Nevada kicks off the Nugget Classic presented by the University of Nevada with a 2 p.m. game vs. Drake (1-2) at Lawlor Events Center. 
 

In partnership with the Indigenous Student Services department of The Multicultural Center and the Native American Alumni Chapter at the University of Nevada, Nevada will be celebrating Native American Heritage Month throughout the three-day tournament, amplifying Native Youth and honoring key stakeholders and educators on campus and from the local community. Members and descendants of federally recognized tribes will receive free admission to the games with an event flier or by showing their tribal ID. 

Not only will the WBB program be honoring the younger generations, they will also be hosting indigenous students from surrounding basketball programs to view an open team practice.

Each game will begin with a traditional flag song from local tribal members. Nevada will also be hosting honorary coaches who have helped write and change policy for the betterment of Indigenous communities. 

Friday and Saturday will feature special performances from the Great Basin Pow Wow Club. Saturday's halftime performance will give Native Youth an opportunity to play a game on the Lawlor Events Center court.

Fans can get in for $3 each game with donation of canned food items benefiting the Food Bank of Northern Nevada. To purchase tickets for the event, click here.
 

The tournament is sponsored by the Nugget Casino Resort. Nugget employees can receive free admission with an event flier or their employee IDs.


SERIES HISTORY

Friday's Nugget Classic Presented by the University of Nevada will be the first matchup between both programs.
 

LAST TIME OUT (W,70-64 vs. Utah Valley)

• Nevada recorded its first win of the season over Utah Valley on Nov. 20

• Freshman Audrey Roden pieced together a strong performance, recording 17 points, 5 rebounds, two assists, one steal

• Senior Nia Alexander also led the Pack with 15 points, four rebounds and three steals

• Senior Da'Ja Hamilton added to Nevada's offensive power, registering 12 points and six assists

• Alexander tallied her 800th career point against the Wolverines

SECOND HALF COMEBACK LIFTS NEVADA OVER UTAH VALLEY

Overcoming a four-point deficit at halftime, the Nevada women's basketball team used a second-half surge to defeat the Utah Valley Wolverines, 70-64, at Lawlor Events Center Saturday afternoon. The game marks Nevada's first home win of the 2021-22 season.

Three players led Nevada in double-figures Saturday: freshman Audrey Roden (17), senior Nia Alexander (15) and senior Da'Ja Hamilton (12) paced the Pack offensively. Roden matched her career-high scoring performance after racking up 17 points, five rebounds, two assists and one steal. The West Linn, Ore., native shot 4-for-7 from deep in 20 minutes of action. Alexander reached 800 career points after registering 15 against Utah Valley. Powering the Pack on both ends of floor, Alexander added four rebounds and three steals. Hamilton recorded 10 of her 12 points in the second half, including a crucial three followed by a step-back jumper on top of the right key to close the third quarter and give Nevada a 54-51 edge heading into the fourth. In addition, Hamilton dished out six assists to lead the Pack.

Nevada generated its largest lead of the day when Alexander hit a jumper in the paint at the 8:02 mark, pushing the Pack's lead to nine. 

Utah Valley didn't back away though. The Wolverines cut Nevada's lead to one with 4:02 left in the game. Nevada regrouped and went on a 5-0 run before being sent to the free-throw line in the game's final 30 seconds.

RODEN NAMED MOUNTAIN WEST FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK

Audrey Roden was named Mountain West Freshman of the Week on Monday. The West Linn, Ore., native tied her career high in scoring with 17 points in Nevada's 70-64 win over Utah Valley, a 2021 NCAA Tournament team. Roden led the Pack with five rebounds and also added two assists and one steal against the Wolverines. Roden scored 14 of her 17 points in the first half, including knocking down three three-pointers.  

In three games this season, Roden is averaging 13.3 points per game while shooting 45 percent from three. 

Roden is the first Nevada player to receive a weekly honor since Nia Alexander earned Mountain West Player of the Week on Dec. 30, 2019. 

ALEXANDER RECORDS 800TH CAREER POINT

Nia Alexander recorded her 800th career point on Nov. 20 vs. Utah Valley after tabbing 15 points. 

BUILDING OFF SUCCESS

Nevada recorded its best conference finish since 2013-14 last season after finishing Mountain West play with a 9-7 record and securing a fifth-place finish. For the first time since 2013-14, the Pack earned a first round bye in the 2021 Mountain West Conference Tournament. Nevada was picked to finish 10th in the conference last year, but proved doubters wrong. 

The Pack finished the 2020-21 regular season with a winning record for the first time since 2013-14. Nevada wrapped up the regular season with a 13-8 overall record and a 9-7 mark in Mountain West play, its best overall and conference record since 2013-14.

WELCOME BACK, ALY

Redshirt-sophomore Alyssa Jimenez scored her first points since Dec. 13, 2020, against Saint Mary's on Nov. 10. Jimenez finished the game with five points, two rebounds and two assists. Jimenez was sidelined for most of the 2020-21 season due to injury. 

JIMENEZ NAMED PRESEASON MW NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

Graduate transfer Kylie Jimenez was named Preseason Mountain West Newcomer of the Year on Oct. 13. Jimenez, a Colorado native and grad transfer from Portland State, is the sister of Wolf Pack guard Alyssa Jimenez. Kylie Jimenez played a huge role for the Vikings the past four seasons as she tied the school record with 122 starts, which is every game she played in. Throughout her career, the 5-foot-6 guard earned many accolades including Big Sky Freshman of the Year, All-Big Sky Third Team twice, an All-Big Sky honorable mention, a Big Sky Player of the Week  honor, and was named to the 2019 All-Big Sky Tournament team. She helped her team to a 25-win season during her sophomore campaign, a Big Sky Tournament Championship and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

In addition, Kylie and her sister Aly will be reunited on the court again this season. Aly played a prominent role for the Wolf Pack as a freshman, but was sidelined with a torn ACL as a sophomore. Aly looks to pick up where she left off heading into her redshirt-sophomore campaign. 

DA'JA, DA'JA, DA'JA

Junior Da'Ja Hamilton established herself as one of the premier players in the Mountain West during the 2020-21 season, earning her all-conference honors. In the series finale at UNLV, not only did she hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 1.3 seconds on the clock to break a 70-70 tie, but she finished the contest with a career-high 32 points, the first 30-point game of her career. Hamilton's 32 points at UNLV rank as the third-most points in a single game by a Mountain West player this season. She connected on 12-of-23 from the field and was 4-of-7 from the 3-point line, but really caught fire in the fourth quarter. Hamilton's first triple of the game was a half court heave at the buzzer just before halftime, sending Nevada to the locker room trailing by only two. Her other three triples all came in the fourth quarter, helping Nevada to keep pace with UNLV, and eventually, seal the win for the Wolf Pack.

She followed that performance up with two near 20-point games at Boise State, scoring 19 in game one and 18 in game two. Against Air Force, she scored in double figures in both games, and led the team with 17 points in game two, 

including three 3-pointers. 

In Nevada's exhibition game on Oct. 31, Hamilton poured in 23 points, five rebounds, four steals and one assist while going 5-for-7 from beyond the arc.

Hamilton continued her strong offensive output against Saint Mary's on Nov. 10, registering 20 points, the third game of her career with 20+ points. 

In the Pack's win over Utah Valley, Hamilton posted 12 points and dished out six assists. 

NEW STAFF ADDITIONS

The Pack welcomes three new staffing additions ahead of the 2021-22 season: Asami Morita (assistant coach), Savannah Reier (graduate assistant) and Logan Shaw (graduate assistant). 

MEET THE NEWCOMERS

• #3 Kylie Jimenez | 5-6 | G | Gr. | Thornton, Colo./Horizon HS/Portland State

• #4 Audrey Roden | 5-9 | G | Fr. | West Linn, Ore./West Linn HS

• #5 Kaylee Borden | 5-6 | G | Fr. | Anadarko, Okla./Anadarko HS

• #33 Hannah Hartley | 5-11 | F | Fr. | Reno, Nev./Galena HS

• #52 Natalie Lathrop | 6-3 | F | Fr. | Tualatin, Ore./Tualatin HS

MILESTONE WATCH

Nevada has a few players who are approaching milestones, some of whom could hit those numbers over the span of the next two games.

• Megan Ormiston - 16 points shy of 300

• Bethany Carstens - 25 points shy of 400

ROSTER BREAKDOWN

By Class: Senior (6), Junior (2), Sophomore (7), Freshmen (4)

By State: California (4), Nevada (4), Colorado (1), Oregon (2) , Arizona (1), Alaska (1), Oklahoma (1), Washington (1)

By Country: United States of America (17), Czech Republic (1), Montenegro (1)

By Position: Guard (12), Forward (7)

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.