Nevada @ Air Force preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 19, 2019 ) Air Force 52, Nevada 67

With three returning All-Conference starters returning from a squad that lost in the Sweet Sixteen of last year's NCAA Tournament, Nevada seemed like a sure bet to roll to its third consecutive Mountain West regular-season title this season. But after losing two of their last four games, including a 65-58 setback at Utah State on Saturday, the 18th-ranked Wolf Pack are in second place and must win their final two games - starting with Tuesday's visit to Air Force - to earn a share of the crown.

It won't be an easy task as the Falcons are riding their first three-game conference winning streak in six years. Nevada, meanwhile, has had to deal with the aftermath of an ugly post-game skirmish at Utah State that featured senior forward Jordan Caroline being restrained after smashing his hand against a fire extinguisher case and coaches getting into it with security personnel in the hallway. The Mountain West announced on Monday afternoon that each school would be responsible for administering appropriate disciplinary action for those involved, with Nevada stating it would pay for the broken glass as a result of Caroline's punch. The Wolf Pack, who still can clinch the top seed for the conference tournament with wins over the Falcons and against San Diego State at home on Saturday, needed a late 11-0 run to pull away and capture the first meeting with Air Force 67-52 on Jan. 19 in Reno.

TV: 11 p.m. ET, ESPN2

ABOUT NEVADA (26-3, 13-3 Mountain West): Players and coaches haven't spoken to the media after the loss to Utah State, but coach Eric Musselman took to Twitter on Monday afternoon to finally stand up for Caroline, who is second on the team in scoring (18 points), first in rebounding (9.6) and has recorded 43 double-doubles during his career with the Wolf Pack. "As someone who's had the honor to know and coach Jordan Caroline for four years, I can testify to his outstanding character, high moral standards and strong integrity," Musselman tweeted. "He's kind, compassionate and competitive. Basketball aside, we're fortunate to have such an outstanding young man as a part of the Wolf Pack family." Caleb Martin, who has scored 20 or more points in each of his last four games and nine of the last 10, leads the team in scoring (19.6 points) while twin brother Cody Martin (11.3) and guard Jazz Johnson (10.7) also are averaging in double figures.

ABOUT AIR FORCE (13-15, 8-8): The Falcons are coming off an 80-72 victory at Wyoming on Saturday in which Ryan Swan scored a career-high 37 points on 13-of-17 shooting, including 4-for-6 from 3-point range, and Lavelle Scottie record 18 points and 10 rebounds. "We're not afraid of Nevada coming into our house at all," Scottie, who leads the team in scoring (15.9 points), told the Colorado Springs Gazette. "We can get any team. ... We hung with them (in Reno). That shows that we can hang with anybody. ... You can be the No. 1 team in the nation and we're going to give you a fight." Swan, who scored just seven points before fouling out in just 17 minutes in the first meeting, also is averaging in double figures (12.8 points) while leading the team in rebounding (7.5).

TIP-INS

1. Nevada is 10-2 all-time against Air Force and has won each of the last six meetings.

2. Caroline scored his 2,000th career point in the loss to Utah State and is one of only four active Division I players with 2,000 points and 1,100 rebounds.

3. The Wolf Pack are 5-3 in Mountain West road games this season - including an 85-58 loss at New Mexico, which is tied with Boise State for eighth place in the conference.

PREDICTION: Nevada 69, Air Force 64