RENO, Nev. – The University of Nevada Men’s Basketball team will continue their current three-game road stretch on Tuesday night, as they are set to face Pepperdine at 8 p.m.
The Pack will seek to bounce back after suffering just their second loss of the season Saturday evening at the hands of LMU.
Nevada had a solid defensive outing against the Lions, limiting them to 64 points on a 30 percent shooting from three; however, the Pack’s offense went cold in the second half, as they dropped the first of three consecutive road games.
Jarod Lucas had another strong offensive outing for Nevada, scoring 18 points on 6-12 shooting from the field, including 4-7 from behind the arc. The senior guard has now scored in double-figures in eight of nine contests this season for the Pack, and he currently ranks first on the team and fourth in the Mountain West in scoring at 17.2 points per game. Lucas also ranks second in the conference in free throw percentage (87.0%) and third in 3-point field goal percentage (42.2%).
Nick Davidson also had a solid outing for the Pack on the offensive end of the floor, scoring 11 points to reach double figures in scoring for the second consecutive game for the first time in his career. The redshirt-freshman forward now ranks fifth on the team in scoring (7.7 PPG), fourth in rebounding (4.1 RPG), third in field goal percentage (48.6%), and first in 3-point field goal percentage (47.4%).
Following another strong defensive performance against LMU, the Pack continues to rank in the top five of the Mountain West in almost all defensive statistical categories. Nevada ranks first in opponent field goal percentage, limiting their opponents to just 36.8 percent shooting from the field, in addition to ranking first in the conference in blocked shots (4.78 BPG).
Nevada also ranks fourth in scoring defense (62.0 PPG), third in opponent 3-point field goal percentage (27.8%), and fourth in defensive rebounding (27.7 per game).
Offensively, the Pack ranks first in the Mountain West and 21st in the country in free throw percentage and second in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage, shooting a stellar 37.5 percent this season.
Just as he has done for the majority of the season, senior guard Kenan Blackshear continues to lead the conference in assists per game, averaging 5.8 per contest. Blackshear’s mark of 5.8 assists per game leads the next closest player in the Mountain West by nearly 1.0 assists, as he has done a sensational job of facilitating the Nevada offense this season. Blackshear also ranks 12th in the Mountain West in rebounding (5.9 RPG) and 20th in steals per game (1.1).
Freshman forward Darrion Williams currently leads all freshmen in the Mountain West Conference in points per game (8.3), rebounds (7.6 RPG), assists (2.6 APG), and steals (1.6 SPG). Williams is also shooting phenomenal clips of 49.1 percent from the field, 46.2 percent from behind the arc, and 84.6 percent from the free throw line.
The NCAA released their first NET rankings of the season, one of the primary metrics used in the selection process for the NCAA Tournament, and Nevada earned the 43rd overall ranking in the country, good for third highest in Mountain West.
The Pack will have the opportunity to boost their ranking with a road victory against Pepperdine Tuesday night; however, they will need to lock in defensively and slow down a high-powered Pepperdine offense in order to bounce back from the loss against LMU and achieve their eighth victory of the season.
Scouting Pepperdine
Pepperdine owns an overall record of 5-2 this season, most recently picking up an 88-69 victory over Northern Arizona this past Saturday.
The Waves have been highly successful on the offensive end of the court this season, as they are averaging an impressive 81.0 points per game. Pepperdine plays at an extremely fast pace and takes a large number of pointers, as 41.2 percent of their shots come from behind the arc.
Pepperdine is knocking down an exceptional 42.2 percent of their 3-point attempts, ranking as the sixth-best 3-point field goal percentage in the nation.
The Waves rely heavily on their backcourt to carry them on offense, as they have three guards who are averaging at least 13.7 points per
game.
Sophomore Maxwell Lewis leads the way, ranking third in the West Coast Conference in scoring at 18.0 points per game on 63 percent shooting from the field and 50 percent from three.
Fellow sophomore guard Houston Mallette is also having a strong season for the Waves, as he is averaging 14.9 points per game, while shooting 43.4 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from three.
Sophomore Mike Mitchell Jr. completes the dangerous trio of guards, averaging 13.7 points per game, while hitting 47.2 percent of his shots, including 54.8 percent of his 3-pointers.
Nevada has been exceptional at defending the 3-point line this season, and they will need to maintain that and prevent Pepperdine from getting offensive rebounds and extra possessions on Tuesday night to secure a road victory over the Waves.
Series History
Nevada and Pepperdine have faced off twice throughout history, splitting the series with each team earning one win apiece. The two teams last met in November of last year, with Nevada earning a 79-66 win at home over the Waves.
