s basketball season opener at Reno’s Lawlor Events Center will go down as one of the most memorable opening-game victories in Nevada Wolf Pack program history, as the team erased a 19-point second-half deficit to secure a 79-77 win over visiting Grand Canyon University (GCU) on a last-second shot from senior guard Jarod Lucas. GCU, coming off a 2023-24 campaign that saw them reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament and finish with a 29-5 record, came out firing on all cylinders in the first half. The Antelopes shot 56% from the field, forced 10 Nevada turnovers, and held the Wolf Pack to just 32% three-point shooting to take a dominant 48-31 lead into the halftime break. GCU senior guard Tyon Grant-Foster, the reigning WAC Player of the Year and 2024-25 WAC Preseason Player of the Year, scored 18 of his game-high 27 points in the first 20 minutes, consistently breaking down Nevada’s perimeter defense to get to the rim and knock down contested mid-range jumpers. Nevada head coach Steve Alford told reporters after the game that he challenged his team to ramp up defensive intensity, cut down on careless turnovers, and attack the rim instead of settling for low-percentage perimeter shots during the halftime break. The message clearly resonated: the Wolf Pack opened the second half on a 17-4 run over the first six minutes, cutting GCU’s lead to just four points before the first media timeout of the half. Junior forward Kenan Blackshear was the catalyst for the run, scoring 8 points, grabbing 3 rebounds, and dishing out 2 assists in that stretch, while the team’s full-court press forced GCU into 7 turnovers in the first 10 minutes of the second half. The two teams traded baskets for the remainder of the half, with neither side holding a lead larger than three points over the final 10 minutes of regulation. GCU retook a 77-76 lead with 12 seconds remaining on a driving layup from Grant-Foster, setting up Nevada’s final possession. Alford called a timeout to draw up a play for Lucas, who had already scored 22 points on the night, and the senior guard delivered: he caught an inbound pass from Blackshear, dribbled around a high screen, and drained a contested three-pointer from the top of the key as the buzzer sounded to seal the win for the Wolf Pack. Lucas finished with a team-high 25 points, while Blackshear added 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists in the win. The victory marks the 12th consecutive season-opening win for the Nevada program, and the second straight win over GCU in the two teams’ recent head-to-head series.