Utah State pulls away against UNLV to advance, 80-60

Utah State used a dominant run late in the first half and a strong performance from Mason Falslev to defeat UNLV 80-60 in the Mountain West quarterfinal on Thursday.

Thomas & Mack Center, the home of the UNLV Rebels, was filled with Utah State students flown in on the school’s dime, and their noise fueled Utah State’s energy throughout the game and helped them seize momentum.

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“It should be a home-field advantage, right here in Las Vegas,” Falslev said. “You look out there, and there’s a lot of Aggie blue, the chants, the noise, you know, energy’s contagious.”

Despite the crowd working against them, the Rebels kept things competitive early, despite sloppy play from both teams. Turnovers were a constant for both squads in the opening minutes, with the Aggies and Rebels struggling to find rhythm.

UNLV took an early lead on contributions from Jacob Bannarbie and Kimani Hamilton. Still, Falslev took over near the end of the first half, scoring 17 points and spreading his rhythm and energy throughout the rest of the team.

“The game plan was not to settle,” Falslev said. “Go at them, get into the paint and just make the right plays.”

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The Aggies closed the half on a 14-2 run to build a 37-23 halftime lead, completely flipping momentum to their side after struggling to shoot at the start of the game. Utah State finished the night shooting 50.9% and shot 40% from deep.

Head Coach Jerrod Calhoun said that run was the ultimate deciding factor in the game.

”College basketball is a game of runs,” Calhoun said. “When kids see the ball go through the basket, their intensity defensively picks up. The guy’s energy level just raised.”

Falslev led the team in scoring with 24 points and nine rebounds while shooting an efficient 10-of-16 from the floor.

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MJ Collins Jr. also had himself a great night, scoring 20 points while adding four assists and three steals. Drake Allen added six points and five assists and was huge in helping…

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Publish date : 2026-03-12 22:34:00

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