Elamin Shines as Utah State’s Defense Locks Down Nevada for Championship Berth
Photo: Erik Moulton/The Pit Press
Utah State doesn’t just play downhill, they play like an avalanche.
After a tight first half with the Aggies up 39-32, Utah State unleashed a defensive blitz to open the second, forcing eight quick turnovers and fueling a decisive 18-5 run that led to chants of “Up by 20” by Utah State’s student section The Hurd.
Behind a team high 15 points and 6 rebounds for freshman sensation Adlan Elamin, Utah State dismantled Nevada with a 79 to 66 win and punched their ticket to the Mountain Conference Tournament Final.
Utah State owned the painted area from the jump, scoring 40 points in the paint fueled by the Aggies 20 fast break points.
Four other Aggies scored in double figures for Utah State, including 12 a piece for Mason Falslev, Drake Allen and MJ Collins while Karson Templin chipped in 11 points off the bench.
The Wolf Pack found themselves on top for only 33 seconds all game, following a Tyler Rollison bucket that briefly put them ahead 14-13 with 10:31 remaining in the first half.
Corey Camper, who was coming off a 27 point performance on 8-of-13 shooting for Nevada, was held in check by Utah State’s defense with only 9 points on 3 of 12 shooting.
Vaughn Weems led all scorers for Nevada with 17 points.
Utah State will play the winner of New Mexico and San Diego State at 4 pm MT on CBS.
