Nevada (20-6) vs. Utah State (20-7)

Saturday, February 18 - 5 PM (PST) - Dee Glen Smith Spectrum Arena

TV: CBSSN (Carter Blackburn // Mike O'Donnell)

Radio: 94.5 FM/The Varsity Network (John Ramey)

Listen: https://bit.ly/3JI8aL7

Live Stream: https://bit.ly/3lMczTj

Live Stats: https://bit.ly/2z1FOpJ

RENO, Nev. - The University of Nevada Men's Basketball team will put their current four-game win streak on the line Saturday evening, as they will travel to Logan, Utah to take on Utah State seeking to remain at the forefront of the Mountain West regular season Championship race.

Nevada and Utah State have already faced off once before this season, with the Pack securing an 85-70 victory at the Lawlor Events Center.

Kenan Blackshear scored a game-high and career-high 28 points in the contest on 9-15 shooting from the field, while also dishing out five assists.

Will Baker also had a stellar performance in the first matchup between the two squads, scoring 24 points on 10-14 shooting from the field and 3-6 from behind the arc. 

Jarod Lucas scored 21 points on 7-14 shooting from the field and 3-6 from behind the arc against Utah State in the first contest, as the Pack used a phenomenal second half performance to take down the Aggies.

Nevada has earned four consecutive victories entering Saturday's game, most recently securing a 77-66 win over Fresno State last Friday.

Will Baker and Kenan Blackshear each scored a team-high 19 points in the victory over the Bulldogs. 

Baker put up 19 on 5-7 shooting from the field, 1-2 from behind the arc, and 8-9 at the free throw line, while also pulling down five rebounds in the contest. Baker has continued to improve his numbers throughout the season, and he currently ranks third on the team and 14th in the Mountain West in scoring (13.6 PPG). Baker also ranks third in the conference in field goal percentage (56.5%) and fourth in free throw percentage (83.9%).

Blackshear scored 19 points on 8-13 shooting from the field and 6-6 at the free throw line, in addition to dishing out a game-high seven assists, pulling down three rebounds, and tallying one steal and one block against Fresno State. He finished the contest with a game-high plus/minus of +17 in 35 minutes of playing time.

Blackshear continues to rank in the top-15 of the Mountain West in a multitude of statistical categories this season. He currently ranks second in the league in assists per game (4.7 APG), fourth in steals per game (1.7 SPG), seventh in field goal percentage (46.0%), eighth in free throw percentage (79.4%), eighth in points per game (14.8 PPG), 10th in minutes per game (32.4 MPG), and 13th in assist/turnover ratio (1.5). 

After scoring 19 points and dishing out seven assists against Fresno State, Blackshear has now reached double figures in scoring in 17 straight games, as well as in 23 of 26 games overall this season, while also dishing out at least three assists in all but two contests this year for the Pack. 

Freshman Darrion Williams had one of the best performances of his young career against Fresno State, scoring 16 points on 4-5 shooting from the field, 2-2 from behind the arc, and 6-7 at the free throw line, while also pulling down a team-high eight rebounds and dishing out five assists. 

Williams was named the Mountain West Freshman of the Week for the fourth time this season on Monday for his sensational play in Nevada's wins over New Mexico and Fresno State.

Williams continues to dominate the glass this season for the Pack, as he currently ranks first on the team and sixth in the conference in rebounds per game, pulling down an average of 7.1 per contest. Williams also ranks ninth in the Mountain West in steals per game, as he is averaging an impressive 1.5 per contest.

Jarod Lucas also eclipsed double figures in scoring against the Bulldogs, dropping 13 points while knocking down 6-6 shots at the free-throw line. Lucas has now surpassed double figures in scoring in 24 straight games, totaling  25 of 26 contests this season.

Lucas ranks at the top of the Mountain West in an abundance of individual offensive statistical categories this season. He is second in the conference in free throw percentage (85.8%), second in made 3-pointers (70), second in 3-point field goal percentage (40.0%), second in minutes per game (34.5 MPG), third in points per game (17.7 PPG), and 11th in field goal percentage (41.5%).

Offensively, the Pack had an exceptional overall performance against Fresno State, as they finished the game with shooting clips of 54.5 percent from the field (24-44), 50 percent from behind the arc (6-12), and 88.5 percent at the free throw line (23-26).

Nevada also had a solid outing on the defensive end of the court, limiting Fresno State to just 66 points on 41.4 percent shooting from the field and 31.3 percent from behind the arc.

The Pack's offense has continued to improve throughout the year, and they now rank fifth in the league in scoring offense (73.7 PPG), while continuing to lead the Mountain West and rank at the top of the country in free throw percentage. Nevada is knocking down 79.9 percent of their free throw attempts this season, which ranks fourth best in the nation.

Nevada's defense, as it has for the majority of the season, continues to rank in the top-five of the Mountain West in a plethora of statistical categories.

Nevada ranks third in the conference in opponent field goal percentage (41.8%), fourth in turnovers forced (332), tied for fourth in defensive rebounding (24.6 per game), fifth in opponent 3-point field goal percentage (35.3%), and fifth in opponent points per game (66.5 PPG).

Nevada will face a difficult road challenge when they take on the Aggies Saturday, as Utah State has a raucous home environment and has boasted one of the best offenses in the Mountain West this season.

Scouting Utah State

Utah State has been fueled by its offense all season long, as they currently rank second in the league in scoring, putting up an average of 79 points per game.

The Aggies have been phenomenal from behind the arc this season, as they lead the conference in 3-point field goal percentage, knocking down an outstanding 41.1 percent of their 3-point attempts this season. 

Utah State has also been exceptional at the free throw line, as they rank second in the Mountain West behind Nevada in free throw percentage, knocking down 76.4 percent of their shots at the line. 

Individually, the Aggies have five different players averaging at least 11.0 points per game. Steven Ashworth leads the way for Utah State, putting up 15.6 points per game while knocking down an incredible 47.1 percent of his 3-point attempts. Ashworth is knocking down an average of 3.3 shots from behind the arc per game. He also leads the team in assists, as he is dishing out an average of 4.5 per contest. 

Taylor Funk ranks second on the team in scoring, putting up 13.5 points per game on 44.4 percent shooting from the field and 38.8 percent from behind the arc, while also pulling down 5.4 boards per contest. 

Dan Akin has provided a strong presence in the paint for the Aggies this season. He is averaging 12.1 points per game on 64.0 percent shooting from the field, in addition to pulling down a team-high 7.1 rebounds per game. 

Max Shulga and Sean Bairstow are the other Aggies scoring in double figures, as Shulga is putting up 11.9 points per contest on 36.8 percent shooting from behind the arc, while Bairstow is averaging 11.0 points per game on 49.2 percent shooting from the field and 43.8 percent from deep. 

As strong as the Aggies have been offensively, they have struggled on defense, ranking eighth in the league in opponent points per game and opponent 3-point field goal percentage, allowing 70.1 points per contest this season. 

Nevada will need to protect the 3-point line and have a strong offensive performance while limiting turnovers to prevent Utah State from getting open looks in transition if they hope to earn the season sweep over the Aggies and secure their fifth consecutive victory.

Series History

Nevada and Utah State have faced off 58 times throughout history, with the Aggies holding a 34-24 advantage over the Pack in the all-time series. 

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.