By Austin Turner – Content Editor
Still searching for the elusive first win in Mountain West play, San Jose State (3-13, 0-4 MWC) is taking a trip to the Sin City to face the Nevada Las Vegas Rebels (9-7, 3-1 MWC).
The Rebels got off to a hot start in the conference, with wins over Colorado State, Wyoming and New Mexico. However a big loss to the surprising Air Force Falcons in their last game has cooled them off.
The Rebels have a robust arsenal of scorers that will keep the Spartans guessing on defense throughout the game. They have four players scoring over 10 points per game, led by senior guard Kris Clyburn at 13.4 ppg. Joel Ntambwe at 12.8 ppg, Amauri Hardy with 12.4 and Shakur Juiston at 10.8 round out the double digit scorers, and each are versatile with their ability to get buckets. Each of the four shoot over 40 percent, and with the exception of Juiston, they can hit threes.
The Spartans will need an explosive scoring night, and they finally have a reliable scorer emerging. Noah Baumann, the sophomore shooting guard, is coming off of a career-high 29 points in which he had 7 3-pointers, matching a school record. He’s leading all of Division I in 3-point shooting percentage at an absurd 54.7 percent.
The development of Baumann over the course of the season has been remarkable, and is something that Spartan fans should keep an eye out for.
The Spartans attempt to snap a seven-game losing streak as they take on the Rebels on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
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