Nevada (20-7) vs. San José State (16-11)
Tuesday, February 21 - 7 PM - Lawlor Events Center
TV: NSN (Alex Margulies // Keith Fuetsch)
Radio: 94.5 FM/The Varsity Network (John Ramey // Len Stevens)
Listen: https://bit.ly/3JI8aL7
Live Stream: https://bit.ly/3Kky2N9
Live Stats: https://bit.ly/2EJNfGO
RENO, Nev. - Following a difficult road loss at the hands of Utah State this past Saturday, the Nevada Men's Basketball team saw the end of their four-game win streak; however, the Pack will seek to bounce back in a big way at home Tuesday evening, as they are set to host San Jose Staté at 7 PM at the Lawlor Events Center.
Tuesday night's game will serve as Black History Night, with Nevada Athletics continuing its celebration of Black History Month. Tuesday night's contest will be sponsored by IBEW Local 401.
The Pack is coming off of a tough road loss in which they squandered a 15-point halftime lead on the road against Utah State, as their offense faulted over the final 20 minutes, and the Pack ultimately fell to the Aggies, 66-75.
Nevada will look to get back in the win column and maintain their unblemished record at home when they face off against San José State, as the Pack enters Tuesday night's matchup with a perfect mark of 13-0 at the Lawlor Events Center this season.
The two squads met once prior this season, with Nevada earning a dominant 67-40 victory over the Spartans in the first matchup between the two teams.
Nevada was sensational on the defensive end of the floor in the first contest, limiting SJSU to just 40 points on an abysmal 33.3 percent shooting from the field and 25 percent from behind the arc.
The 40 points allowed by Nevada marked the least number of points that the Pack has allowed in a game since 2008.
Nevada also reeled off their largest run of the season in the contest, as they went on an incredible 25-0 run over the final 9:41 of the first half, propelling the Pack to the lopsided victory over the Spartans.
Nevada had eight different players score at least three points in the first contest against San José State, led by redshirt freshman Nick Davidson, who had one of the best performances of his career. Davidson scored a game-high 15 points on 6-12 shooting from the field and 2-5 from behind the arc, while also pulling down a career-high nine rebounds. He earned a game-high plus/minus of +36 in a career-high 27 minutes of playing time.
Jarod Lucas and Kenan Blackshear also reached double figures in scoring in the first game against the Spartans, putting up 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Nevada dominated the glass, outrebounding San José State 42-31, while also forcing the Spartans into 20 turnovers. The Pack outscored San José State in the paint, 36-16, in what was an all-around outstanding performance from Nevada.
Last Time Out
The Pack will enter the second contest against the Spartans coming off of a nine-point loss to Utah State.
Will Baker had a strong outing for the Pack against the Aggies, scoring 25 points on 7-13 shooting from the field, 6-8 from behind the arc, and 5-6 at the free throw line. The six 3-pointers made marked a new career-high for Baker. The redshirt junior had an unbelievable start to the game, scoring 22 consecutive points on 7-7 shooting from the field and 6-6 from behind the arc over the first 4:53 of action.
After the stellar offensive performance from Baker, he now ranks third in the Mountain West in field goal percentage (56.4%), fourth in free throw percentage (83.9%), and 12th in points per game (14.0 PPG).
Baker has been immaculate at home this season, as he is averaging 17.7 points per game on 68.1 percent shooting from the field and 40 percent from behind the arc, in addition to grabbing 5.6 boards per contest across 12 home games this season for the Pack.
Kenan Blackshear also reached double figures in scoring against Utah State, putting up 14 points while dishing out a team-high six assists. Blackshear has now reached double figures in scoring in 18 straight games, and he has dished out at least three assists in seven straight games and in 25 of 27 contests this season.
Blackshear continues to rank in the top-15 of the Mountain West in an abundance of individual statistical categories. He is currently second in the conference in assists per game (4.8 APG), sixth in steals per game (1.6 SPG), eighth in points per game (14.8 PPG), eighth in field goal percentage (45.6%), 10th in free throw percentage (78.5%), and 11th in minutes per game (32.6 MPG).
Jarod Lucas' streak of reaching double figures in 25 straight games ended at Utah State; however, he still ranks at the top of the conference in numerous offensive statistical categories this season.
Lucas ranks second in the league in made 3-pointers (71), second in 3-point field goal percentage (39.7%), second in free throw percentage (85.9%), third in points per game (17.3 PPG), and 11th in field goal percentage (41.1%).
Freshman Darrion Williams had another impressive all-around performance against Utah State, scoring nine points on an efficient 4-7 shooting from the field and 1-3 from behind the arc, while also pulling down a game-high 11 rebounds and tallying two blocks. Williams has now eclipsed double figures in rebounding in nine games for the Pack this season, and he has led Nevada in rebounding in 14 contests this year.
Williams continues to rank towards the top of the conference in rebounding this season, as he is currently fifth in the league in rebounds per game, averaging 7.3 per contest. Williams also ranks ninth in the league in steals per game, averaging 1.4 per contest.
Despite falling to the Aggies, Nevada had a solid performance on the defensive end of the floor, limiting Utah State — one of the top 3-point shooting teams in the nation — to just 25 percent from behind the arc throughout the game.
The Pack's defense continues to rank in the top-five of the Mountain West in a multitude of categories this season. Nevada is second in the conference in opponent field goal percentage (42.0%), fourth in opponent points per game (66.8 PPG), fourth in turnovers forced (345), fourth in defensive rebounding (26.2 per game), fifth in opponent 3-point field goal percentage (32.9%), and fifth in steals per game (6.0 SPG).
A talented and deep San Jose Staté team stands in the way of Nevada earning their 21st victory of the season Tuesday night, as well as moving to 14-0 at Lawlor Events Center, as the Pack will pursue a perfect record at home throughout an entire season for just the third time in program history.
Scouting San José State
San José State enters Tuesday's matchup with an overall record of 16-11, including a mark of 7-7 in Mountain West play.
The Spartans have been immaculate on the glass this season, as they lead the conference in combined team rebounds (37.7 RPG) and offensive rebounding, pulling down 11.9 offensive boards per game.
San José State has been solid on the defensive end of the court this season. They rank sixth in the Mountain West in opponent points per game (67.3 PPG), sixth in opponent 3-point field goal percentage (34.9%), and fourth in opponent field goal percentage (42.5%).
Individually, San José State is led by one of the premier players in the Mountain West, Omari Moore. Moore ranks first in the conference in assists per game (4.9 APG) and fourth in the league in points per game (17.0 PPG). He is knocking down 43.5 percent of his field goal attempts and 34.3 percent of his 3-point attempts this season. Moore has led SJSU in scoring in 16 games this season, and he has surpassed 20 points in 10 contests this year.
Outside of Moore, the Spartans have received contributions from a variety of players this season, as they have seven different players averaging at least 5.6 points per game.
Nevada will need to keep the Spartans off the offensive glass and have another stellar defensive performance against an athletic and high-powered San José State in order to return to the win column and maintain their perfect record at the Lawlor Events Center this season.
Series History
Nevada and San José State have faced 65 times throughout history, with the Pack holding a 50-15 advantage 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.
