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.[1][2][3] 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.[2][4][5] Nevada shot just 41% from the field, 26% from three-point range and 65% from the free-throw line as a team.[1] 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.[2][5] The loss ends Nevada's tournament stay short of the finals, where Utah State will face San Diego State on Saturday.[2] 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.[4][6] 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.[1][4] Local fans from Reno to Las Vegas packed the arena, cheering Nevada's blue-collar effort against the conference's top team.[3] With Elijah Price limited after fouling out late in recent games, Nevada's frontcourt showed resilience but faltered in crunch time.[6]