Nevada Advances to Mountain West Semifinal Against Utah State

Wolf Pack overcome halftime deficit to defeat Grand Canyon, set up rematch with top-seeded Aggies

Mar. 13, 2026 at 8:54am

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The Nevada Wolf Pack defeated Grand Canyon 84-80 in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Credit Union 1 Mountain West Basketball Championship, overcoming a halftime deficit to advance to the semifinal round. Nevada will now face the top-seeded Utah State Aggies, who defeated UNLV 80-60 in their quarterfinal matchup.

Why it matters

This semifinal matchup between Nevada and Utah State features two of the top teams in the Mountain West Conference this season. The winner will advance to the championship game, with a chance to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The details

Nevada was led by Corey Camper Jr., who scored 27 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in the victory over Grand Canyon. Vaughn Weems also had a strong game for the Wolf Pack, scoring 16 points and going 10-for-11 from the free-throw line. Utah State, the tournament's top seed, was paced by Mason Falslev and MJ Collins, who combined for 44 points in their quarterfinal win over UNLV. The Aggies shot 51% from the field and 40% from 3-point range in that game.

  • Nevada overcame a 40-34 halftime deficit against Grand Canyon on Thursday, March 12, 2026.
  • The Nevada vs. Utah State semifinal game will be played on Friday, March 13, 2026 at 6:30 p.m.

The players

Corey Camper Jr.

A key player for the Nevada Wolf Pack, Camper Jr. scored 27 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in the quarterfinal win over Grand Canyon.

Vaughn Weems

The Nevada guard contributed 16 points and a career-high 10-for-11 performance from the free-throw line in the quarterfinal victory.

Mason Falslev

The Utah State Aggies' leading scorer in the quarterfinal win over UNLV, Falslev had 24 points and 9 rebounds.

MJ Collins

The Utah State guard added 20 points and 3 steals in the Aggies' quarterfinal victory.

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What’s next

If Nevada wins, they will advance to the championship game on Saturday, March 14, at 3 p.m. to face either San Diego State or New Mexico.

The takeaway

This semifinal matchup between Nevada and Utah State features two of the top teams in the Mountain West Conference this season, with the winner earning a spot in the championship game and a chance to secure an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.