Nevada (14-1, 1-0) vs. Air Force (7-6, 0-1)

Tuesday, Jan. 7 - 7 p.m.

TV: NSN/Mountain West Network (Alex Margulies // Keith Fuetsch)

Live Stream: https://shorturl.at/CFHJU 

Live Stats: https://shorturl.at/kmrN3 

Radio: KNEV 95.5 FM/The Varsity Network app (John Ramey // Len Stevens)

RENO, Nev. - Coming off a 15-point road victory over Fresno State this past Saturday, the Nevada Men's Basketball will aim to extend their seven-game win streak on Tuesday evening, as they are set to host Air Force at Lawlor Events Center in their first home Mountain West contest of the season.  

Tuesday's game is slated to begin at 7 p.m. and will be available for viewing through Nevada Sports Net and the Mountain West Network. The game will air over the radio on KNEV 95.5 FM and through the Varsity Network app.  

Nevada returns to Lawlor Events Center after earning a 72-57 victory at Fresno State to improve to 14-1 overall and 1-0 in Mountain West play this season. The Pack's record of 14-1 matches the best start through 15 games in program history.  

Nevada was impressive on both ends of the court in the victory over Fresno State. Offensively, the Pack did an exceptional job at taking care of the ball, as they completed the contest with just three turnovers, marking the fewest turnovers in a game for Nevada since March 2018. Nevada had a stellar night from behind the arc, draining eight of their 19 3-point field goal attempts for a clip of 42.1 percent.  

Defensively, the Pack limited Fresno State to just 57 points, marking the third fewest points that the Bulldogs have scored in a game this season. Nevada was particularly impressive on defense over the final 20 minutes of the game, as they limited Fresno State to just 31.8 percent shooting from the field in the second half, outscoring the Bulldogs by 11 points in the period.  

Individually, the Pack had a multitude of impressive performances; however, Nevada's star-studded backcourt duo of Kenan Blackshear and Jarod Lucas led the way.  

Blackshear was tremendous in the contest, as he led the team in points (18), rebounds (7), assists (4), and steals (4), while also recording one block. Blackshear, a 2022-23 Second Team All-Mountain West honoree, has been playing arguably the best basketball of his career as of late. Over Nevada's past five games, the fifth-year senior has averaged 17.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 2.0 steals per game, while shooting 56.6 percent from the field.  

Blackshear ranks within the top-15 of the Mountain West in numerous different statistical categories entering Tuesday night's contest. He is currently seventh in the league in assists (4.7 APG), eighth in scoring (16.2 PPG), 14th in rebounding (5.6 RPG), 14th in steals (1.3 SPG), and 15th in field goal percentage (53.2%), as the fifth-year senior is having a sensational season.  

Lucas also had a stellar performance in the victory over Fresno State, as the fellow fifth-year senior and back court mate of Blackshear poured in 17 points on 7-12 shooting, including 3-3 from behind the arc. Like Blackshear, Lucas has also been playing at a prolific level as of late. Over the Pack's past five games, Lucas has averaged 21.1 points per game on a blazing 51.5 percent from the field (35-68), 45.5 percent from behind the arc (15-33), and 100 percent from the free throw line (21-21).

One of the premier shooters in the Mountain West, Lucas is fourth in the conference in scoring (17.8 PPG), third in free throw percentage (92.9%), and fifth in made 3-pointers per contest (2.2). Lucas has scored in double figures in all 15 games for Nevada this season, including scoring 20+ points in six games. 

Nevada's bench has been outstanding lately, led by Hunter McIntosh and Daniel Foster. McIntosh scored 11 points while draining three 3-pointers in the victory over Fresno State, marking his second consecutive game reaching double figures in scoring, as well as the second straight game that he has made three or more 3-pointers. McIntosh has been lethal from behind the arc this season, as he ranks seventh in the Mountain West in 3-point field goal percentage with a clip of 42.9 percent.  

Foster has been tremendous throughout the season for the Pack, and he scored two points, pulled down six rebounds, and recorded a steal in the win over Fresno State. Foster currently ranks third on the team in steals (13) and fourth in assists (21). The senior is second on the team and 14th in the Mountain West in field goal percentage (54.0%). 

Nick Davidson has had a superb sophomore campaign for the Pack, and he is coming off a nine-point, six-rebound outing against Fresno State. Davidson also recorded a career-high three steals in the game, in addition to tallying two blocks, as the redshirt-sophomore had a masterful performance on the defensive end of the court against a formidable Bulldogs front court.

Davidson is sixth in the Mountain West in rebounds per game (6.9 RPG), 11th in blocks per game (1.0 BPG), and 20th in field goal percentage (51.8%). 

As a team, Nevada continues to rank as one of the best defensive units in the country this season. The Pack is 28th in the nation in opponent points per game (63.9 PPG), 33rd in opponent field goal percentage (39.2%), and 102nd in opponent 3-point field goal percentage (33.6%).  

Offensively, Nevada ranks as one of the most efficient teams in the country, as the Pack is sixth in the nation in fewest turnovers per game (9.0), 24th in assist/turnover ratio (1.6), and 49th in field goal percentage (47.7%).  

Nevada will need to have a stout defensive performance and protect the 3-point line against Air Force in order to earn their 15th victory of the season, while remaining unbeaten at home and in Mountain West play. 

Scouting Air Force 

The Falcons enter Tuesday night's contest with an overall record of 7-6, including a mark of 0-1 in conference play. Air Force got off to a strong start this season, as they raced out to a 7-2 record over their first nine games; however, the Falcons have struggled as of late, dropping four consecutive contests entering Tuesday's game. 

Air Force likes to slow down the pace of the game, as they rank 316th in the country this season in possessions per contest (67.9).

The Falcons have been one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the Mountain West this season, and they enter Tuesday's game ranked third in the league in 3-point field goal percentage with a clip of 35.0 percent.  

Air Force has also done an excellent job of distributing the ball on offense, as they are fourth in the Mountain West in assists per game this season (15.2 APG).  

Defensively, the Falcons rank second in the conference in blocks per game (4.8 BPG) and fourth in steals per contest (7.9 SPG). 

Individually, Air Force relies primarily on the trio of Rytis Petraitis, Ethan Taylor, and Beau Becker for the majority of their offensive production.

Petraitis missed the first seven games of the season for Air Force before returning at the end of November, and the sophomore has been highly impressive in the past six games for the Falcons. Petraitis is averaging 17.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game, while shooting 55.1 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from behind the arc this season. Petraitis has reached double figures in scoring in all six games he has played in, including scoring 18+ points four separate times.  

Taylor has made tremendous strides in his production this season, and he is averaging 17.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game for the Falcons this year. Taylor has done the majority of his scoring from behind the arc, as he leads the Mountain West with 44 3-pointers on 114 attempts this season for a clip of 38.6 percent. Taylor has scored in double figures in 12 of 13 games this season, including scoring 20+ points in five contests. He has also drained multiple 3-pointers in 12 games and has hit three or more shots from behind the arc in nine games.  

Becker, a 6-foot-7 junior forward, is averaging 14.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game this season, while shooting 52.4 percent from the field and 40.6 percent from behind the arc. Becker has breakout potential, as he scored a season-high 31 points in the Falcons' victory over William & Mary earlier this season.  

Air Force has also received solid production from junior Jeffrey Mills and sophomore Kellan Boylan this season. Mills is contributing 8.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists per game this season, while Boylan is averaging 8.5 points and a team-high 6.6 rebounds per game for the Falcons. 

Nevada will aim to keep the Falcons off the 3-point line and dominate the paint on offense as they pursue their 15th victory of the season. 

Series History

Nevada and Air Force have faced off 20 times as Division I opponents throughout history, with the Pack owning a 17-3 advantage in the all-time series. Nevada won both contests last season against the Falcons.

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