Hamilton, UNLV hand Utah State first MWC loss
LAS VEGAS -- Bryce Hamilton scored 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting and UNLV handed defending champion Utah State its first Mountain West Conference loss, 70-63, on Wednesday night.
Amauri Hardy added 14 points and Cheikh Mbacke Diong had 10 for the Runnin' Rebels (7-8, 2-0), who won their third straight.
Justin Bean had his 10th double-double of the season, 17 points and 10 rebounds, for the Aggies (13-3, 2-1), who had won three straight and six of seven. Sam Merrill added 10 points.
Marvin Coleman's 3-pointer with just under eight minutes left gave UNLV a 22-12 lead. Utah State quickly cut that to 3 but 10 straight points helped the the Runnin' Rebels hold a 37-26 lead at the half.
UNLV broke it open with a 15-3 run to lead 62-39 with 5:28 to play. The winners shot 45% while Utah State was at 33%, going 2 of 19 from 3-point range, and getting outrebounded 41-29.
---
For more AP college basketball coverage: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and http://twitter.com/AP-Top25
Game Information
- Referees:
- John Higgins
- Kipp Kissinger
- David Hall
2024-25 Mountain West Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utah State | 1-0 | - | 10-1 |
| San Diego State | 1-0 | - | 8-2 |
| Boise State | 1-0 | - | 9-3 |
| New Mexico | 1-0 | - | 9-3 |
| Colorado State | 1-0 | - | 7-5 |
| UNLV | 0-0 | 0.5 | 6-5 |
| Nevada | 0-1 | 1 | 8-4 |
| Wyoming | 0-1 | 1 | 7-5 |
| San José State | 0-1 | 1 | 7-6 |
| Fresno State | 0-1 | 1 | 4-8 |
| Air Force | 0-1 | 1 | 3-9 |
Men's College Basketball News
