Merrill, Utah St. hold off Wyoming in MWC tourney semifinals
LAS VEGAS -- Sam Merrill had 27 points and seven assists, Neemias Queta scored 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting, and No. 2 seed Utah State never trailed in its 89-82 win over Wyoming on Friday night in the Mountain West Conference tournament semifinals.
Utah State plays top-seeded and fifth-ranked San Diego State -- which swept the regular-season series between the teams -- on Saturday for an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.
Utah State led by as many as nine point in the first half and Brock Miller hit a 3-pointer to open the second and give the Aggies a 41-31 lead. No. 11 seed Wyoming answered with an 11-4 run to trim its deficit to three with 14 minutes remaining and Kwane Marble III scored five straight points to make it 66-all about nine minutes later. Merrill scored seven consecutive points during a 13-0 run capped by two free throws by Queta with 1:28 to go and Utah State held on from there.
Kenny Foster had 18 points and Hunter Maldonado added 14 points, nine rebounds and five assists for Wyoming.
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Game Information
- Referees:
- Verne Harris
- Larry Spaulding
- Mike Reed
2024-25 Mountain West Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | 8-1 | - | 16-4 |
| Utah State | 7-1 | 0.5 | 17-2 |
| Colorado State | 6-2 | 1.5 | 12-7 |
| San Diego State | 5-3 | 2.5 | 12-5 |
| UNLV | 5-3 | 2.5 | 11-8 |
| Boise State | 5-4 | 3 | 13-7 |
| Nevada | 3-5 | 4.5 | 11-8 |
| Wyoming | 3-5 | 4.5 | 10-9 |
| San José State | 2-6 | 5.5 | 9-11 |
| Fresno State | 1-7 | 6.5 | 5-14 |
| Air Force | 0-8 | 7.5 | 3-16 |
Men's College Basketball News
