| 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNM | 33 | 37 | 70 |
| USU | 33 | 42 | 75 |
Merrill carries load as Utah St. eliminates New Mexico
LAS VEGAS -- Sam Merrill scored 29 points on 10-of-15 shooting and Justin Bean had a double-double and Utah State beat New Mexico 75-70 in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West Conference Tournament on Thursday night.
Merrill scored seven straight as he made four free throws and a 3-pointer. The free throws tied the game on both trips to the foul line, and the 3-pointer put Utah State up 68-65 with 2:43 left. Vance Jackson countered with a 3 to tie it. After Dioog Brito and Zane Martin traded baskets, Brito's 3 with 68 seconds to go gave the Aggies the lead for good. The Lobos missed their last three 3 attempts.
Bean scored 10 and grabbed 15 rebounds while Diogo Brito scored 15 for No. 2-seed Utah State (24-8).
Jaquan Lyle led the seventh-seeded Lobos (19-14) with 20 points, Corey Manigault scored 18 and Jackson 11.
Utah State advanced to play the winner between No. 3-seed Nevada and 11th-seeded Wyoming on Friday.
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Game Information
- Referees:
- Larry Spaulding
- Chris Rastatter
- Jimmy Casas
2024-25 Mountain West Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | 10-1 | - | 18-4 |
| Utah State | 9-2 | 1 | 19-3 |
| Colorado State | 8-2 | 1.5 | 14-7 |
| San Diego State | 8-3 | 2 | 15-5 |
| Boise State | 7-4 | 3 | 15-7 |
| UNLV | 5-6 | 5 | 11-11 |
| Nevada | 4-7 | 6 | 12-10 |
| Wyoming | 4-7 | 6 | 11-11 |
| San José State | 4-7 | 6 | 11-12 |
| Fresno State | 1-10 | 9 | 5-17 |
| Air Force | 0-11 | 10 | 3-19 |
Men's College Basketball News