Nevada Wolf Pack Falls Short to Top-Seeded Utah State in MW Tournament Semis

LAS VEGAS — The University of Nevada men's basketball team saw its Mountain West Conference Tournament dreams dashed Friday afternoon at the Thomas & Mack Center, falling 79-66 to No. 1 seed Utah State in the semifinals of the 2026 Credit Union 1 Mountain West Championship. The fifth-seeded Wolf Pack, riding momentum from an 84-80 upset over Grand Canyon in the quarterfinals, couldn't overcome the Aggies' balanced attack led by Adlan Elamin's 15 points. Nevada shot just 41% from the field, 26% from three-point range and 65% from the free-throw line as a team.

Omar Weems paced the Pack with 17 points, but Utah State methodically built a 39-32 halftime lead behind Karson Templin's nine first-half points before sealing the win with late free throws from Isaac Allen. The loss ends Nevada's tournament stay short of the finals, where Utah State will face San Diego State on Saturday. Coach Nick Ewing's squad from Reno finishes the MW tourney 2-1, having navigated a tough regular season that included a late road loss at Wyoming.

Now, the Wolf Pack awaits word on postseason opportunities, potentially including the NIT, as they reflect on a campaign highlighted by their gritty quarterfinal win over GCU. Local fans from Reno to Las Vegas packed the arena, cheering Nevada's blue-collar effort against the conference's top team. With Elijah Price limited after fouling out late in recent games, Nevada's frontcourt showed resilience but faltered in crunch time.