Nevada Wolf Pack Stuns Grand Canyon, Reaches MW Semis in Vegas

LAS VEGAS — Nevada's men's basketball team delivered a clinic from the free-throw line Thursday night, sinking a Mountain West Tournament record 36 of 45 attempts to edge Grand Canyon 84-80 in the quarterfinals at the Thomas & Mack Center. The victory, Nevada's second straight in the 2026 Credit Union 1 Mountain West Basketball Championship, propelled the No. 5 seed Wolf Pack into Friday's semifinals against top-seeded Utah State at 6:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network. This marks Nevada's deepest tournament run since winning the whole thing in 2021 for an NCAA berth.

The Pack's foul-line mastery — tying the tournament record for attempts and surpassing Utah State's 35 makes from a 2019 game — proved decisive against the MW's stingiest defense. Nevada shot 48.9% from the field (22-of-45), including 4-of-10 from three, while setting season highs in made (36) and attempted (45) free throws. Grand Canyon kept pace offensively at 47.9% (23-of-48) and 7-of-16 from deep but faltered in the clutch.

Nevada arrived in Vegas on a high after demolishing No. 12 Air Force 80-45 in Wednesday's first round — the largest margin in MW Tournament history, topping San Diego State's 34-point win in 2014. Corey Camper Jr. paced with 11 points and five rebounds, Chuck Bailey III added 10, and the Pack shot 46% from the field with 12 of 14 players scoring. Blocks from Joel Armotrading and others highlighted the wire-to-wire dominance.

For Reno faithful, this run evokes memories of the 2017-18 miracle season when Nevada claimed the regular-season title and tourney crown before a No. 12 NCAA seed. Despite a 3-7 road record in league play — wins only at Air Force, Fresno State and Colorado State — the Wolf Pack have thrived in Las Vegas, dodging tough venues like Grand Canyon's lair.