Utah State tops UNLV 79-67 for No. 7 seed to MWC tourney
LOGAN, Utah -- Koby McEwen scored 18 points and Sam Merrill scored 15 and Utah State defeated UNLV 79-67 on Saturday night to secure the seventh seed in next week's Mountain West Conference Tournament.
With the win, Utah State (15-16, 8-10) finished ahead of No. 8-seed UNLV (19-12, 8-10) which now has dropped five straight. The Aggies face No. 10 seed Colorado State in Las Vegas on Wednesday, and the Rebels will take on ninth-seeded Air Force.
A pair of Alex Dargenton free throws with 5:32 before halftime gave the Aggies a 23-22 lead which started a 21-7 run for a 42-30 lead at intermission.
The Rebels responded out of the break and made 7 of 8 shots and reduced their deficit to 48-46 in the first five minutes of the second half. Utah State blunted the rally, this time with a 24-7 run in the next seven minutes and the Rebels were done.
Brandon McCoy led UNLV with 18 points and Tervell Beck scored 17.
Game Information
- Referees:
- Casey McClellan
- Frank Harvey
- Eric Curry
2023-24 Mountain West Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utah State | 14-4 | - | 28-7 |
| Nevada | 13-5 | 1 | 26-8 |
| Boise State | 13-5 | 1 | 22-11 |
| UNLV | 12-6 | 2 | 21-13 |
| San Diego State | 11-7 | 3 | 26-11 |
| New Mexico | 10-8 | 4 | 26-10 |
| Colorado State | 10-8 | 4 | 25-11 |
| Wyoming | 8-10 | 6 | 15-17 |
| Fresno State | 4-14 | 10 | 12-21 |
| Air Force | 2-16 | 12 | 9-22 |
| San José State | 2-16 | 12 | 9-23 |
Men's College Basketball News
