The Nevada Wolf Pack (23-14) and Morehead State Eagles (23-13) get together in the fourth round of the CBI tournament at Lawlor Events Center. Action begins at 9:00 pm ET on Friday, Apr. 1 and will air on ESU and ES3.
The Wolf Pack enter this game hoping for similar success after beating Morehead State 77-68 in the 4. D.J. Fenner led all scorers with 26 points on 7-for-12 shooting. The Eagles, meanwhile, are coming off a 77-68 loss to Nevada in the 4.
Over the last five games, Cameron Oliver and Tyron Criswell have played well for the Wolf Pack. During that stretch, Oliver has averaged 18.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.6 steals, 3.0 blocks, and 1.4 three-pointers. Not to be outdone, Criswell has put up 18.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.8 three-pointers. On the other side, the Eagles have been led by Lyonell Gaines. He has been hot, averaging 14.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.4 steals in the same time frame.
Baskets could be hard to come by as Nevada ranks third in the nation, allowing just 99.1 points per 100 possessions, while Morehead State is sixth (102.4). Furthermore, the defense of the Eagles should have an advantage in terms of eFG%. They’re sixth in the nation in forcing misses (opponents’ eFG% of 50.4%), while the offense of the Wolf Pack ranks 298th in eFG% (47.0%).
The two teams have split their matchups this season. The Wolf Pack had the upper hand in the most recent game, a 77-68 win. Fenner was the game’s top overall scorer with 26 points.
The Wolf Pack are looking to build on their records of 22-14 Straight Up (SU) and 19-15 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have had success covering the spread (7-3). The rebounding edge goes to the Wolf Pack in this matchup, who are one of the top rebounding teams in the nation with an average of 40.4 boards per game. Transitioning to the Nevada defense, teams have to fight for open shots against the Wolf Pack, who have the best opponent field-goal percentage in the country at .398.
Across the court, Morehead State has a SU record of 23-13 and an ATS record of 19-15. Morehead State performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 7-3 record. The Eagles have one of the best opponent field-goal percentages in the nation at .440.
The Eagles’ win over Nevada in their last clash moved their SU record against Nevada to 2-1. The Wolf Pack hold the advantage ATS with a record of 2-1.
Predictions: SU Winner – Mor, ATS Winner – Mor
Notes
Nevada scores just 77.7 points per home game (ranked 113th). Morehead State ranks 78th in points allowed on the road, giving up 71.6 points.
The Nevada Wolf Pack have the best defense in the country, giving up just 99.1 points per 100 possessions. The Morehead State Eagles rank 95th in offense, scoring 109.2 points in the same number of possessions.
The Nevada Wolf Pack average a field goal percentage of 42.6% this season. The Morehead State Eagles have a subpar record of 7-13 when opponents have a FG% of 42.6% or greater.
The Nevada Wolf Pack and the Morehead State Eagles both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Nevada is 298th and 250th in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while Morehead State ranks 241st and 194th in these categories.
Nevada, the seventh-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 5.6 per game. Morehead State ranks lower at 317th with 2.2.
Nevada ranks 76th in offensive rebounding. Morehead State ranks 336th in defensive rebounding.
Morehead State averages 8.3 steals per game, ranking 16th in the country. Nevada is a subpar 2-6 when it allows at least 8 steals.
