LA TECH BULLDOGS (8-14, 2-7 WAC) at NEVADA WOLF PACK (13-8, 6-2 WAC)
GAME #22
Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009 - 7:05 p.m. PT - Lawlor Events Center (11,536) - Reno, Nev.
TELEVISION: Live internet streaming at www.nevadawolfpack.com (subscription fee)
RADIO: University of Nevada Sports Network (ESPN Radio 630 AM, Reno;
KELK 1240 AM, Elko; KHWG 750 AM, Fallon & KSVL 92.3 FM, Yerington)
Ryan Radtke (play-by-play), pregame show starts at 6:30 p.m. PT
SERIES HISTORY: Nevada leads the series with Louisiana Tech 13-3.
LAST MEETING: Nevada has won the last 12 meetings between the two teams, most recently turning in a 67-64 victory over La Tech on Jan. 10 in Ruston, La.
Coming off a 69-65 win Saturday at Idaho, the Nevada Wolf Pack (13-8, 6-2 WAC) returns home to Lawlor Events Center this week, playing host to the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (8-14, 2-7 WAC) on Thursday, Feb. 5. Thursday’s game will tip off at 7:05 p.m. Pacific Time and can be heard on Nevada’s radio flagship, ESPN 630 AM, and affiliates throughout the state with Ryan Radtke calling the action. Nevada checks in at second in the WAC standings with a 6-2 record, while Louisiana Tech is tied for seventh at 2-7. The Wolf Pack has won five of its last six games and brings a three-game home winning streak into Thursday’s game, all in league play. Nevada also looks to extend a 12-game winning streak in the series with Louisiana Tech. Following Thursday’s game with the Bulldogs, Nevada will play host to New Mexico State on Saturday, Feb. 7 in a nationally televised game on ESPN2 before heading out on the road next week.
Under the direction of fifth-year head coach Mark Fox, the Wolf Pack returned two starters and a total of seven letterwinners from last year’s 21-12 team, including the coaches’ preseason WAC Player of the Year Armon Johnson who started 32 of 33 games last season as a true freshman. This year’s team also features five new faces (a junior college transfer and four true freshmen). Last season, Nevada turned in its fifth consecutive year with at least 20 wins, won its fifth straight WAC regular-season title and earned the team’s six consecutive postseason appearance with an invitation to the inaugural College Basketball Invitational.
NEVADA TO TAKE ON VCU IN ESPNU BRACKETBUSTERS FRIDAY, FEB. 20
Nevada will play host to Virginia Commonwealth University on Friday, Feb. 20 at Lawlor Events Center in the ESPNU BracketBusters. The game time and network televising the Wolf Pack’s game with the Rams will be announced on Monday, Feb. 9.
This year will mark Nevada’s sixth appearance in the ESPNU BracketBusters, an event which was created in 2003 in conjunction with the Western Athletic Conference, ESPN and several other top college basketball conferences to match potential NCAA Tournament hopefuls against each other. This year will mark the fifth time in Nevada’s six appearances that the Wolf Pack will play at home in the ESPNU BracketBusters, while the team has turned in a 4-1 record in its previous five BracketBusters appearances (4-0 at home).
ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN360.com will combine to televise the 13-game, 26-team event on Feb. 20-21. Six games will appear on ESPN2, five on ESPNU and the remaining two on ESPN360.com.
As part of the BracketBusters agreement, Nevada will travel to Richmond, Va., to play at VCU in 2008-09.
Under the direction of third-year head coach Anthony Grant, Virginia Commonwealth has turned in a 16-6 record this season and checks in at second in the Colonial Athletic Association standings with a 9-2 league mark. The Rams are led by 6-3, 175-pound senior guard Eric Maynor who is first in the CAA and ranks 10th in the nation in scoring at 23.2 points per game. Sophomore forward Larry Sanders (6-10, 220) paces the Rams and is third in the CAA with 7.3 rebounds per game and ranks second on the squad with 10.6 points per contest.
The Rams turned in a 24-8 record last season en route to their second consecutive Colonial Athletic Association regular-season championship and earned a bid to the National Invitational Tournament. In 2006-07, VCU racked up a school-record 28-7 overall mark, won CAA regular-season and tournament championships and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The WAC will have three teams competing in this year’s ESPNU BracketBusters. In addition to Nevada’s game with VCU, Utah State will play at Utah State and Boise State will travel to Portland State with both of those games set for Saturday, Feb. 21.
The other six WAC teams not selected to compete in the O’Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters will play non-conference opponents on that weekend.
WINNING AT LAWLOR
The Wolf Pack has won 45 of its last 53 contests at Lawlor Events Center, including 20 of its last 26 home games dating back to last season. Including a 13-3 mark in 2007-08 and an 8-4 mark this year, the Wolf Pack has turned in an 81-13 record at Lawlor Events Center since the start of the 2003-04 season (.862 winning percentage). Last year, Nevada’s loss to California on Nov. 28, 2007 snapped a 13-game home winning streak. The streak had been the longest active home winning streak in the WAC and the 12th-longest in the nation. Prior to the Cal loss, Nevada had not dropped a home contest since falling to UNLV on Dec. 9, 2006.
Nevada has also captured 23 of its last 25 WAC regular-season home games and 26 of its last 29 home games against WAC opponents counting the 2006 WAC Tournament. A Jan. 19, 2008 loss to Boise State snapped the Wolf Pack’s 14-game winning streak in WAC home games, including a perfect 8-0 mark in 2006-07 and a 2-0 mark to start the 2007-08 season (finished 7-1). That 14-game win streak had dated back to January of 2006.
ABOUT THE LOUISIANA TECH BULLDOGS
Louisiana Tech brings an 8-14 overall mark and a 2-6 WAC record into Thursday’s game with Nevada. The Bulldogs have lost their last four games (both in Ruston, La.), including a 54-53 loss to Hawai’i on Jan. 29 and a 53-51 defeat by San Jose State on Jan. 31. Under the direction of second-year head coach Kerry Rupp (14-38 record at LTU), the Bulldogs returned three starters and four letterwinners from last year’s 6-24 team and added eight newcomers. La Tech finished ninth in the WAC last season with a 3-13 league mark.
Junior guard Kyle Gibson (6-5, 205) is leading four Bulldogs in double figures for scoring and ranked 11th in the WAC with 13.9 points per game. Junior guard Jamel Guyton (6-3, 180), a transfer from Odessa College, is second on the team with 12.2 points per game. LSU transfer and junior forward Magnum Rolle (6-11, 225) is leading the team and sixth in WAC with 7.3 rebounds per game and adding 12.1 points per game. Guyton and Gibson rank in the WAC’s top five for three-point field goals made per game with Guyton checking in at second at 2.16 and Gibson tied for fifth at 1.95.
IN THE SERIES
Nevada leads the series with Louisiana Tech 13-3 and has won the last 12 meetings with the Bulldogs and 13 of the last 14. Freshman Luke Babbitt hit a game-winning three-pointer as time expired to give Nevada a 67-64 victory in this year’s first meeting on Jan. 10 in Ruston, La., while the Wolf Pack also won both meetings between the two teams last season, turning in an 83-70 victory on Jan. 26 in Ruston and a 98-85 decision on March 1 in Reno. Nevada has also won the last five meetings between the two squads at its own Lawlor Events Center and holds a 5-2 advantage in games played in Reno.
LAST TIME OUT VS. LA TECH
Freshman Luke Babbitt hit a game-winning three-pointer as time expired to lift Nevada to a 67-64 win over Louisiana Tech on Saturday afternoon in Ruston, La.
Nevada led 61-51 on a layup by freshman Dario Hunt with 3:16 left, but Louisiana Tech went on a 10-4 run during the next three minutes to tie the score at 64-64 on a three-point play by Magnum Rolle with 16 seconds remaining. But Louisiana Tech never got the ball back, and Nevada's timeout with 11.5 seconds left set the stage for Babbitt's gamewinner.
Junior Brandon Fields led the Wolf Pack with 17 points, Babbitt finished with 15 and sophomore Malik Cooke added 11. Babbitt finished the game shooting 3-for-3 from beyond the arc.
Kyle Gibson's 18 points led four players in double-figure scoring for the Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs led 35-24 at the half and by as many as 15 points, 45-30 with 16:36 to play in the game, before Nevada erased the lead with a 26-9 run over the next 11 minutes. Nevada cut it to single digits with an 8-2 run, including a pair of three-pointers by Babbitt, and took the lead for good, 56-54 with 5:05 to play on a three-pointer by senior Lyndale Burleson.
LAST TIME OUT
Nevada outscored Idaho 13-4 in the final 4:16 to come from behind and notch a 69-65 Western Athletic Conference victory Saturday night.
The Vandals led 61-56 after Brandon Wiley's layup with 4:42 left before the Wolf Pack started their comeback.
Freshman Luke Babbitt's 3-pointer with 4:16 to go started Nevada's 13-4 run. With 1:57 left, the Wolf Pack went ahead to stay 65-63 on a putback by freshman Dario Hunt.
Babbitt finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds for Nevada, which was in control for most of the game, but was never able to break away from Idaho. Junior Joey Shaw had 15 points and sophomore Armon Johnson added 10 for the Wolf Pack.
Idaho's top scorers were Mac Hopson, with 19 points, and Trevor Morris, with 13, including four 3-pointers.
Nevada outrebounded Idaho 44-32.
BABBITT OPENS ROOKIE CAMPAIGN STRONG
Winner of two WAC Player-of-the-Week awards this season, freshman Luke Babbitt has opened his first season in the Silver and Blue in strong fashion, leading the team in both scoring and rebounding this season. The McDonald’s High School All-American is averaging 16.3 points per game and ranks fifth in the WAC and tied for fifth among the nation’s freshmen in scoring. Babbitt is also leading the Pack in both categories in conference play (17.8 ppg, third in the WAC and 8.8 rpg, second in the WAC).
He has turned six 20-point games this season, including a career-best 24 points Saturday at Idaho. He has also scored 22 points three times and has led the team in scoring in 11 of 21 games, including six of the last 10. He has been in double figures for scoring in all but two contests this year, most recently adding 24 Saturday at Idaho, and hit the game-winning three-pointer as time expired for 15 points in the Jan. 10 win at Louisiana Tech.
Babbitt checks in at third in the WAC with 7.8 rebounds per contest. He has led the Wolf Pack in rebounding 12 times this season (including five of the last seven games), most recently pulling down a career-best 13 boards Jan. 17 vs. Fresno State and adding 10 Saturday at Idaho. Babbitt also leads the Wolf Pack with five double-doubles, most recently scoring 24 points and pulling down 10 rebounds Saturday at Idaho. He turned in his first career double-double in his collegiate debut, tallying 20 points and a career-high 12 rebounds Nov. 15 at Montana State.
Babbitt has a chance to become the first Wolf Pack freshman to lead the team in scoring since Terrance Green paced the squad with 13.9 points per game in 1999-2000. He could also become the first freshman to pace the Wolf Pack in rebounding since Nick Fazekas averaged 7.6 boards per game in 2003-04. Since 1972-73, Nevada has never had a freshman lead the team in both categories, while the Wolf Pack has had just two rookies lead the team in scoring (Green & Edgar Jones in 1975-75) and two pace the squad in rebounding (Fazekas and Pete Padgett in 1972-73) in that span.
NATION’S TOP FRESHMEN SCORERS IN 2008-09
Name, School PPG
1. Seth Curry, Liberty 20.3
2. Mike Rosario, Rutgers 17.5
3. Sylven Landesberg, Virginia 17.2
4. Keith Gabriel, VMI 16.4
5. Luke Babbitt, Nevada 16.3
Tyreke Evans, Memphis 16.3
7. Afam Muojeke, Wyoming 15.6
9. Willie Warren, Oklahoma 15.5
8. Paul George, Fresno State 15.4
10. Courtney Fortson, Arkansas 14.3
11. Samardo Samuels, Louisville 13.1
12. Alex Young, IUPUI 11.9
WIPING THE GLASS
The Wolf Pack has outrebounded each of its last 10 opponents, including a 44-32 advantage Saturday at Idaho. Nevada is now 10-4 on the year when outrebounding its opponents. The +12 advantage vs. the Vandals was the second-highest rebounding margin for the Wolf Pack this season, surpassed only by a 14-board advantage Dec. 9 vs. Sonoma State (52-38).
On Jan. 8 at New Mexico State, Nevada was down 27-17 in the rebounding battle at the half but outboarded the Aggies 34-16 in the final 25 minutes on Jan. 8 (51-43 in the game). The 51 rebounds were one shy of the team's season high of 52 Dec. 9 vs. Sonoma State.
As a team, Nevada leads the WAC in rebounding offense with 38.1 boards per game and ranks second in offensive rebounding with 12.81 offensive boards per contest. In WAC games, Nevada is also pulling down a league-best 40.9 rebounds per game.
Freshman Luke Babbitt is the team’s top rebounder, checking in at third in the WAC with 7.8 boards per game. He pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds Jan. 17 vs. Fresno State and has tallied 12 in two other games this year (at Montana State and at New Mexico State). Sophomore Malik Cooke ranks second on the team and 10th in the WAC with 6.6 rebounds per contest, including a career-best 12 boards Saturday at Idaho. Cooke is Nevada’s best offensive rebounder this season, checking in at second in the WAC with 3.05 offensive rebounds per game this year, and is averaging 8.0 boards per contest in league play (second on the team and ??th in the WAC). Cooke turned in his first career double-double with 12 points and a then career-best 10 rebounds Jan. 22 vs. Hawai’i and has been in double figures for rebounds four times this season.
SUCCESS AT THE CHARITY STRIPE
Nevada ranks third in the WAC and 55th in the nation in free throw percentage this season, knocking down 72.6 percent of its attempts from the line (374-515). Nevada made a season-high 87.5 percent of its free throws in its Dec. 14 win over Southern Illinois (21-24), besting its previous high of 87.1 percent Dec. 9 vs. Sonoma State (27-31). The team has been over 80 percent at the line three times this year, most recently knocking down 81.3 percent of its attempts Jan. 22 vs. Hawai’i (26-32).
Freshman Luke Babbitt is shooting 83.2 percent from the line (89-107) to rank fourth in the WAC, including all eight of his attempts Dec. 14 vs. Southern Illinois and Dec. 27 vs. Idaho State. Junior Ray Kraemer has made 21-of-22 of his free throw attempts on the year (.955) and would lead the WAC, while junior Joey Shaw is shooting 77.8 percent (35-45) which would rank sixth, but both players fall short of the league’s 2.0 minimum per game. Sophomore Armon Johnson checks in at ninth in the WAC at 75.8 percent (75-99).
GETTING DEFENSIVE
Including four games this year (4-0 record), Nevada has won 56 of its last 58 games when holding its opponent to 60 points or less, including a 13-1 record in 2005-06, a 6-1 mark in 2006-07 and a 6-0 record in 2007-08. As a team, Nevada leads the WAC in field goal percentage defense and is third in scoring defense, allowing its opponents to shoot 41.0 percent from the field and score 65.3 points per game.
Nevada held Sonoma State to a season-low 39 points on Dec. 9, while Southern Illinois came into its Dec. 14 game with the Wolf Pack ranked 14th in the nation in three-point percentage at 42.1 percent but was held to just 26.7 percent (4-15). New Mexico State came into the Jan. 8 game ranked first in the WAC and seventh in the nation in three-point shooting at 41.0 percent but was held to just 12.5 percent by the Wolf Pack (1-8).
FOX MOVES INTO THIRD IN ALL-TIME WINS AT NEVADA
With Nevada’s 69-65 win Saturday at Idaho, Nevada head coach Mark Fox moved into sole possession of third on the Wolf Pack’s all-time wins list, passing Sonny Allen (114-89 record in seven seasons from 1980-87). Fox holds a 115-38 career record in his five seasons at the helm of the Wolf Pack program (.752 winning percentage). He is the first coach in school history to lead his squad to four consecutive 20-win seasons and three NCAA Tournament appearances, while his winning percentage ranks first among all of Nevada’s head coaches.
Nevada’s March 1, 2008 victory over Louisiana Tech gave Fox the 100th win of his career. He tied for 21st on the NCAA's list of fastest coaches to reach 100 wins (among coaches with at least half of their seasons at the Division I level). Duke's Vic Bubas also took 128 wins to reach the milestone, doing it in his fifth season (1964). Fox also became the fastest coach in school history to reach the 100-win plateau. It took Jake Lawlor, the winningest coach in school history, seven seasons (10th game into that season) and 168 games to hit that milestone, while Sonny Allen reached the mark in the first game of his seventh season (100 wins in 174 games). Nevada has seen three of its previous head coaches notch at least 100 wins, including Lawlor (201-159 career record), Allen (114-89) and Jack Spencer (123-199).
Fox’s 81 wins after his first three seasons were tied with Gonzaga's Mark Few for the most victories in Division I history by a coach through three seasons (81-18 record in his first three seasons). Fox was named the Don Haskins Coach of the Year in each of his first three seasons as Nevada’s head coach to become the first coach in WAC history to earn the honor in three consecutive years. He was also one of 15 finalists for the 2007 Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year Award and was named the 2007 National Association of Basketball Coaches District 13 Coach of the Year.
NEVADA’S WINNINGEST COACHES (by wins)
Name (Years) Career Record (Win. Pct.)
1. Jake Lawlor (1942-43, 45-49) 201-159 (.558)
2. Jack Spencer (1959-72) 123-199 (.382)
3. Mark Fox (2004-pres.) 115-38 (.752)
4. Sonny Allen (1980-87) 114-89 (.562)
5. Len Stevens (1987-93) 91-79 (.535)
6. Pat Foster (1993-99) 90-81 (.526)
JOHNSON TURNS IT ON
Sophomore Armon Johnson is now second on the team and eighth in the WAC with 14.2 points per contest. The preseason WAC Player of the Year has paced the team in scoring six times this year, including 25 points in a Jan. 15 win over Boise State and a career-high 33 points on Dec. 20 at California. Most recently, he led the squad with 18 in a Jan. 29 loss at Utah State. In the last 16 games, Johnson has turned in 15.6 points per game (249 points).
Johnson has had a knack for big second halves this year, including 27 of his career-high 33 points in the second half at Cal, 14 of 20 in the second half and overtime Jan. 8 at New Mexico State and 16 of 25 in the final 20 minutes Jan. 15 vs. Boise State. Against the Bears, he scored Nevada's first seven points of the half and 13 of its last 15 in the game. Johnson also scored 13 of his points in the second half Dec. 31 vs. top-ranked North Carolina, 14 of his in the second half Dec. 2 at Colorado State and 14 of 16 in the final 20 minutes Dec. 14 vs. Southern Illinois.
Johnson is also leading the team in assists for the second year in a row. He ranks sixth in the WAC with 4.14 assists per game this year and is fifth in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.89, 87 assists and just 46 turnovers). He turned in seven assists with no turnovers in the Dec. 17 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff as well as the Jan. 10 win at La Tech and has had just one turnover in eight other games this season (most recently three assists and one turnover Jan. 31 at Idaho). He dished out a career-high 11 assists in the Nov. 22 win over Oregon State. He also added 11 points vs. the Beavers for his first career double-double and the Wolf Pack’s first points-assists double-double since Ramon Sessions had 11 points and 10 assists in an 84-66 victory over Boise State on Jan. 15, 2005.
WOLF PACK NEWS & NOTES
- With a career-best six blocked shots in Saturday’s win at Idaho, freshman Dario Hunt has tied Nevada’s freshman record of 44 set by Nick Fazekas in 2003-04. That bested his previous high of five Jan. 8 at New Mexico State. Hunt leads the WAC and ranks 43rd in the country with 2.10 blocks per game overall, while he also paces the WAC 2.75 blocks per league game. He has blocked at least one shot in 18 of 21 games this year, including 15 with two or more. As a team, Nevada is second in the WAC and 35th in the nation with 4.95 blocked shots per game with a season high of 12 Dec. 9 vs. Sonoma State.
- As a team, Nevada blocked 11 Idaho shots, just one shy of the team's season high of 12 Dec. 9 vs. Sonoma State. In addition to six from Hunt, sophomore Malik Cooke tied his career best with two blocks.
- Sophomore Malik Cooke nabbed five of Nevada’s nine steals Saturday at Idaho, one short of his career high of six Dec. 6 vs. UNLV. Cooke leads the WAC and is 69th in the country with 1.95 steals per game. He also paces the league with 2.38 steals per WAC game. The Wolf Pack turned in a season-high 12 steals in its Nov. 22 win over Oregon State with four by junior Joey Shaw and three apiece by freshman Luke Babbitt and Cooke, and matched that with 12 in the Dec. 17 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Cooke also added four steals Dec. 31 vs. No. 1 North Carolina and again Jan. 22 vs. Hawai’i. As a team, Nevada leads the WAC with 7.52 steals per contest.
- Junior Joey Shaw scored 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including a pair of three-pointers, in just 14 minutes Saturday at Idaho. That marked the most points for Shaw since he scored a career-best 21 Dec. 2 at Colorado State.
- In WAC play, Nevada leads the conference in rebounding offense and ranks third in scoring offense, averaging 70.6 points and 40.9 rebounds per league game. Those numbers are up from 69.8 ppg and 38.1 rpg in all contests. The Wolf Pack also paces the WAC in field goal percentage defense (.404), offensive rebounds (14.75) and defensive rebounds (26.13) in conference play.
- Nevada is also leading the WAC in turnover margin at +1.9 and ranked 28th in the country with just 12.2 turnovers per game. Senior Lyndale Burleson has the best assist-to-turnover ratio on the squad at 2.31 (37 assists and just 16 turnovers) and would rank third in the WAC but falls short of the minimum of 3.0 assists per game. Burleson has not turned the ball over in 10 of 21 contests this season.
- The Wolf Pack is getting 66.5 percent of its scoring (974 points) and 64.2 percent of its rebounding (514 rebounds) from its freshmen and sophomores this season.
- The Wolf Pack tied its season-best three-point outing Jan. 29 at Utah State, knocking down 50 percent of its three-pointers in the game (7-14), including a perfect 3-for-3 effort by freshman Luke Babbitt. The team also made 50 percent of its attempts from beyond the arc Dec. 9 vs. Sonoma State (6-12). Nevada tied its season high with nine three-pointers made and shot 47.4 percent from three-point land in its. Jan. 10 win at Louisiana Tech (9-19). Against the Bulldogs, Nevada got a career-high three treys from Babbitt (3-3), including the game-winner as time expired, while junior Brandon Fields made a season-best three (3-6) and senior Lyndale Burleson tied his career best with three (3-4).
- Junior Brandon Fields has led the team in scoring four times this season, most recently tying freshman Luke Babbitt for the squad lead with 19 points in a Jan. 22 win over Hawai’i. He paced the team in scoring three times all of last year. Fields scored a game- and season-high 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field and 7-of-7 from the free throw line Dec. 17 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff and had 19 Jan. 3 vs. Idaho. Fields has turned in 11.1 points per game in the last 12 contests (133), up from his average of 9.2 points per game this season (fourth on the team and first among players coming off the bench).
- Sophomore Malik Cooke added a career-high 17 points Jan. 3 vs. the Vandals, the second time in three games that he had turned in a career best in scoring. He had a then career-high 15 points Dec. 27 against Idaho State and followed that up with 13 points Dec. 31 vs. North Carolina. Cooke made 6-of-10 attempts from the field, matching his career high with two three-pointers made, and went 3-of-3 from the free throw line in vs. the Vandals. With 10.5 points per game in the last 10 contests (105 points), he has moved into third on the team in scoring with 9.5 points per contest.
- Cooke also ranks ninth in the WAC, knocking down 51.1 percent of his field goal attempts this season.
- Junior Ray Kraemer scored seven points in just five minutes Jan. 22 in the win over Hawai’i, making his only field goal attempt (a three-pointer) and knocking down all four of his free throw attempts.
- The Wolf Pack holds 3-5 mark on the year when trailing at the half. Nevada trailed 40-31 at halftime Jan. 8 at New Mexico State before downing the Aggies in overtime. On Jan. 10 at Louisiana Tech, Nevada was down 35-24 at the half and trailed 45-30 with 16:36 to play in the game before rallying for the victory.
- The Wolf Pack bench is averaging 21.2 points per game this season (457 points), and Nevada holds a 10-3 record when its bench outscores its opponent’s. In the last 14 games, the reserves have turned in 24.2 points per contest (339). Juniors Brandon Fields and Joey Shaw are Nevada’s leading scorers off the bench this year, averaging 9.5 and 7.7 points per game to rank fourth and fifth on the team, respectively. Nevada got a season-high 48 points from its bench in its Dec. 17 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, including 21 points from Fields, nine from Shaw and a career-best eight from freshman London Giles.
- Nevada made a season-high 53.4 percent of its attempts from the field Dec. 9 vs. Sonoma State, besting its previous high of 51.7 percent from the field Dec. 2 at Colorado State. Nevada also turned in a season high from three-point land vs. Sonoma State (.500, 6-12).
- All 12 players scored for Nevada en route to the team’s season-high 95 points Dec. 9 vs. Sonoma State, led by freshman Luke Babbitt who had 16 on 6-of-10 shooting. Nevada also notched season bests for field goal percentage (.534), field goals made (31), three-point percentage (.500), free throws made (27) and attempted (31), free throw percentage (.871, 27-31 - since broken), rebounds (52), assists (24) and blocked shots (12) vs. the Seawolves.
- The Wolf Pack opened the year with a 2-3 record for the second consecutive season (now 13-8). Last year, Nevada turned in a 2-4 mark to start the year but won its next five games and finished the season with a 21-10 mark and a share of its fifth consecutive WAC regular-season championship. In 2003-04, Nevada also opened the year with a 2-3 mark. That year, the Wolf Pack opened the season with a win over Vermont before falling at then top-ranked Connecticut (both in the Preseason NIT). Nevada then turned in a 74-62 win at UNLV and dropped games at Portland and Pacific before reeling off wins in its next five games and seven of its next eight. The Wolf Pack finished with a 25-9 record that season, winning its first of four WAC regular-season championships and making the first NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearance in school history.
NEVADA TOP WAC TEAM OVER LAST FIVE YEARS
Over the last five seasons dating back to 2003-04, Nevada has turned in a 140-47 record, the most wins of any WAC team during that time (.749 winning percentage). In conference games, Nevada has won 74 games, the most in that same time period. The top three teams in wins (both overall and WAC) over the last five seasons:
Overall Record (Pct.) WAC Record (Pct.)
1. Nevada 140-47 (.749) 1. Nevada 74-18 (.804)
2. Utah State 139-43 (.772) 2. Hawaii 45-47 (.489)
3. Hawaii 93-78 (.544) 3. Fresno State 42-47 (.472)
UP NEXT
Following Thursday’s game with Louisiana Tech, Nevada plays host to New Mexico State on Saturday, Feb. 7 in a game that will be nationally televised by ESPN2. The Wolf Pack returns to the road the following week, traveling to San Jose State on Thursday, Feb. 12 and Hawai’i on Saturday, Feb. 14.
