LAS VEGAS -- Sam Merrill scored 28 points, shooting 7 of 10 from 3-point range, and seventh-seeded Utah State came back to beat No. 2 seed Boise State 78-75 in a Mountain West Basketball Conference Tournament quarterfinal on Thursday night.
The Aggies (17-16) advance to a Friday semifinal game.
Koby McEwen tied it at 73 with 1:41 left and Dwayne Brown Jr.'s free throw almost a minute later gave Utah State the lead for good. Chandler Hutchison missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer.
Boise State (23-8) raced to a 16-7 lead with Christian Sengfelder burying a pair of 3-pointers and Justinian Jessup and Lexus Williams each adding a 3.