Third time is the charm for Utah State against UNLV in MW quarterfinals
Mar 12, 2026, 3:23 PM | Updated: Mar 13, 2026, 11:48 am
Elijah Perrman eyes the floor during a Utah State quarterfinal win over the UNLV Runnin' Rebels on Thursday, March 12. (USU Athletics)
(USU Athletics)
LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Utah State turned defense to offense all afternoon, putting its struggles against UNLV in the rear view with an 80-60 win.
Top-seeded Utah State (26-6, 15-5) opened its 2026 Mountain West Championships schedule against the No. 8 UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (16-16, 9-8).
Aggies rolling in to the semis ‼️#MWMBB | #MWMadness pic.twitter.com/WWYJhql3iD
— Mountain West (@MountainWest) March 12, 2026
Utah State will face the winner of No. 4 Grand Canyon vs. No. 5 Nevada on Friday, March 13. Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. MT.
Follow the MW Championships bracket here.
First Half
The Aggies came out in attack mode, causing fits for the Rebels in the opening minutes.
USU scored five points off two turnovers to grab an early lead.
Mason with the first Aggie points of the postseason!#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/Fx8Uw0wRAr
— USU Men’s Hoops (@USUBasketball) March 12, 2026
UNLV’s third turnover resulted in a sprint out, giving Kolby King a chance to find MJ Collins Jr. for a picture-perfect alley-oop.
RELATED: Mountain West rewards USU in postseason awards
Collins FLYIN’ to the net
📺CBSSN pic.twitter.com/HPZoGBZgoS
— Mountain West (@MountainWest) March 12, 2026
USU was aggressive on the offensive end, taking the ball to the basket with ferocity.
Both programs went on extended scoring droughts midway through the period, aided by 11 total turnovers.
The Aggies led 18-16 at the under-eight-minute timeout.
Perryman 🤝 Falslev
📺CBSSN pic.twitter.com/yRMWxun0GO
— Mountain West (@MountainWest) March 12, 2026
USU settled into a rhythm on both ends, building a 12-point lead
Steady defense and transition baskets kept the Rebels scoreless for 4:59.
Aggies pull away 💨
📺CBSSN pic.twitter.com/tPsa7n8vOD
— Mountain West (@MountainWest) March 12, 2026
Mountain West Player of the Year Mason Falslev was unconscious while shooting the ball. The spark plug scored 17 points, including a trio of three-pointers, and grabbed five rebounds in the first half.
USU closed the half on a 14-2 run to lead 37-23 at the break.
Second Half
Utah State’s success carried over from the first period.
Collins Jr. ignited a fast break off a steal, finding Drake Allen at the bucket for a layin.
Moments later, Allen sprinted ahead of the defense for a left-handed hammer that gave his team a 45-29 lead.
Allen puts it DOWN
📺CBSSN pic.twitter.com/1PA1qEDxOV
— Mountain West (@MountainWest) March 12, 2026
MW regular-season leading scorer Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn missed nine of his first 11 shot attempts and turned over the ball three times against a dominating defense.
The Rebels went into the final 12 minutes shooting 40 percent from the field and a paltry 26 percent from deep.
The frustration bubbled over for UNLV with some pushing and shoving under the basket following a hard foul that sent Falslev crashing to the floor.
Garry sends him to the bench with the AND ONE 💪#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/VDez98BGJV
— USU Men’s Hoops (@USUBasketball) March 12, 2026
Kimani Hamilton and Garry Clark were assessed double technicals after cooler heads prevailed. Hamilton fouled out minutes later.
Utah State’s lead dipped to 11 after a Runnin’ Rebel three-pointer with 9:43 left.
The game only got more physical as time ticked away.
Nothin’ but NET
📺CBSSN pic.twitter.com/22M4twlscY
— Mountain West (@MountainWest) March 12, 2026
USU never blinked, building its lead back to 18 after UNLV guard Howie Fleming Jr. fouled out on a Tucker Anderson dunk attempt.
The Rebels’ seven-man rotation appeared to run out of gas in the final minutes.
Utah State advances with the 80-60 victory.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24.
