LAS VEGAS, Nev. – After a brief one-game stint at home, the Arizona Wildcats are back on the road. UA will play its first true road game of the season in a Saturday night tilt at UNLV. It's the program's sixth trip to Las Vegas in the last three seasons.  

Arizona at UNLV
Saturday, Dec. 2 at 8:00 p.m. (MST)
TV: CBS Sports Network (Rich Waltz & Steve Lappas)
Radio: Arizona IMG Radio Network (Brian Jeffries & Ryan Hansen)
Twitter: @APlayersProgram
#BearDown
 
The Wildcats head into the weekend on the heels of 91-56 victory over Long Beach State on Wednesday night in Tucson. UA used efficient scoring nights from the trio of Allonzo Trier (15 points), Deandre Ayton (13 points) and Parker Jackson-Cartwright (12 points) who combined to shoot 17 of 20 (.850) for the game. The victory also included the lowest-scoring first half of a game, defensively, for Arizona who allowed just 24 LBSU points in the first 20 minutes of play after allowing 38.3 points per first half entering the game.

Saturday's action in Las Vegas marks Arizona's first true road game of the season. Since the start of 2013-14 season, UA is 30-12 (.714) in true road games, including a mark of 5-1 (.833) in non-conference road games. The one road loss in non-conference in the past four seasons was a 67-71 defeat at UNLV on Dec. 23, 2014.

Deandre Ayton is one of just seven players in the nation to enter the weekend averaging at least 15.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game while shooting 60.0 percent or better from the field. Ayton is one of just two freshman in college basketball to achieve the feat with UNLV's Brandon McCoy being the other.

The Wildcats have an all-time record of 169-101 (.626) versus current Mountain West members. After dropping its first three games against MW schools under head coach Sean Miller, Arizona has won 10 of its last 11 games versus the Mountain West. Four of those last 10 victories against the MW have been by double digits.

Senior Dusan Ristic had one of the best games of his career in the last head-to-head meeting between the two programs, scoring 20 points on just eight field goal attempts as a sophomore. Ristic's 20 points still stands as his career high, which he matched in the season opener versus Northern Arizona.

UA is no stranger to Sin City with annual trips to Las Vegas for road games, non-conference tournaments and the Pac-12 Conference Tournament. Arizona has won eight of its last 11 games in Las Vegas.

Not only will Saturday see a pair of the freshmen leaders in double-doubles play against one another in Deandre Ayton and Brandon McCoy, but Saturday will also feature the top two defensive rebounders in the nation in Shakur Juiston (9.71 drpg) and Deandre Ayton (9.14 drpg).

While the Wildcats and Rebels did not meet last season, the first of Marvin Menzies tenure in Las Vegas, Sean Miller and Menzies have met three times while Menzies was the head coach at New Mexico State. Arizona won all three of the meetings by an average margin of 21.0 points.

Alex Barcello continues his passing efficiency in the early part of his freshman season in Tucson. The Chandler, Ariz. native is up to 14 assists to just four turnovers. Although his 3.5 assist-to-turnover ratio does not meet minimum assists per game requirements for league rankings, if included he would tie Jordan McLaughlin for second place in the Pac-12.

Arizona is averaging 84.9 points per game through its first seven games this season while ranking eighth in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency, according to KenPom.com. UA has recorded 90 points or more in five games already this season, which makes it already one of the most offensively potent seasons under head coach Sean Miller.