Nevada (6-1) vs. Sam Houston State (6-0)
Monday, Nov. 28 - 7 p.m. PT
Reno, Nev. - Lawlor Events Center
TV: MW Network/NSN // (John Ramey / Len Stevens)
Radio: ESPN 94.5 FM ( John Ramey / Len Stevens) // The Varsity Network app
Live Stream: https://themw.com/watch/?sid=494460
Live Stats: https://bit.ly/2EJNfGO
RENO, Nev. - Following a highly successful first trip away from home this season, the University of Nevada Men's Basketball team will return to the Lawlor Events Center Monday evening, where they will face an undefeated Sam Houston State with tip-off set for 7 p.m.
The Pack return from their trip to UT Arlington and Grand Cayman, where they competed at the 2022 Cayman Islands Classic.
Nevada began the trip with a 19-point victory at UT Arlington, in which they held the Mavericks to the fewest field goals made in the program's history. The Pack completely shut down UT Arlington's offense and earned a 62-43 win in their first road contest of the season.
Nevada then made the trip to Grand Cayman, where they had a successful outing at the 2022 Cayman Islands Classic, going 2-1 over the course of the three-day tournament to claim a third-place finish. The Pack earned victories over Tulane and Akron, with their only defeat coming in overtime at the hands of the tournament champions, Kansas State.
Nevada will now face another difficult challenge, as they welcome an undefeated Sam Houston State team to the Lawlor Events Center before hitting the road again for three consecutive away games following Monday night's contest.
The Pack continued their defensive prowess in the Caymans, limiting Akron to a measly 58 points and Tulane to just 66 total while holding both teams to under 32 percent shooting from three.
Nevada's defense continues to lead the Mountain West Conference in opponent FG percentage (36.4%), opponent 3-point FG percentage (27.4%), and blocked shots (5.14) this season.
Offensively, the Pack ranks first in the Mountain West in free throw percentage (77.1%), as they have been stellar from the line all season, while also sitting in second overall in 3-point percentage, knocking down 37.7 percent of their 3-point attempts this year.
After a phenomenal showing at the Cayman Islands Classic in which he averaged 19.3 points per game on 44 percent shooting from three and 89.5 percent from the free throw line, Jarod Lucas is now in the top five in the Mountain West in scoring, as he ranks fourth overall at 17.3 points per game. The senior guard also averaged 3.0 rebounds per game, while logging 36 minutes of playing time per game, earning All-Tournament honors at the conclusion of the tournament for his sensational play.
Freshman forward Darrion Williams also had an impressive tournament, posting averages of 7.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2,7 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, while shooting 50 percent from the field and from three over the course of Nevada's three games. Williams won the first two Mountain West Freshman of the Week awards to begin the season, and he currently ranks seventh overall in the conference in rebounding, pulling down an average of 7.3 per game this year.
Kenan Blackshear continues to maintain his conference-leading assists per game average, as the senior point guard is dishing out 6.4 per contest. Blackshear's assists per game mark also ranks as 11th-best in the entire country. He is also scoring 12.3 points per game and grabbing 6.6 rebounds to go along with the 6.4 assists, as Blackshear has done it all for the Pack this season.
Will Baker found his offensive rhythm in the Caymans, and he now ranks second on the team in scoring at 13.2 points per game. Baker averaged an impressive 15.7 points on 60.7 percent shooting from the field throughout the tournament, in addition to grabbing 6.0 rebounds per contest. Baker scored a season-high 20 points to close out the tournament against Akron.
The Pack face a stingy Sam Houston State defense on Monday night and will need to have a strong offensive outing in order to beat the Bearkats, while maintaining their defensive prowess and shutting down their offense.
Scouting Sam Houston State
Sam Houston State enters Monday night's contest with an unblemished record of 6-0 this season. The Bearkats own marquee victories on the road over Oklahoma and Utah this year.
Sam Houston State is one of the best defensive teams in the country thus far, as they are holding their opponents to just 48.3 points per game, which ranks as second-best in the nation.
The Bearkats are yet to give up 60 points this season, and the most they have allowed was 55 on the road against Utah.
Sam Houston State has done an excellent job of forcing turnovers this season and converting those turnovers into points on the offensive end of the floor. The Bearkats rank eighth in the country in turnovers forced per game (20.5), and they are averaging 25.7 points scored off turnovers on the other end.
The Bearkats have a deep rotation, as they have 12 players that are averaging at least 9.3 minutes per game.
Individually, Qua Grant is leading the team in scoring at 12.8 points per game on 47.6 shooting from the field and 42.9 percent from three.
Lamar Wilkerson ranks second on the team in scoring coming off the bench, as the sophomore guard is putting up nine points per game on 45.7 percent shooting from the field and 37 percent from three.
In total, the Bearkats have nine players averaging at least 5.8 points per game, as they have a multitude of players who are threat on the offensive end of the court.
Nevada will need a stout defensive effort complimented by a strong offensive performance to hand the Bearkats their first loss of the season and move to 7-1 on the year heading into their upcoming road trip.
Series History
Monday night marks the first time that Nevada has faced Sam Houston State on the court throughout history.
Single-Game Tickets on Sale Now
Single-game tickets for future Nevada men's basketball home contests are available at www.mynevadatickets.com. Fans may also purchase single-game tickets for the season by phone at 775-348-PACK (7225). Those who have questions or need assistance may also contact the ticket office by phone or by emailing wolfpackticketinfo@unr.edu.
Follow The Pack
Follow Nevada Men's Basketball on social media at @NevadaHoops (Twitter), @nevadahoops (Instagram), and on Facebook at @NevadaMBB
