Utah State moved one step closer to securing a title by defeating Nevada 79-66 in the semifinals of the Mountain West tournament on Friday night. This victory earns them a place in the championship game, where they will face the winner of the matchup between San Diego State and New Mexico.
“We”re playing for another title,” said Utah State head coach Jerrod Calhoun. “Obviously, we won the regular season, but we”re also playing for NCAA Tournament seeding. We”re trying to get up the seed line and make a run, but to have a chance to play for another title is pretty awesome.”
The Aggies, boasting a season record of 27-6, will compete for the championship at 4 PM Mountain Time on Saturday. In the semifinal match, they initially trailed 12-11 after a 7-0 run by the No. 5 seed Wolf Pack, but a swift response led them to score 12 of the next 14 points, establishing a lead they maintained throughout the game. They went into halftime ahead 39-32 and built a lead as large as 19 points in the second half.
Defensive prowess was crucial to the Aggies” success. The Wolf Pack, who had previously bested Utah State 80-77 in their last encounter, struggled offensively, shooting just 40.7% and making only 5 of 19 attempts from beyond the arc. They also committed 15 turnovers, resulting in 22 points for Utah State.
“Our defense the past two games has been terrific—60 last night, 66 tonight—and we held them to 40% from the field,” Calhoun noted. “When we guard, we”re as good as anybody in the country, and we did that all year.” After a slight dip in performance towards the season”s end, Calhoun expressed confidence in regaining their momentum.
Freshman Adlan Elamin led the Aggies offensively, matching his career-high with 15 points while contributing six rebounds in 28 minutes. Elamin, who had previously scored a total of 15 points over his last six games, attributed his performance to his readiness and the support of his teammates. “I came to the game ready to play, and my teammates deserve a lot of credit for passing me the ball and getting it to me in the right spots,” he stated.
Other key contributors included starters Drake Allen, MJ Collins Jr., and Mason Falslev, each scoring 12 points and combining for 17 rebounds and 13 assists. Zach Keller added seven points and four rebounds, while junior forward Karson Templin, the newly named MW Sixth Man of the Year, contributed 11 points and three rebounds.
“We really struggled from 3, but we”ve said all along that this is a special group. We have a lot of depth,” Calhoun remarked. “When our team is really connected defensively, we have a chance to be really good.” Despite a challenging night from long range, the Aggies excelled at the free-throw line, making 77.1% of their attempts and going 18 for 22 in the second half.
Utah State dominated in transition, outscoring Nevada 20-5 in fast-break points. “When we”re getting out and we”re running, we”re fun to watch,” Calhoun said. The Aggies” fan support proved significant, outnumbering that of the Wolf Pack, as they prepared for their first Mountain West championship game in three years.
After previously losing in the finals to San Diego State in both 2021 and 2023, the Aggies won the championship against the Aztecs in 2019 and 2020. Elamin expressed the importance of this opportunity, saying, “It”s very special. We”ve just got to take it one step at a time, and that”s been our mentality the whole time, and we got the dub today.”
The Wolf Pack had advanced past the 12th-seeded Air Force with an 80-45 win and narrowly defeated the No. 4 seed Grand Canyon 84-80 in the quarterfinals. Despite a strong showing from junior guard Vaughn Weems, who scored 17 points, Nevada struggled offensively. Their leading scorer, Corey Camper Jr., managed only nine points on a disappointing shooting night.
Both teams started slowly, failing to score in the first few minutes of the game, but Utah State quickly found their rhythm in the second half. The Aggies capitalized on turnovers and fast breaks, extending their lead and securing the win. “We just had too many turnovers,” Nevada”s coach Steve Alford reflected. “They were able to get out in transition where they”re really, really good.”
