CSU men face Utah State, women play Fresno State in MW tourney openers

CSU’s men’s basketball team will open the Mountain West tournament against Utah State in a first-round game Wednesday in Las Vegas.

Utah State (15-16, 8-10 MW) secured the No. 7 seed in the 11-team tournament Saturday by defeating visiting UNLV 79-67 in its regular-season finale.

The CSU women (19-10, 11-7) are the N. 5 seed and will take on No. 4 seed Fresno State (16-13, 11-7) at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday. Fresno State beat the Rams twice this season.

Colorado State University (11-20, 4-14) had a bye on the final weekend of the regular season. The Rams are the No. 10 seed.

CSU beat Utah State 84-75 in their only meeting earlier this season in Logan, Utah. The teams will meet again at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The winner of the CSU-Utah State game will advance to the quarterfinals, where it will meet No. 2 seed Boise State (23-7, 13-5) at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Thomas & Mack Center on the UNLV campus.

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Other first-round matchups Wednesday pit No. 8 seed UNLV (19-12, 8-10) vs. No. 9 seed Air Force (12-18, 6-12) at noon and No. 6 seed Wyoming (19-12, 10-8) vs. No. 11 seed San Jose State (4-25, 1-17) at 5 p.m.

Nevada (26-5, 15-3) is the No. 1 seed and will play the Utah State-Air Force winner in the quarterfinals at 1 p.m. Thursday. New Mexico (17-14, 12-6) is the No. 3 seed and will face the winner of the Wyoming-San Jose State game at 9:30 p.m. Thursday. Fresno State (21-10, 11-7) is the No. 4 seed and will meet No. 5 seed San Diego State (19-10, 11-7) at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Semifinal games in the conference tournament will be played at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Friday, with the championship game scheduled for 4 p.m. Sunday.

First-round games will be broadcast online by Stadium on Facebook.com. Quarterfinal and semifinal games will be televised nationally by CBS-Sports Network and the title game will air nationally on CBS.

Follow reporter Kelly Lyell at twitter.com/KellyLyell and facebook.com/KellyLyell.news and listen to him talk CSU sports at 11:35 a.m. Thursdays on KFKA radio (AM 1310) and 10:45 a.m. Saturdays on Denver’s ESPN radio (AM 1600).

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Mountain West tournament

At Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas

First round

Wednesday

UNLV (19-10, 8-10) vs. Air Force (12-18, 6-12), noon (Online: Facebook.com/StadiumCollegeBasketball)

Utah State (15-16, 8-10) vs. CSU (11-20, 4-14), 2:30 p.m. (Online: Facebook.com/StadiumCollegeBasketball)

Wyoming (19-12, 10-8) vs. San Jose State (4-25, 1-17), 5 p.m. (Online: Facebook.com/StadiumCollegeBasketball)

Quarterfinals

Thursday

Nevada (26-5, 15-2) vs. UNLV-Air Force winner, 1 p.m. (TV: CBSSN)

Fresno State (21-10, 11-7) vs. San Diego State (19-10, 11-7), 3:30 p.m. (TV: CBSSN)

Boise State (23-7, 13-5) vs. Utah State-CSU winner, 7 p.m. (TV: CBSSN)

New Mexico (17-14, 12-6) vs. Wyoming-San Jose State winner, 9:30 p.m. (TV: CBSSN)

Semifinals

Friday

Nevada-UNLV-Air Force winner vs. Fresno State-San Diego State winner, 7 p.m. (TV: CBSSN)

Boise State-Utah-CSU winner vs. New Mexico-Wyoming-San Jose State winner, 9:30 p.m. (TV: CBSSN)

Championship

Saturday

Semifinal winners, 4 p.m. (TV: CBS)