University of Nevada Athletics

When: Friday, Dec. 19 - 3:30 p.m. PST

Where: Convocation Center (3,937) - New Orleans, La.

Radio: NBC Sports Radio 1060 AM

Audio Only: NevadaWolfPack.com/audio

Play-by-Play Announcer: Don Marchand

Who: No. 16/14 Oregon State Beavers (8-0) vs. Nevada Wolf Pack (4-5)

When: Saturday, Dec. 20 - 3:30 p.m. PST

Where: Convocation Center (3,937) - New Orleans, La.

Radio: NBC Sports Radio 1060 AM

Audio Only: NevadaWolfPack.com/audio

Play-by-Play Announcer: Don Marchand

QUICK HITS

-Senior Mimi Mungedi has recorded three consecutive double-doubles

-Mungedi is 11 blocked shots shy from owning the all-time career record

-Anna Cameron is averaging 12.5 ppg in her last two contests

-The New Orleans Shootout marks Nevada's final non-conference games

-Head coach Jane Albright is nine wins shy of 500 for her career

-Aja Johnson has hit 75 percent of her free throws in her last two games

-Pack owns the top rebounding margin in the Mountain West (+8.1)

NATIONAL PRESENCE

Senior Mimi Mungedi, one of the tallest players in all of women's college basketball, is beginning to put up numbers that resonate on a national level. Through nine games, Mungedi leads the Mountain West and ranks eighth nationally with a .617 field goal percentage. Additionally, her 2.56 blocks per game rank her at the top in the league and 29th in the nation. Mungedi also ranks highly in rebounding as she is currently leading the conference by pulling down 9.6 boards per game, good for 61st in the country.

LAST TIME OUT

RENO, Nev. - Behind a feverish effort on the glass, the University of Nevada women's basketball team cruised to an 83-57 win against visiting Cal State Stanislaus.

The Wolf Pack (4-5) dominated in all facets of the game, but perhaps none that stood out more than outrebounding the Warriors (2-4) by a 56-26 margin. En route to collecting a season-high rebounding total, Nevada grabbed 20 offensive boards and were led by senior Mimi Mungedi. Mungedi, this week's Mountain West Player of the Week, notched her third consecutive double-double with an 18-point, 10-rebound performance.

Fellow seniors Aja Johnson and Anna Cameron also finished in double figures for the Pack as Johnson posted a season-best 13 points and fell one rebound shy of her second career double-double. Cameron on the other hand, rolled to a new career-high by scoring 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting. Cameron's previous career-best was eight points, which she set on Sunday at Grand Canyon.

Despite surrendering 12 three-pointers from the Warriors, Nevada held CSUS to just 31 percent shooting overall. The Wolf Pack was dominant in the paint Wednesday afternoon, outscoring its opponent 46-8 and 21-3 on second chance opportunities.

After taking a 14-point lead into halftime, Nevada began to run away with the ballgame midway through the second half. A jumper in the paint by Nyasha LeSure with under 10 minutes to play, extended the Pack's advantage to nearly 30 points. Freshman Teige Zeller sunk a free throw with two and a half remaining that pushed the Nevada lead back out to its largest of the game, a 33-point lead.

BY THE NUMBERS

0 - Wins against Toledo and Oregon State combined

8.1 - Pack's conference-leading rebounding margin

9 - Wins Albright needs to reach 500 career victories

11 - Blocks Mimi Mungedi needs to own the all-time record

75 - Aja Johnson's free throw percentage her last two games

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 23 blocks thus far, giving her 111 for her career, good for fourth all-time. Burns, on the other hand, has seven blocked shots to her credit this year and 83 total, giving her a solo hold on eighth all-time.

START THE COUNTDOWN

With the win against Cal State Stanislaus, head coach Jane Albright is now just nine wins shy of eclipsing 500 victories for her career. Over the years she has established herself as one of the NCAA's winningest active coaches in Division I. At the start of the season, Albright ranked 32nd among active head coaches in college women's basketball by victories.

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)

BETTER TO BE AHEAD

Nevada's four wins this season have all come when the team is leading at halftime, when trailing at the break, the Wolf Pack is 0-5. Additionally, the Pack enjoys a winning record when the offense shoots higher than its opponent, which Nevada has accomplished in six of nine games this season.

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

STARTING TO BE A GOOD IDEA

Senior Anna Cameron has made the most of becoming a starter for the Wolf Pack. Last Wednesday, in just her second career start, Cameron shattered her career-high in points by posting 17, helping the Pack earn an 83-57 win over Cal State Stanislaus. Her previous career-best had been eight points, which she established in her first start at Grand Canyon. In two starts, Cameron has connected on 10-of-14 from the field, shooting nearly 72 percent. Getting to the free throw line has been productive for her as well, sinking 4-of-5 shots from the foul line. In addition to her scoring, she is averaging 3.5 rebounds per game and has dished out four assists and collected two steals.

COOL AS ICE

Senior Aja Johnson has turned it on from the free throw line in her last few outings. Johnson, historically a 51 percent free throw shooter, has hit 77 percent of her shots from the charity stripe in her last four games. During those contests, Johnson has sunk 20-of-26 from the line. In her most recent two games, Johnson is averaging 12.5 points per game and has scored in double figures in each of them.

A LOOK AHEAD

This weekend's 'New Orleans Shootout' marks the final pair of non-conference games for the Wolf Pack and the team's final tune-up before beginning Mountain West play in January. Nevada is in a position to head into the conference season with a winning record if it can pull off a pair of wins this weekend. After the holiday season, the Pack will head to Colorado Springs, Colo. to return to the floor and open league play at Air Force on January 3.

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'.