Previewing Utah State’s quarterfinal opponent: UNLV Runnin’ Rebels
Mar 11, 2026, 4:20 PM | Updated: Mar 12, 2026, 10:54 am
LAS VEGAS, Nevada – The third time will have to be the charm for No. 1 Utah State as they get set to face host school UNLV Runnin’ Rebels in the Mountain West Men’s Basketball Championships quarterfinals.
USU will have revenge on its mind after No. 8 UNLV was the only team to beat the Aggies twice this season.
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Let’s MARCH 🤘#ShowMe pic.twitter.com/YmMBAAbqlk
— USU Men’s Hoops (@USUBasketball) March 11, 2026
UNLV advanced to the quarterfinals by virtue of a 73-70 win over the Wyoming Cowboys that came down to the final possession in a hotly contested game.
The Rebels and Aggies tip off at 1 p.m. MT in the Thomas & Mack Center.
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Tale of the tape
Styles make fights, and UNLV has been kryptonite for a USU team that appears poised to make some noise in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
The Rebels harassed Utah State into an 86-76 loss in mid-January, marking the first time the program had lost back-to-back games all season. It was also the only home loss the Aggies would suffer.
RELATED: Jerrod Calhoun Rips Aggies After UNLV Loss
𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐭.
🆚 UNLV
➡️ Thursday | 1:00 PM MT
📺 @CBSSportsNet pic.twitter.com/IkdHciNjGE— USU Men’s Hoops (@USUBasketball) March 11, 2026
The Rebels’ defense caused fits for Jerrod Calhoun’s offense in a 92-65 loss. 65 points were the second fewest all season for USU, and the 27-point loss was the team’s largest margin of defeat.
UNLV was +15 in the rebounding battle against an undersized Aggie team, and held USU under 30 percent from the three-point line in both games.
About the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels
Led by head coach Josh Pastner, the Rebels went 16-15 this season, finishing 11-9 in conference play to earn the No. 8 seed in the MW Men’s Championships.
Junior guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn (20.8 PPG) led the league in scoring while filling up the stat sheet similar to MW Player of the Year Mason Falslev.
Gibbs-Lawhorn added 3.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.6 steals while shooting 50.3 percent from the floor and was second in the conference, shooting 42.3 percent from deep.
RELATED: Utah State secures several Mountain West postseason awards
6’8″ forward Kimani Hamilton averaged 17 points in two wins over USU. He is scoring 13 points per game while grabbing five rebounds.
Freshman forward Tyrin Jones rounds out UNLV’s double-digit scorers at 11.7 PPG. He also leads the MW with 2.1 blocks per game.
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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.
