Nov. 29, 2014
Nevada Game Notes
Ole Miss Game Notes
Who: Ole Miss Rebels (5-1) at Nevada Wolf Pack (2-3)
When: Saturday, Nov. 29 - 4:30 p.m.
Where: Lawlor Events Center (11,536) - Reno, Nev.
Radio: NBC Sports Radio 1060 AM
Play-by-Play Announcer: Chris Healy
2014 NUGGET CLASSIC The University of Nevada women's basketball team readies to host the annual Nugget Classic Thanksgiving tournament and welcomes in Portland, Ole Miss and Utah to Lawlor Events Center. The Wolf Pack opens the tournament against Portland on Friday and will face either Ole Miss or Utah on Saturday.
Friday, Nov. 28 - 4 p.m. - Portland at Nevada (Nike N7 game)
Friday, Nov. 28 - 6:30 p.m. - Utah vs. Ole Miss
Saturday, Nov. 29 - 2 p.m. - Portland vs. Utah (Consolation game)
Saturday, Nov. 29 - 4:30 p.m. - Ole Miss at Nevada (Championship game)
QUICK HITS
-Senior
Mimi Mungedi has scored in double figures in four of five games this season
-Head coach Jane Albright is now 11 wins shy of 500 for her career, and eight shy of 100 wins at Nevada
-Sophomore
Ashlee Jones connected on three 3-pointers last night, a career-best
-Friday's win over Portland halted a three-game slide for the Wolf Pack
-Mungedi is 23 blocked shots shy from owning the all-time record at Nevada
BREAKING THROUGH
Sophomore
Iman Lathan made the most of her first career start during Friday night's win over Portland, that snapped a three-game slide for Nevada. The sophomore, who got the start at point guard, totaled 21 points, seven assists and five rebounds, all of which set new career-highs. Lathan's previous career-best in points was eight, which she recorded twice last season as a freshman.
LOCAL TIES This year's Wolf Pack roster, while bigger than most, will feature three local student-athletes from the Reno and Sparks areas. Senior
Emily Burns is a Reno product out of Galena High School, junior
Nyasha LeSure is a native of Sparks and Reed High School, and walk-on
Shannon Gough is a graduate of Reno High School.
LAST TIME OUT RENO, Nev. - Behind a career performance from sophomore
Iman Lathan, the University of Nevada women's basketball team snapped a three-game losing streak thanks to an 84-59 win over Portland Friday night. The game marked the beginning of the team's annual Nugget Classic tournament.
Lathan was dominant in her first career start, posting career-highs with 21 points and seven assists. Her previous career-high in points was eight, which she accomplished twice last season. Lathan connected on 8-of-15 from the field and was 5-of-7 from the free throw line.
Nevada (2-3) registered two additional scorers in double figures as senior
Mimi Mungedi tallied 16 points and junior
Nyasha LeSure scored a season-high 13. Mungedi also posted eight rebounds and three blocked shots and is one block shy of 100 for her career. Sophomore
Ashlee Jones posted a career-high as well with nine points after connecting on three shots from beyond the arc.
Despite a 6-4 lead for the Pilots (0-4) early in the first half, the Wolf Pack secured the lead for good at 15:49 on a jump shot by Mungedi. Portland was able to keep the opening half within reach for a majority of the 20 minute period, but the Pack closed out the half on a 12-5 run to take a 42-31 lead into halftime.
Nevada continued to run an efficient offense in the second half of play with 45 percent shooting. The Pack kept its advantage over the Pilots to double digits for most of the half and reached a 20-point lead on a layup by LeSure with 3:46 remaining in the game.
One of the Wolf Pack's biggest strengths in the contest was its play inside, outscoring the Pilots 52-18 in the paint. Nevada also got solid contribution from its reserve players, notching 25 bench points.
BY THE NUMBERS
0 - Previous meetings between Ole Miss and Nevada
11 - Wins Albright needs to reach 500 career victories
84 - Season-high points put up by the Pack against Portland
2,086 - Miles Ole Miss traveled to make it to Reno
WOLF PACK BLOCK PARTY
Over the last couple of years, Nevada has been fortunate enough to have a few skilled shot blockers at its disposal. Seniors
Mimi Mungedi and
Emily Burns continue to move up in the all-time blocking records at Nevada as they continue their final collegiate seasons. Mungedi has posted 11 blocks thus far, giving her 99 for her career, good for sixth all-time. Burns, on the other hand, has five blocked shots to her credit this year and 81 total, giving her a solo hold on ninth all-time.
HOME COOKIN'
Over the years, Lawlor Events Center has been a very good place to play for the Wolf Pack. Last season, the Pack compiled an 11-5 record at home while drawing record crowds. Since the women's basketball team began playing at Lawlor during the 1994-95 season, Nevada has won nearly 60 percent of its games at home. In 20 seasons at Lawlor, the Pack has recorded 12 winning seasons at home.
In addition, today marks the eighth time in the past 10 seasons that the Pack has played in the championship game of the Nugget Classic. Last year, the Pack took down ACC foe Wake Forest in the consolation contest.
2014-15 ROSTER BREAKDOWN
By Class: Senior (5), Junior (4), Sophomore (4), Freshman (3)
By State/Country: Nevada (3), California (8), New Mexico (1), Oregon (1), Wisconsin (1), New Zealand (1), Gabon (1)
By Position: Guard (8), Forward (7), Center (1)
PACK PICKED FIFTH IN MW PRESEASON POLL
The University of Nevada women's basketball team is slated to finish fifth in the Mountain West this season. The voting is conducted by the league's 11 head coaches and select women's basketball media from around the conference.
1. Colorado State
2. Boise State
3. Wyoming
4. Fresno State
5. Nevada
6. UNLV
7. San Diego State
8. Utah State
9. New Mexico
10. San Jose State
11. Air Force
HISTORICAL TEAM INFORMATION
The University of Nevada women's basketball program began in the year 1899, when the team, coached by Ada Edwards, earned its first win over a varsity opponent, Stanford. Since its inception in 1899, records of the program's history have not accurately been kept up to date. For the purposes of all records, wins and losses and other statistical information related to the Nevada women's basketball program, the 1981-82 season will be considered the first for the program, the first year women's basketball was recognized by the NCAA.
WOLF PACK ORIGIN
In the 1921-22 athletic season, a local writer described the spirited play of a Nevada team as a 'pack of wolves'. The name stuck and soon almost every reference to the athletic teams was the Nevada Wolves. In 1923, the students officially designated 'Wolves' as the school's mascot.
Since all teams are a group of players, the word pack followed quickly. In 1928-29, the Nevada student handbook referred to the athletic teams as Wolf Pack and two school songs were adopted, entitled 'The Wolf Pack' and 'Here Comes the Wolf Pack'.
