The San Diego State Aztecs face off against the Nevada Wolf Pack in the third round of the MWC tournament at Thomas & Mack Center. Action begins at 9:00 pm ET on Friday, Mar. 11 and can be seen on CCS.
The Aztecs come into this game hoping to repeat their last performance, topping Utah State 71-65 in the 2. Trey Kell was the game’s leading scorer with 17 points on 6-for-14 shooting. The Wolf Pack, meanwhile, are coming off a 64-62 win against New Mexico in the 2. Cameron Oliver claimed his seventh double-double of the season with 26 points and 15 rebounds.
Tyron Criswell has upped his play for the Wolf Pack, averaging 19.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.6 three-pointers over the past five games.
Baskets could be hard to come by as San Diego State ranks first in the nation, allowing just 91.6 points per 100 possessions, while Nevada is 15th (98.2). It will also be a tale of two tempos, as the up-and-down Wolf Pack are ranked 21st in possessions per game with the methodical Aztecs at 321st.
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Aztecs winning the first matchup 71-65. Oliver put up 26 points and 15 rebounds.
Notes
Nevada won its last game by a two-point margin. In games decided by a margin of three points or less, San Diego State is 4-2. Nevada is 6-2 in close games this season.
The San Diego State Aztecs have the nation’s top defense, with a defensive rating of 91.6. The Nevada Wolf Pack have an offensive rating of 102.5 (ranked 242nd).
The Nevada Wolf Pack average a field goal percentage of 41.8% this season. The San Diego State Aztecs have split their games this season (3-3) when opponents have a FG% of 41.8% or greater.
The San Diego State Aztecs and the Nevada Wolf Pack both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. San Diego State is 280th and 264th in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while Nevada ranks 320th and 282nd in these categories.
With 5.7 blocks per game, the Nevada Wolf Pack rank seventh in the country. The San Diego State Aztecs are among the top-25 teams in blocking, ranking 13th with 5.4 blocks per game.
San Diego State ranks 102nd in offensive rebounds, while Nevada ranks 17th in defensive rebounds.
The San Diego State Aztecs make an average of 5.5 steals per game. The Nevada Wolf Pack are 9-11 when they allow 5 or more steals.
