Fresno St. @ Nevada preview
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Last Meeting ( Jan 12, 2019 ) Nevada 74, Fresno St. 64
Sixth-ranked Nevada’s lead in the Mountain West has dwindled to just a half-game over Utah State after Wednesday night’s 65-57 loss at San Diego State with five games remaining, including a road date with the Aggies. The Wolf Pack, trying to become the first team in league history to win three consecutive outright regular season titles, begin a two-game homestand on Saturday afternoon when it hosts third-place Fresno State.
Nevada coach Eric Musselman can only hope his team responds to its loss to the Aztecs the same way it did after its only other setback this season, a 85-58 defeat at New Mexico on Jan. 5. Nevada responded with 10 straight wins by an average of 22 points before falling for the third straight time to San Diego State. "We have to step up on the big stage and play," Musselman replied when asked what happened Wednesday night. "We’ve played in front of two really great crowds at New Mexico and here, and we didn’t play like we’re capable of. I give San Diego State a lot of credit. … We have to clean up a lot of stuff from tonight." Fresno State, which lost to the Wolf Pack at home, 74-64, in the first meeting on Jan. 12, comes in off a surprising 64-61 home loss to Air Force on Wednesday night.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network
ABOUT FRESNO STATE (19-7, 10-4 MW): The Bulldogs shot just 35 percent and trailed by 17 points with four minutes to play before making a late run in the loss to the Falcons. “It will be a different game,” head coach Justin Hutson told the Fresno Bee. “Nevada is big and strong and they’ll switch, so they’ll make you play one-on-one. Air Force didn’t make us play one-on-one, we played one-on-one on our own. Nevada will switch every play and make you play one-on-one in the post … so now we’ll see if we can still get in the paint and make extra passes.” The Bulldogs, who are shooting 37.9 percent from 3-point range, are in led in scoring by senior guard Braxton Huggins (19 points per game) followed by guard Deshon Taylor (16.8) and forward Nate Grimes (11.6), who also leads the team in rebounding (9.3).
ABOUT NEVADA (24-2, 11-2): Forward Caleb Martin leads the Wolf Pack in scoring (19.1) and had a team-high 27 points and nine rebounds in the first meeting with the Bulldogs. Forward Jordan Caroline is second in scoring (18.4) while also grabbing a team leading 9.7 rebounds per game and finished with 19 points and 16 rebounds in the win at Fresno State. Junior guard Jazz Johnson (11.1 points), who is shooting a team best 43.6 percent from 3-point range, and point guard Cody Martin (10.9) also are averaging in double figures.
TIP-INS
1. Caroline, who has 15 double-doubles this season and a Mountain West record 42 in his Nevada career, needs two rebounds to hit the 1,100-mark for his college career.2. Nevada has won its last 15 home games, the ninth longest active streak in Division I.
3. Cody Martin leads the Mountain West in assists per game (5.2) and assist/turnover ratio (2.8).
PREDICTION: Nevada 77, Fresno State 68