Air Force at Nevada
RENO, Nev. (Interstat) — The Nevada Wolf Pack will look to solidify their standing and halt a two-game skid when they host the struggling Air Force Falcons in a Mountain West Conference men’s basketball matchup Saturday at Lawlor Events Center.
Nevada (19-11) enters the regular-season finale seeking momentum ahead of the conference tournament after road losses at Wyoming and UNLV. The Wolf Pack have been strong at home, winning three of their last four in Reno, including key victories over New Mexico and Utah State last month.
Air Force (3-27) arrives mired in a 12-game losing streak, most recently a 86-60 home defeat to Grand Canyon on Tuesday. The Falcons’ last win came on Jan. 20 against San Jose State. Their road record this season is 0-14.
The Wolf Pack won the first meeting this season, 81-66, at Air Force on Jan. 17.
A key matchup will feature two of the league’s top scorers. Nevada is led by junior forward Elijah Price, who is averaging 18.2 points over his last five games, including a 20-point performance at Wyoming. He scored 10 points in the first meeting with Air Force.
For the Falcons, guard Kam Sanders has been a consistent bright spot during the difficult season. Over his last eight games, Sanders is averaging 15.4 points and 5.9 assists per contest. He posted 18 points and five assists in the loss to Grand Canyon and had 13 points in the January loss to Nevada.
Nevada’s defense, which allows an average of 69.3 points per game, will aim to contain Sanders and force turnovers against an Air Force team that averages 15.2 giveaways per contest. The Falcons rank last in the Mountain West in scoring offense (64.8 ppg) and scoring margin (-14.8).
The Wolf Pack are currently projected to be a middle seed in the upcoming conference tournament, while the Falcons have clinched the last-place spot.
Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PST. The game will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network.