Nevada Falls Flat in 79-66 Semifinal Loss To Utah State

Nevada was one win away from its first MW Championship appearance since 2017 and two wins away from its first NCAA bid since the 2023-24 season. Both of those dreams faded away after a flat 79-66 loss to Utah State in the semifinal.

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Nevada rode a lot of momentum after winning the first two games of this tournament, but Utah State was the No. 1 seed for a reason. The Aggies’ defensive performance was just too much for Nevada to find the bucket.

Scoring Summary

1st Half

Nevada 32 – Utah State 39

2nd Half

Nevada 34 – Utah State 40

Final: Nevada 66, Utah State 79

First Half

The first 10 shot attempts of the game all missed, with both sides starting 0-5. Utah State broke that drought after three minutes with a layup for a 2-0 lead. Nevada broke its 0-6 start with a layup of its own by Vaughn Weems.

The first three of the game came from Utah State’s Karson Templin to give the Aggies a 9-5 lead under 14 minutes. The first three for Nevada came from the hands of Chuck Bailey in the corner, cutting it back down to a three-point game. Kaleb Lowery and Joel Armotrading traded scores in the paint and the Wolf Pack took a 12-11 lead just under 11 minutes.

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Utah State snatched the momentum right back, taking a seven-point lead before another media timeout under the eight-minute mark. Nevada had picked up six personal fouls at the mark, which turned into a perfect 8-8 from the free-throw line for the Aggies.

The Aggies pushed themselves back on top with an eight-point lead at 27-19. Nevada’s best scorer in Corey Camper Jr. was held scoreless for most of the half until he made his first shot of the game under five minutes. It was a three that made it 29-24 Utah State.

A 6-0 run within the final minutes of the first half gave Utah State a nine-point lead. Elijah Price turned in a layup followed by some free throws to cut it down to five, but Utah State scored in the paint just before the buzzer. Nevada shot just 36 percent from the field and 25 percent from three,…

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Publish date : 2026-03-14 04:57:00

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