Nov. 13, 2014
Nevada Game Notes UC Santa Barbara Game Notes Who: UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (0-0, 0-0 Big West) at Nevada Wolf Pack (0-0, 0-0 Mountain West)
When: Friday, Nov. 14 - 6:30 p.m.
Where: Lawlor Events Center - Reno, Nev.
Live Video Stream:
NevadaWolfPack.tv Radio: NBC Sports Radio 1060 AM
Play-by-Play Announcer: Don Marchand
Audio Only:
NevadaWolfPack.com/audio Live Stats:
NevadaStats.com RENO, Nev. - When the University of Nevada women's basketball team was predicted to finish 10th in the Mountain West last season, very few people expected the Wolf Pack to rise up to the kind of success the team enjoyed in 2013-14. As the Pack heads into a new year, head coach Jane Albright and company will look to build off of that success and push towards Nevada's first conference title.
Albright led the Wolf Pack to an 18-13 overall record last season and a 12-6 mark in league play, good for third place in the Mountain West. In trying to build off of a top-five finish, Nevada must find a way to replace 39 percent of its scoring offense from last year after losing three student-athletes who saw time in all 31 games, including two all-conference selections in
Danika Sharp and
Arielle Wideman.
The Wolf Pack does return the bulk of its starting lineup from a year ago, however, with seniors
Mimi Mungedi and
Emily Burns and junior T' Moe all back. Mungedi, the defending MW Co-Defensive Player of the Year, set a Nevada single-season blocking record last year and will see time once again as the team's starting center. At 6-8, she is one of the tallest players in the NCAA and tied for the conference lead last season in field goal percentage.
Burns, a local out of Reno, enters her senior year in the top-10 all-time in blocks and finished last season ranked in the top-15 in the league in rebounding. She is in transition from the post to a guard position and could fill Sharp's roll as an outside shooting threat.
As a sophomore, Moe averaged double-digits with 10.9 points per game and finished the year as one of the MW's top free throw shooters. Moe experienced a breakout season in 2013-14 while playing out of position but will return to her natural point guard spot with the departure of Wideman.
One advantage that Albright will have this season is the all-around depth of her bench and being able to call on any one of her student-athletes to contribute either offensively or defensively in any way that they can. One of those student-athletes that Albright and her coaching staff will turn to in the post is junior
Julia Shelbourn. Shelbourn, a 6-3 product out of Wisconsin, saw significant improvement during her sophomore year from her rookie season.
Others who will be thrown into the mix this season include seniors
Aja Johnson and
Anna Cameron, and juniors
Nyasha LeSure and
Kelsey Kaelin. Playing the post last season both Johnson and LeSure enjoyed solid seasons contributing off the bench. At 6-1, Johnson adds another tall body down low and generated the best rebounding average of her career last season. LeSure produced a sound sophomore year, averaging 6.1 points per game, a career-best figure.
Cameron transferred to Nevada last year from the College of the Siskiyous and saw time in 30 games, while Kaelin played in every game for the Pack and posted career numbers in points twice. This year's crop of returning sophomores, both guards,
Ashlee Jones and
Iman Lathan, will look to gain more minutes on the floor this season and make a name for themselves.
Kayla Reeves and
Shannon Gough, a pair of walk-ons, plan to throw their names in the mix as well and fight for playing time.
In addition to all of the returners, Albright has a group of three freshman in 6-2 forward
Teige Zeller, 5-11 guard
Mariah Williams and 6-0 forward
AJ Cephas who are all expected to pull significant minutes during their rookie seasons.
Nevada opens the regular season at home on Friday, Nov. 14 at 6:30 p.m. and will face UC Santa Barbara.
It's never too early to purchase season tickets for the 2014-15 women's basketball campaign! Season tickets are just $60 for adults, $45 for youth 8th grade and under (includes Pup Club membership) and $40 for seniors (65 and over). Families are encouraged to take advantage of our family plan and get four season tickets (two adults, two youth) for just $99!
