STOCKTON, Calif. - Coming off its stellar first win of the season, the Pacific men's basketball team (1-1) heads east to take on Nevada (2-0) in Reno on Wednesday night. The Tigers lead the all-time series dating back to the 1914-15 season, most recently beating Nevada in Reno in 2013.
The Wolf Pack presents quite the test for the Tigers, after getting off to a 2-0 start with wins over Sacramento State and Washington. Nevada downed the Huskies in Washington this past Sunday 83-76.
Graduate student guard Kenan Blackshear leads the Pack, averaging 22.5 points per game, 6.5 rebounds and 8 assists through two games, while shooting 52.9 percent from the floor. Aiding him is graduate student guard Jarod Lucas, who's averaging 15.5 points through two contests and a perfect 15 of 15 from the free throw line.
Redshirt sophomore forward Nick Davidson leads Nevada with 7 rebounds per game and contributes 11.5 points per game, shooting a 46.7 field goal percentage. Another graduate student, guard Hunter McIntosh, has averaged in the double digits for the Wolf Pack, adding 10 points a game, while shooting 8 of 12 from the floor.
Nevada's point production hinges on its field goal percentage, as they have struggled to create consistent scoring opportunities from beyond the arc. The Wolf Pack have six made threes on the year to Pacific's 17, shooting 20.7 percent from downtown to Pacific's 34 percent.
Nevada's ability to get to the line also contributes significantly to the Wolf Pack's success thus far. The Pack has taken 53 attempts from the charity stripe, sinking 42 free throws to Pacific's 26 attempts and 21 makes at the line.
Pacific is led by senior guard
Donovan Williams, who notched 23 points, a career-high at Pacific, against California this past Friday. He shot 7 of 10 from the floor and 3 of 6 from three enroute to the 87-79 victory over the Golden Bears in Berkeley. He's averaging 18.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game through two contests, shooting 36.4 percent from behind the arc and 56.5 percent from the field.
Assisting him is senior forward
Judson Martindale, averaging 11 points a game off the bench for the Tigers, shooting 46.7 percent from the field. Senior guard
Lesown Hallums, Jr. has also made huge contributions off the bench, playing meaningful minutes, and averaging 7 points a game while shooting 7 of 13 from the floor.
The Tigers are 53-49 all-time over Nevada and most recently defeated the Wolf Pack in Reno 80-78 in 2013.
Pacific takes on Nevada on Wednesday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. in Reno, Nev. The game will be broadcasted on the Mountain West Network and Fox Sports AM 1280.
