Nevada set for showdown with Utah State

LOGAN, Utah - One streak will end and one will continue tonight when Utah State and Nevada collide at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum (6 p.m., KREN-TV) in a critical Western Athletic Conference men's basketball game that could well determine the regular-season championship and the top seed in the upcoming conference tournament.

Nevada (21-5, 10-3), ranked 25th in the Associated Press poll and 30th in the ESPN/USA Today poll, has won eight straight games. The Pack's last loss was on Jan. 23 to Utah State (59-53) at Lawlor Events Center.

Utah State (19-6, 9-4) owns a five-game winning streak over Nevada and seven straight in Logan. The former streak dates back to 1999. Four of the five USU wins over Nevada have been by nine points or less in that span.

The Pack have been especially impressive during their eight-game winning streak, their longest since the team won 10 straight to end the regular season last year.

In that span, Nevada's offense is averaging 75.9 points a game, up from its seasonal average of 72.4. Nevada has enjoyed four of its best scoring games, including 88 versus Akron in the BracketBuster win and 90 against New Mexico State back on Feb. 4. The Pack are shooting 47 percent from the floor, including 36.8 from beyond the 3-point arc. Nevada is a plus-5 in rebounding in the past eight games, and the defense has been solid, holding the opposition to 63.6 a game, and 30 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.

Nevada coach Mark Fox, who said the team is playing better than it was the first time the teams met, said that the key factor in tonight's game is playing better at the offensive end.

"We have to make more baskets," said Fox, whose squad scored 53 the last time out against USU. "We had some roll off the rim. I don't feel we made many plays. "

In Utah State, the Pack are facing the best offensive and defensive team in the conference. The Aggies give up 63.3 a contest.

Offensively, the Aggies are led by 6-7 Nate Harris (17.4) and 6-2 Jaycee Carroll (17.1). Utah State has four other players averaging at least 7 points a game, including Cass Matheus at 9.3. Utah State leads the nation in 3-point shooting at 43.2 and shoots it at a 51 percent clip overall. Carroll and David Pak are shooting 49.4 and 46.4, respectively, from beyond the arc.

The addition of 6-3 swingman Durrall Peterson to the starting lineup has made the Aggies that much more dangerous, according to Fox.

It will be a stiff test for Nevada's defense, which held the Aggies to its lowest output of the season.

"They're playing very well, better than when we played them the first time," Fox said. "We have to do a better job defensively than we did the last game. He (Peterson) made us pay that first game. He's a good shooter.

"They are so balanced. When you have that many guys that can shoot it, it makes for a hard guard. They are very efficient, shoot the ball well and have a great assist-to-turnover ratio."

Nevada trailed most of the game back on Jan. 23. Nevada closed to 42-39, but Peterson hit back-to-back 3-pointers to stretch the lead to nine, and the Pack never could catch up.

New Mexico State is a hard guard in Fox's opinion, but that's because of its quickness and penetration. Utah State is a tough guard because the Aggies come hard off screens and shoot the ball so well from the perimeter.

Besides having to contend with Utah State's talented team, the Pack will have to endure the stifling noise they will hear from what figures to be a huge crowd.

Fox has heard the stories about playing at Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.

"Everybody says it's different," Fox said Thursday afternoon. "I can't speak for that. We'll have to be well prepared."

Nevada has spent the last couple of days practicing in the Old Virginia Street Gym because of the NIAA state basketball playoffs at Lawlor.

According to Fox, the acoustics at the old gym are like "an aluminum can."

Notes: David Ellis continues to work out with the Pack, but the 7-foot center has yet to be cleared for action. The earliest that's expected to happen is in time for the final two home games - March 2 and 4 - against San Jose State and Fresno State ... As of last week, 3,800 all-session tickets had been sold for the WAC Tournament in Reno March 7-11. Individual session tickets are now on sale. Session tickets for the men are $28, and that is for two games. Nevada's first game is at 6 p.m. March 9 against an undetermined opponent... Utah State didn't get back home until the wee hours Friday from its Thursday night game at Boise State, and Morrill thinks that gives Nevada a slight advantage heading into the game. Fox said that it's not a big deal at this point in the season.

Contact Darrell Moody at dmoody@nevadaappeal.com, or by calling (775) 881-1281