RENO, Nev. (AP) The big three for No. 12 Nevada showed up in a big way Wednesday night.
Caleb Martin scored 24 points, Cody Martin had a season-high 23 and the Wolf Pack cruised to an 89-73 victory against in-state rival UNLV.
Jordan Caroline added 20 points and 12 rebounds for his 16th double-double this season. The trio combined for 26 of Nevada's first 28 points and 67 in all.
''When our big three play really good (as they did tonight), we are a phenomenal basketball team,'' coach Eric Musselman said.
Nevada shot 53.3 percent from the floor. The Martin twins combined for 10 of 17 from beyond the 3-point arc, and Cody Martin had eight assists.
After shooting 19 percent from 3-point range through the first 18 games, Cody Martin has hit at a 58 percent clip since his game-winning 3 on Jan. 15 against Boise State.
''Whenever (Cody) is aggressive like that, it's way easier for me, and Jordan, and pretty much everybody,'' Caleb Martin said. ''He's a point guard so he is going to get his assists, regardless. He's going to get in and get his rebounds, regardless. So, I tell him all the time, `You need to be aggressive and be ready to shoot the ball.' . He can do this night in and night out if he wants to.''
Nevada (26-2, 13-2 Mountain West Conference) never trailed and entered the break up 46-28. In two meetings this season, the Wolf Pack outscored UNLV by a combined 94-54 in the first half.
''It was pretty much the same as the first game,'' UNLV guard Amauri Hardy said. ''We came out slow, but we beat them in the second half. But we need to put two halves together.''
Hardy led UNLV (15-13, 9-7) with 19 points. Kris Clyburn scored 18 and Noah Robotham had 16.
UNLV outrebounded Nevada 40-28 but committed 17 turnovers to the Wolf Pack's eight.
Nevada extended its home winning streak to 17 games, one shy of the longest in program history. The Wolf Pack have won four consecutive meetings with UNLV.
''I think it is always important to win, but it's a big deal to us and the state and the community that we come out and compete like we did,'' Cody Martin said. ''It's a big rivalry.''
BIG PICTURE
UNLV: The Rebels, who have dropped their last two games, couldn't handle Nevada and its raucous crowd. The loss left Air Force 1 1/2 games behind UNLV for fifth place in the Mountain West.
Nevada: The Wolf Pack lead the conference standings by a half-game over Utah State heading into their showdown Saturday. Nevada can clinch its third straight Mountain West regular-season championship with a victory on the road.
''Their place has always been a hard place for the last 20 years,'' Musselman said. ''We'll go into that environment and it will be two really good teams and we will see what happens.''
NICK'S NIGHT
Nevada retired No. 22 in honor of Nick Fazekas during a halftime ceremony. Fazekas, the school's career scoring leader with 2,464 points, played at Nevada from 2003-07 and joined Edgar Jones (1975-79) as the only players in program history to have their jerseys retired.
''This was the best four years of my life,'' Fazekas said before the game. ''I tell people all the time, `If I could rewind my life, I would go back to the time I started here until it ended here and do it all over again.'''
ATTENDANCE RECORD
The crowd of 11,289 was a season high at Lawlor Events Center and increased Nevada's season total to 151,926. That broke the previous record of 150,674 set in 2005-06.
UP NEXT
UNLV: Returns home Saturday to host Boise State.
Nevada: Plays at Utah State on Saturday.
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Game Notes:
No. 12 Nevada (26-2, 13-2 MW) improved to 26-2 and 13-2 in the Mountain West after downing intrastate rival UNLV (15-13, 9-7 MW) 89-73 tonight at Lawlor Events Center before 11,289 fans.
It is the eighth largest crowd in school history and eighth over 11,000 this season. The Pack set a school record with 151,926 fans this season with one game remaining versus San Diego State on March 9.
Nevada plays at Utah State (23-6, 13-3 MW) on Saturday night at 5:30 p.m. PT. The Aggies are one half back of the Wolf Pack in second place in the MW standings. The Pack won the first meeting 72-49 on Jan. 2 in Reno that was the conference opener for both schools.
Nevada retired the No. 22 jersey of Nick Fazekas at halftime tonight. Fazekas holds the school record with 2,464 points. He starred for the Wolf Pack from 2003-2007, and led Nevada to four NCAA Tournament appearances while winning three Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year awards.
The Pack's 13-2 MW record is tied for the best after 15 games in Nevada history with the 2017-18 team. The 26-2 record is the best after 28 games in school history.
Nevada has won 20 of its 26 games by double figures.
The Pack has won its last 17 home games dating back to last season and is 14-0 at home this season. The 17 consecutive home victories is tied for the second longest streak in school history and is one off the school record of 18 set by the 2003-04 team. It is also the sixth longest active streak in Division 1.
Nevada swept the two games from UNLV and has won the last four games and five of the last six from the Rebels.
Fourth-year head coach Eric Musselman improved to 107-31 at Nevada, 7-2 vs. UNLV, 52-17 in MW play, 30-5 in home MW games and 57-5 at LEC.
Nevada did not trail in the game and it is the 10th game this season in which the Pack did not trail. It is the fourth game in the last six and sixth in the last nine in which Nevada did not trail.
The 27 wins is third most in Division I this season and tied for the fifth most in a season at Nevada with the 2005-06 team. The school record is 29 held by the 2006-07 and 2017-18 teams.
For the second time this season Nevada had three players score 20 or more points; Caleb Martin (24), Cody Martin (23) and Jordan Caroline (20). The last time it happened was vs. Tulsa in Las Vegas on Nov. 22, 2018.
Caleb Martin scored a game-high 24 points. It was the 16th game this season that Caleb Martin had 20 or more points that includes two games of 30 or more points. It was the 13th time he led the Pack in scoring and 10th time he posted a game high this season. He made six 3-pointers to tie his career high that has occurred now seven times, five times this season. His 24 points gives him 1,224 at Nevada and moved him past Ken "Tree" Green (1981-83) into 20th on the career scoring list.
The 23 points is a season high for Cody Martin and he made a career high four 3-pointers. He also posted a game-high eight assists, had a block and a steal in 38 minutes. His previous high for 3-pointers made was two that he attained nine times.
Caroline recorded his 16th double-double of the season, 43rd at Nevada and 46th of his college career finishing with 20 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. The Pack is 41-2 when he has a double-double. He was two points shy of scoring his 2,000th college point and has 1,998 which includes 303 at Southern Illinois. He grabbed his 900th rebound at Nevada and now has 910 in the Silver & Blue. Caroline played in his 100th game at Nevada and his 133 in his college career.
Caroline led the Pack in rebounding for the 21st time this season, 60th time at Nevada. It was the 16th time he posted a game-high in rebounds.
Nevada wore its 13th different uniform this season. A home Battle Born jersey.
