No. 6 Nevada, UMass set for barrage of 3-pointers

No shot-clock operator will be needed when Nevada and Massachusetts meet Friday night in the championship game of the Las Vegas Holiday Classic.

Both teams like to get out and run, and both are just as likely to hoist up a 3-point shot rather than drive the lane for a layup.

In Friday's 84-62 win over Southern Illinois, the Minutemen took 36 shots beyond the arc, connecting on 15 of those attempts. From inside the arc, Mass went 16-for-30.

Their reward for beating up the Salukis is a date with the nation's sixth-ranked team on Friday night at the Orleans Arena, just off the Las Vegas Strip.

Massachusetts is averaging 82.8 points per game and is giving up 69. The Wolf Pack is putting up 88.4 points a game while holding opponents to 66.2 per game. Expect the scoreboard operator on Friday to remain very busy.

Caleb Martin and Jordan Caroline lead the Nevada offense, which is deep and talented, as Thursday's win proved.

Nevada took the lead early and three players topped 20 points as the Wolf Pack got by a pesky Tulsa team, 96-86.

Caroline recorded a double-double with a game-high in both points, 25, and rebounds, 11. Caleb Martin notched 21 and Jazz Johnson does what he does, score, and finished with 20.

Nevada is 29-2 when Caroline reaches double figures in scoring and rebounding. After the win against Tulsa, Caroline said, "We could have played better. We still have things to do to get better. Chemistry is good. We have a good connection on the court. I love playing for our guys. Now we have to rest and watch film" and get ready for Massachusetts.

The Wolf Pack won the game at the free-throw line, connecting on 35 of 42. Caleb Martin went 10-for-10. If there is hole in Caroline's game, it might be at the free-throw line where he made only 12 of 17.

In Nevada's previous game against Cal Baptist, the Wolf Pack went to the line 38 times and made 27 of those attempts.

But by getting there 17 times said Caroline was working hard and getting the Golden Hurricane in foul trouble.

"Every game has got its own identity, obviously, but free throws attempted is something we try to focus on every game," Eric Musselman told the Reno Gazette Journal.

Massachusetts jumped out to a 16-2 lead and never looked back.

"I thought we just had tremendous energy to start the game," UMass coach Matt McCall told the Daily Collegian. "As a coach, when you travel that far across the country, there's always a level of concern on, would you come into practice complacent. Our guys were fired up from the beginning."

McCall knows the Minutemen will need to get off to an equally good start against the Wolf Pack who start five fifth-year seniors and as much firepower as anyone Massachusetts will face this season.

While the Salukis didn't have an answer for Rashaan Holloway, who finished with 16 points and five rebounds, Nevada can send waves at the Minuteman big man.

Freshman Jordan Brown, Nevada's first five-star recruit and a player whom many thin will be in the NBA next season, has seen his playing time grow.

Against Tulsa, Brown played only 14 minutes after getting in foul trouble. But in the previous three games, Brown averaged 11 points and just under eight rebounds per game.

"He continues to get better and he's given it all these last couple weeks of practice," Musselman said.

Friday's matchup will be the first time the two schools have played. The Wolf Pack will be the highest ranked opponent UMass has faced since losing to No. 6 N.C. State in 2012.

Five Minutemen are averaging double figures, led by Luwane Pipkins 17.8 per game. Three Minutemen score more than 11 a game with Carl Pierre (11.3), Jonathan Laurent (11.2) and Holloway (11.0).

Curtis Cobb rounds out the top scorers averaging 10.5 points per game.