RENO, Nev. – With a 2-0 record to start the season, the Nevada women's basketball team takes its early perfect mark on the road to Utah Valley where the Wolf Pack will go for its first victory of the season away from Reno.
 
The Pack's 2-0 start marks its first since the 2013-14 season and if the team can score a victory on Saturday against the Wolverines, it will mark its first 3-0 start since 2010-11. That 2010-11 team went on to set the single-season program record for wins (22) and reach the second round of the WNIT.
 
Nevada and Utah Valley will tipoff at 1 p.m. PT from the UCCU Center in Orem, Utah this Saturday, Nov. 16. The Wolverines enter Saturday's contest looking for their first win of the young season after falling to UC Santa Barbara and Southern Utah in the opening week.
 
ON THE AIR
Doug Greenwald will have the call in Northern Nevada on CBS Sports Radio 94.1 FM and 1450 AM with a 20 minute pregame show prior to tipoff. Fans can also tune in to listen to Greenwald's broadcast online at TuneIn.com or via the TuneIn app.
 
The game will also be live streamed on the WAC Digital Network.
 
SERIES HISTORY
It hasn't been a particularly long series between Nevada and Utah Valley, just four games to be exact, and it's been even so far. Each side has won two games, with the last victory in the all-time series going to the Wolverines. These two teams met last back in 2015 at Lawlor Events Center in Reno with Utah Valley coming out on top, 73-65.
 
BOOKER NAMED MW PLAYER OF THE WEEK
For the first time in her career, sophomore Essence Booker was named the Mountain West Player of the Week on Monday. For the week she led the Pack in scoring in each game, averaged 19.0 points per game, 5.5 rebounds per contest and was extremely efficient on offense, shooting 52 percent from the field. In the season-opening win over Saint Mary's, Booker established a new career high after posting 17 points, only to break that four days later as she poured in 21 points against Sacramento State, the first 20-point game of her career. It wasn't just scoring that helped Booker shine last week, she also added 11 rebounds, including a career-high six against the Hornets.
 
NEWCOMER IMPACT
With eight newcomers on this year's roster and just five returners, the impact of the newcomers was inevitably going to be big. That impact has been felt largely through the first two games of the season. Nevada is still getting significant contributions from its returners, led by Essence Booker and Imani Lacy, but a few of the newcomers have made their presence known as well.
 
In Nevada's win over Sacramento State last weekend, senior Marguerite Effa collected the first double-double of her career as she set career highs in points with 18 and rebounds with 12. Fellow transfer Nia Alexander nearly recorded a double-double as well, adding a season-high 13 points and a season-best nine rebounds. JuCo transfer Miki'ala Maio has also scored in double figures this season, posting 11 in the season-opening win over Saint Mary's.
 
DON'T FORGET ABOUT IMANI
The Wolf Pack has had two players score in double figures in each of the first two games, with Essence Booker capturing conference player of the week honors. But fellow sophomore Imani Lacy has been equally as strong, posting 13 points in the season opener and 14 in the win over Sacramento State. Lacy currently leads the team in field goal percentage, hitting 55.6 percent from the field. She had one of her best games at the free throw line vs. Sacramento State as well, knocking down 6-of-8, and grabbed a season-high seven rebounds, one shy of tying her career high.
 
UP NEXT: PORTLAND STATE
Nevada will remain on the road for one more contest before returning home as it will head to Portland, Ore. next Saturday, Nov. 23 to face the defending Big Sky champions, Portland State. The Wolf Pack and Vikings will tip at 12 p.m. PT from Viking Pavilion.
 
The Vikings are 1-1 this season with a win over Multnomah and a loss to Mountain West foe Boise State. Portland State will play two more games prior to its matchup with Nevada next weekend.