RENO, Nev. – The Nevada women's basketball team is back at home this week for a pair of games, starting first with a contest against the Rams of Colorado State this Wednesday, Jan. 29 at 6:30 p.m. from Lawlor Events Center as the team celebrates Black History Month.

Nevada and Colorado State have already played one another this season, meeting earlier this month in Fort Collins, with the Rams coming out on top of a close 75-70 decision. In that game, the Wolf Pack got three superb individual performances from junior Miki'ala Maio, sophomore Essence Booker and freshman Dom Phillips. Maio was lights out on offense, scoring a career-high 20 points on 10-of-14 shooting from the field. She also added seven rebounds and three assists to her game. Booker was hot shooting the ball as well, connecting on four 3-pointers to post 18 points. For Phillips her 17 points also set a new career high as she knocked down three triples and grabbed a season-best seven rebounds.

The Wolf Pack will be looking to snap a two-game slide, losing both road contests at UNLV and New Mexico last week. The good news for Nevada though, is that it boasts a 7-3 record at home this season, including wins in four out of its last five at Lawlor Events Center. The Rams won their last time out, beating Utah State by one point on Saturday, but are just 2-3 in their last five games. CSU is led by a pair of student-athletes as Makenzie Ellis and Annie Brady are both averaging 10.7 points per game entering Wednesday's game.
 
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 Mountain West Network.

SERIES HISTORY
The all-time series between Colorado State and Nevada heavily favors the Rams, who owns a 14-3 record over the Wolf Pack dating back to the 1981-82 season. Entering last season, the Rams had won 13 straight over Nevada, but the Wolf Pack completed the season sweep last year for the first time in program history. Nevada and Colorado State have already played one another this season, meeting earlier this month in Fort Collins with CSU taking a 75-70 victory.

MAR OH MAR
Senior Marguerite Effa has really picked up her play as of late. The Los Angeles, Calif. native had the game of her career vs. SJSU. Effa totaled 31 points and 15 rebounds, both of which are career highs, to post her second double-double of the season. She was nearly unstoppable as she connected on 71.4 percent of her shots, hitting 15-of-21, setting career highs there too. Effa is now just the fifth player in the Mountain West this season to score 30+ points in a single game. She is the only player to score 30+ points in a single game and record a double-double while doing so. Effa has now scored in double figures in six consecutive games and is averaging 18.3 points per game in that span.

NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS
The Wolf Pack concluded its non-conference schedule by defeating Cal Poly 71-40, marking its largest margin of victory of the season and largest since February of 2015. The 40 points surrendered to the Mustangs is tied for seventh-fewest allowed by an opponent in program history. Nevada posted a 7-4 record in its non-league slate, marking its second winning record in non-conference play in two of the last three years. During that stretch the Pack outscored its opponents by an average of 5.9 points per game and outrebounded teams by 1.5 rebounds per game.

CAN YOU ASSIST ME?
The Wolf Pack has been one of the best teams in the Mountain West in terms of sharing the basketball. Heading into Wednesday's game against Colorado State, Nevada ranks fifth in the conference in assists per game, averaging 14.00 per game. The Pack has dished out at least 10 assists in all but three of its 20 games, including a 20-assist game at Portland State. Nevada is led in the assist department by one of its newcomers in junior Miki'ala Maio. Maio has 46 assists on the year and ranks 15th in the MW averaging 2.81 assists per game. It was freshman Alyssa Jimenez who put on a clinic in the Pack's game at UNLV though, dishing out a season-high six assists to zero turnovers.

MILESTONE WATCH
Nevada has a few players who are approaching milestones, some of whom could hit those numbers Wednesday evening against Colorado State.

• Imani Lacy - 17 rebounds shy of 200; 56 points shy of 400
• Jacqulynn Nakai - 24 points shy of 100
• Essence Booker - 5 points shy of 400; 5 assists shy of 100
• Amaya West - 43 points shy of 200

DON'T FORGET ABOUT IMANI
Sophomore Imani Lacy has quietly been one of the most consistent Wolf Pack players through 20 games this season. She posted her highest scoring output since Dec. 14 with 13 points at New Mexico and fell just two rebounds shy of collecting her second double-double of the season. Lacy currently ranks third on the team averaging 10.6 points per game. She has really improved her free throw shooting and shot blocking this season as well as she ranks ninth in the MW in free throw percentage (71.4) and is second in blocked shots per game (1.50 bpg).

UP NEXT: NATIONAL GIRLS AND WOMEN IN SPORTS DAY CELEBRATION
Prior to the 1 p.m. tipoff this Saturday at Lawlor Events Center between Nevada and Boise State, Wolf Pack Athletics and Girls on the Run-Sierras will once again join forces to celebrate the day with a popular Family & Kids Fair featuring interactive booths and activities centered around the theme of health, fitness and sports as well as hands-on stations with Wolf Pack teams demonstrating and teaching kids about their sports. The day will also mark the culmination of Nevada's yearlong celebration of 100 Years of Wolf Pack Athletics. This year marks the 100-year anniversary of Nevada Women's Athletics going "national" and joining the National Women's Athletic Association in 1919.