Nevada (16-6) vs. #22 San Diego State (17-4)
Tuesday, January 31 - 8 PM - Lawlor Events Center
TV: CBS Sports (Chris Lewis // Bob Wenzel)
Radio: ESPN 94.5 FM (John Ramey // Len Stevens) // The Varsity Network app
Live Stream: Watch CBS Sports HQ Online - Free Live Stream & News - CBSSports.com
Live Stats: https://bit.ly/2qONR4K
Wolf Pack Rewards: https://nevadawolfpackrewards.com/welcome
RENO, Nev. - On Tuesday night, the University of Nevada Men's Basketball team will seek to win their second consecutive home game against a ranked opponent for the first time in program history, as they are set to host the conference-leading San Diego State Aztecs at 8pm.
Tuesday night's game will be sponsored by Nevada State Bank. The Nevada Men's Golf, Men's Tennis, and Volleyball teams will be signing autographs on the concourse prior to the start of the game. Tuesday night's game will serve as the Nevada College of Business Night, with halftime including a Scholar Athlete Recognition.
The first 300 students to arrive will receive a free taco, courtesy of Del Taco, and one lucky student will have the opportunity to win $10,000 through the River City Logistics "Ship It to Win It" Putt.
Nevada is coming off of a 68-62 road loss to UNLV this past Saturday; however, they have been exceptional in games following a loss this season, as they own a perfect mark of 5-0 while outscoring their opponents by an average of 7.6 points per game after each loss.
Jarod Lucas led the way offensively for the Pack against the Rebels, scoring 15 points on 2-3 shooting from behind the arc and 5-5 at the free throw line, while also tallying a season-high two steals.
Following the 15-point outing, Lucas has now reached double figures in scoring in 20 straight games and in 21 of 22 contests this season. Lucas has also drained at least two 3-pointers in 19 of 22 games this season for Nevada, including hitting three or more 3-pointers in 12 contests for the Pack.
Lucas continues to be one of the top scorers in the Mountain West, as he ranks fourth in total points scored (373 points) and fifth in points per game (17.0 PPG). Lucas also ranks third in made 3-pointers per contest (2.7 per game) and fifth in free throw percentage (84.3%).
Kenan Blackshear scored 14 points, dished out six assists, pulled down five rebounds, and recorded two steals against UNLV. Blackshear has now reached double figures in scoring in 13 straight games and in 19 of 22 contests this season. The senior guard has also dished out at least three assists in 20 of 22 games this year.
Blackshear ranks in the top-15 of the Mountain West in a multitude of categories this season. After tallying six assists against UNLV, Blackshear has recorded 102 assists this season, which ranks fourth best in the league. Blackshear is also currently fourth in steals per game (1.8 SPG), fifth in assists per game (4.6 APG), ninth in free throw percentage (81.2%), and 10th in points per game (14.8 PPG).
Blackshear has been particularly exceptional in games following a loss this season, as he is averaging 19.8 points per game on 57.6 percent shooting from the field, in addition to 4.2 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game in five contests after a loss this season.
Freshman forward Darrion Williams had another solid performance for the Pack against UNLV, scoring 13 points on 4-9 shooting from the field and 3-7 from behind the arc. His three made 3-pointers matched a career-high for Williams, and the freshman also recorded three rebounds in the game.
Williams was named Mountain West Freshman of the Week on Monday for the third time this season after averaging 13.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.5 steals per game last week.
Williams continues to rank at the top of the Mountain West in rebounding and steals, as he is currently sixth in the conference in rebounds per game (7.4 RPG) and seventh in steals per game (1.7 SPG).
Will Baker struggled offensively against the Rebels; but, he pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds in the contest, marking the first time this season that he has achieved double figures in rebounding.
Similar to Blackshear, Baker has been sensational in games following a loss this season. In five games after a loss this year, Baker has averaged 19.6 points per game on 63.9 percent shooting from the field and 37.5 percent from behind the arc, while grabbing 5.2 boards per contest.
Baker enters Tuesday night's contest ranked sixth in the conference in both field goal percentage (54.5%) and free throw percentage.
Nevada received solid play from their bench against UNLV, as Nick Davidson, Tyler Powell, and Trey Pettigrew combined to score 15 points for the Pack.
Davidson scored seven points while knocking down 5-5 shots at the free throw line, and Powell chipped in six points, draining 2-3 shots from behind the arc.
As a team, Nevada has continued to excel at the free throw line this season, most recently knocking down 15 of 17 attempts against UNLV. Nevada currently ranks fifth in the country in free throw percentage (79.4%), while also being tied for 10th in made free throws and tied for 28th in total attempts.
Defensively, Nevada ranks in the top-five of the Mountain West in an abundance of statistical categories entering Tuesday night's game. The Pack is currently third in opponent field goal percentage (41.5%), fourth in turnovers forced (289), fourth in steals per game (6.4 SPG), fifth in defensive rebounding (26.5 per game), and fifth in opponent 3-point field goal percentage (33.5%).
Nevada will commence Tuesday night's matchup with a perfect record of 10-0 at the Lawlor Events Center; however, they will face arguably their most difficult test yet, as they look to improve to 11-0 at home and knock off another ranked opponent.
Scouting San Diego State
San Diego State comes into Tuesday night's matchup with an overall record of 17-4, including a mark of 8-1 in Mountain West play, as they currently sit in first place in the conference standings.
The Aztecs have been impressive on both ends of the court this season, as they rank fourth in the conference in points per game (74.5 PPG) and third in opponent points per game (66.0 PPG).
The Aztecs have been outstanding at forcing turnovers, as they rank second in the league in turnovers forced this season with 303. San Diego State has also been lethal from behind the arc this year, holding an impressive clip of 36.5 percent from three as a team this season.
Individually, senior guard Matt Bradley has paced the Aztecs offense this season, as he enters Tuesday's game leading the team in scoring at 13.1 points per game on 35.6 percent shooting from three, while ranking third on the team in rebounding (4.1 RPG).
Fellow senior guard Darrion Trammell is also having a strong season for San Diego State, as he ranks second on the team in scoring (11.2 PPG) and first in assists (3.6 APG).
Junior guard Lamont Butler completes the San Diego State starting backcourt, and he is averaging 9.9 points per game on 45.0 percent shooting from the and 33.7 percent from behind the arc this year.
6'10" forward Nathan Mensah has provided a strong presence in the paint on both ends of the floor for the Aztecs this season. He is averaging 6.7 points per game, a team-leading 6.0 rebounds per contest, and is recording 1.5 blocks per game this year.
Nevada will need to have an efficient offensive outing, preventing the Aztecs from getting open looks from deep in transition while also winning the rebounding battle, if the Pack hopes to achieve an 11-0 record at the Lawlor Events Center this season.
Series History
Nevada and San Diego State have faced off 31 times throughout history, with the Aztecs holding a 25-6 advantage in the series. San Diego State won the most recent matchup between the two squads in January by a final score of 74-65.
Single-Game Tickets on Sale Now
Single-game tickets for 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.
