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LAS VEGAS – Mountain West’s consecutive tournament winners, Utah State, reached the semifinals of the 2021 Mountain Force Men’s Basketball Championship with a 74-53 win over UNLV. The two teams were half-tied 24-24, but Utah State scored 25 points in the first 7:50 of the second half to take control of the game. Junior Center Nehemiah Queta led the Aggies with 18 points and 13 rebounds while Junior Guard Marco Anthony recorded his double-double in his first career with 15 points and 13 rebounds. The Aggies will face the winners of Colorado State No. 3 and Fresno State No. 6 in the semi-finals on March 12th at 9:00 pm.
Utah State-UNLV Quick Hitters:
- No. 2 Utah State extended its winning streak at Mountain West tournaments to seven games and reached the semifinals, where it will face the winners of No. 3 Colorado State and No. 6 Fresno State. Utah State split the season series against Colorado State and swept Fresno State.
- The Aggies are now 12-5 all-time in the Mountain West tournament while UNLV drops to 27-18. The state of Utah has reached the semifinals for the fourth year in a row.
- Number 2 is 20-2 in the quarterfinals.
- The state of Utah was led by Junior Center Neemias Queta and Junior Guard Marco Anthony, who each registered doubles doubles. Queta finished the game on 18 points and 13 rebounds while Anthony had 15 points and 13 rebounds. It was Anthony’s first double-double career.
- Additionally, Queta and Anthony were the first teammates to each score at least 13 rebounds in a Mountain West tournament game.
- Four of the five Utah state starters scored double digits as the Utah state start group accounted for 65 out of 74 points.
- The Aggies were kept to just 24 points in the first half. In the second half, however, the Aggies only needed 7:40 to beat that total in the second half.
- Overall, Utah State scored 50 points in the second half. It was the sixth 50-point half for a team in the 2021 Air Force Reserve Mountain West Men’s Basketball Championship. The six 50-point halves are the most in a single tournament in the history of the Mountain West tournament.
- Bryce Hamilton, UNLV Junior Guard, led the Runnin ‘Rebels with 16 points.
- David Jenkins Jr., the UNLV’s leading scorer in his opening round, scored just five points on 1-of-13 and 0-of-7 on a 3-point shot.
- The UNLV young striker scored 10 points, and for the second time this season he has reached a double-digit figure.
