LAS VEGAS (Interstat) — Utah State defeated Nevada 79-66 in a Mountain West men’s basketball game Friday at T-Mobile Arena. The Aggies led 39-32 at halftime and maintained control throughout the second half. Adlan Elamin led Utah State with 15 points. Mason Falslev and Drake Allen each added 12 points, with Allen dishing six assists. Vaughn Weems paced Nevada with 17 points. Utah State improved to 27-6. Nevada fell to 22-12. The teams split their two regular-season meetings.

LAS VEGAS (Interstat) — In a commanding display of balance and defensive pressure, the Utah State Aggies secured a decisive 79-66 victory over the Nevada Wolf Pack in a Mountain West Conference men’s basketball game Friday night at T-Mobile Arena. The win, Utah State’s third in its last four outings, improved the Aggies’ record to 27-6 overall this season. Nevada, which had won three straight entering the contest, fell to 22-12. From the opening tip, Utah State established a tempo that Nevada struggled to match. The Aggies built a 39-32 halftime lead by capitalizing on Wolf Pack miscues and controlling the paint. That advantage only grew after the break, as Utah State opened the second half on a 14-5 run to stretch the lead to 16 points, effectively putting the game out of reach. The Aggies maintained a double-digit cushion for nearly the entire remainder of the contest. The most pivotal stretch of the game occurred early in the second half. With Utah State leading 41-39, the Aggies unleashed a decisive 13-2 surge over a three-minute span. The run was fueled by stifling defense, which generated multiple Nevada turnovers, and efficient transition offense. It culminated when Drake Allen connected on a 3-pointer off an assist from MJ Collins, pushing the lead to 54-41 with 13:29 remaining and forcing a Nevada timeout. The Wolf Pack never recovered, unable to cut the deficit to single digits again. Utah State’s victory was a collective effort, with six players scoring at least seven points. Adlan Elamin, a 6-foot-9 forward from Arlington, Virginia, led the Aggies with 15 points and added a block. Guards Mason Falslev of Benson, Utah, and Drake Allen of Eagle Mountain, Utah, each contributed 12 points, with Falslev adding five assists and a block and Allen dishing out a game-high six assists. The Aggies also received a significant boost from their bench, notably from forward Karson Templin of Fairview, Texas, who scored 11 points in just 14 minutes of action. Collins finished with 12 points. For Nevada, Vaughn Weems of Federal Way, Washington, shouldered the offensive load, scoring a game-high 17 points and grabbing six rebounds. Chuck Bailey of Detroit added 10 points off the bench. The Wolf Pack’s offense, however, was plagued by inconsistent shooting and 15 turnovers, which Utah State converted into 19 points. Defensively, Utah State was disruptive throughout, recording nine steals and five blocks. The Aggies’ length and activity on the perimeter hampered Nevada’s rhythm, holding the Wolf Pack to a subpar shooting performance. The game was a rematch of a Feb. 21 thriller in Reno, which Nevada won 80-77. Utah State ensured there would be no repeat, dominating the neutral-court encounter from the midway point of the first half onward. With the victory, Utah State advances in the Mountain West tournament and will look to continue its momentum. Nevada will await its postseason fate, likely heading to a secondary tournament after the conference tournament concludes.

Preview: Nevada Set for Rematch with Utah State in Conference Showdown LAS VEGAS (Interstat) — A high-stakes rematch between two of the season’s top teams highlights the conference tournament semifinals Friday as the Nevada Wolf Pack faces the Utah State Aggies at T-Mobile Arena. The teams split their regular-season series, each protecting home court. Utah State (26-6) won 71-62 in Logan on Jan. 14, but Nevada (22-11) answered with an 80-77 victory in Reno on Feb. 21. That recent result ensures the Aggies, the tournament’s top seed, will be on alert against the fourth-seeded Wolf Pack. Utah State enters as the clear favorite, boasting a superior record and a national ranking. National Statistical’s ELO system gives the Aggies a 72.6% probability to win. Oddsmakers have installed Utah State as a 7-point favorite, with an over/under of 145 points. The matchup features two of the conference’s most dynamic guards. Nevada’s Corey Camper is coming off a career-high 27 points in Thursday’s 84-80 quarterfinal win at Grand Canyon. In the Feb. 21 win over Utah State, Camper scored 20 points. Over his last eight games, he is averaging 17.1 points. Utah State counters with Mason Falslev, who scored 24 points in Thursday’s 80-60 quarterfinal rout of UNLV. Falslev was held to 10 points in the loss at Nevada last month but dished out six assists. He has scored 20 or more points in three of his last five contests. Nevada has won three straight, including two tournament games, but is 2-5 in its last seven games away from home. Utah State has been dominant at neutral sites this season and is 8-2 in its last 10 games overall. The winner advances to Saturday’s conference championship game with an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament likely secured, though both teams are projected to make the field of 68 regardless of Friday’s outcome. Tip-off is scheduled for 9 p.m. EDT Friday, March 13, 2026. The game will be televised on ESPN.