University of Nevada Athletics

-New Mexico has won nine of its last 10 contests

-The Pack has out-rebounded its opponent in 14 of 22 games and six by double figures

-Nevada snapped an eight-game losing streak with its win over Utah State

-Teige Zeller and Ashlee Jones each set new career-highs in rebounds against Utah State

-Jane Albright is six wins shy of 500 career victories

-The Pack posted its best free throw percentage (68.8) vs. the Aggies since Dec. 19 against Toledo

MIMI DOES IT AGAIN

Senior Mimi Mungedi's career season keeps on getting better and better. During the team's outing against San Jose State last Saturday, Mungedi posted a monster game of 24 points, 29 rebounds and six blocked shots. The 29 rebounds is not only a single-game school and MW record, but ranks in the top-10 all-time in NCAA Division I. It is the highest rebounding total in DI this season as well. She followed that up with 15 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks in a win over Utah State. Mungedi has scored in double figures in 16 of 22 games.

STRONG ON THE GLASS

As a team, Nevada collected a season-best 74 rebounds against San Jose State, making it 14 games that the Pack has out-rebounded its opponent and its sixth by double figures. The 74-rebound total is the most in the Mountain West and the NCAA DI this season and is five shy of tying the single-game school record.

LAST TIME OUT

RENO, Nev. - A gritty performance from the Nevada women's basketball team led to a 49-44 Mountain West victory over visiting Utah State Wednesday night, snapping an eight-game losing streak.

Senior Mimi Mungedi was the only Wolf Pack player to score in double figures, posting her 10th career double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds.

The game got off to a rather slow start as it favored the Aggies, 9-5, at the first media timeout with 13:53 remaining in the first half. An offensive put back in the paint by freshman Teige Zeller tied it at 10-10 and sparked a 9-0 run by the Pack, to take a 17-10 lead. During that stretch, Utah State went 0-of-8 from the floor.

With under four to play in the half, USU was threatening and a layup from Franny Vaaulu tied the game at 20-20, part of an 8-0 Aggie run. After a pair of free throws by the game's leading scorer, Funda Nakkasoglu, the Pack found itself trailing by two with under a minute to go. Following a block and defensive rebound by Zeller, Nevada transitioned to the other end of the floor, got the ball back into the hands of Zeller, who hit a pull-up jumper to tie the game at 24-24.

Scoring was at a premium in the second half as well. Utah State's Julianne Anchling hit a shot a minute and a half into the start of the second half and the Aggies did not score again for another six minutes. USU totaled five points in the half up until the clock read 5:14 to play.

Leading by five with 12:38 remaining, Nevada turned it up a notch, playing solid defense and going on a 9-0 run. An offensive put back by senior Aja Johnson stretched the Wolf Pack lead out to double figures for the first time in the game. Next offensive possession for Nevada, Mungedi was fouled on a made layup and completed the three-point play at the foul line, adding to the run and giving the Pack its largest lead of the game at 14.

A minute and a half later, Vaaulu's make from beyond the arc halted her team's scoring drought and started a comeback bid. Utah State scored 10 unanswered points to cut its deficit to 43-39 with just over two minutes to play. Two clutch free throws from junior Kelsey Kaelin snapped a scoring drought of its own for Nevada, extending the lead to six.

With a minute and a half on the clock, USU's Anchling drained a long range three to cut the deficit in half. She was then sent to the free throw line with 15 seconds left after drawing a foul and hit both of her foul shots, making it 45-44 Nevada.

On the ensuing inbound, Kaelin was fouled and sunk both of her free throws at the other end of the floor to put the Pack ahead by three with 13 seconds remaining. A missed three-pointer by Nakkasoglu with seven seconds left all but sealed the win for Nevada.

Behind Mungedi, the next highest scorer for the Pack was Kaelin, who finished with seven points after going 7-of-8 from the free throw line. Both Zeller and sophomore Ashlee Jones recorded new career-highs in rebounds as Zeller pulled down eight and Jones grabbed six boards.

Utah State, the league's leading free throw shooting team, shot just 50 percent (8-of-16) from the charity stripe.

BURN BABY BURN

After a bit of a slow start coming back from an injury that sidelined her for eight games, senior Emily Burns seems to be back on track. Burns totaled just six points in her first two games back, but has scored in double figures in four of her last five, including a career-high 17 at UNLV. She has also pulled down 35 rebounds, and posted her second double-double of the year against SJSU. She is three blocked shots shy of moving into a tie for seventh all-time.

MIMI'S BLOCK PARTY

A historic feat was witnessed by all at Lawlor Events Center against UNLV as senior center Mimi Mungedi passed Katie Golomb to become Nevada's all-time leading shot blocker. Mungedi needed four blocks on the night to break the record and finished the game with five. She continues to add to her total, now with 146 for her career.

COUNTDOWN TO 500

With the win against Utah State, head coach Jane Albright is now six 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.

With the six wins needed, tickets for the game are just $6! For each remaining home game, game tickets will be the same price as the number of wins Albright needs to reach 500.

INJURY BUG

Unfortunately for the Pack, the team has been bitten pretty heavily by the injury bug this season. Nevada lost starting point guard T Moe to a torn ACL at San Francisco and freshman guard Mariah Williams also to a torn ACL back in December. Both Moe and Williams will miss the remainder of the season.

BY THE NUMBERS

5 - Previous meetings between the Pack and Lobos

6 - Wins shy of 500 career victories for Jane Albright

8 - Career-high rebounds posted by Teige Zeller against Utah State

44 - Points scored by Utah State, season-low by Nevada

146 - Mungedi's all-time leading blocked shots number

FREE THROWS

During its last outing against Utah State, Nevada registered one of its best games from the free throw line of the season. The Wolf Pack shot 68.8 percent (11-of-16) from the foul line, its highest free throw shooting percentage since an 83.3 percent showing against Toledo back on Dec. 19. Nevada has only shot better than 68.8 percent in three other contests. Additionally, the Pack got some help from its opponent Wednesday night from the charity stripe. The Aggies hit just 50 percent (8-of-16) from the line after coming into the game as the league's top free throw shooting team.

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

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)

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.'