Sam Merrill scored 17 of his 27 points in the second half, including a contested three-pointer with 2.5 seconds left to lift Utah State to a 59-56 victory over No. 5 San Diego State in the Mountain West Tournament championship on Saturday in Las Vegas.
The Aggies (26-8) rallied from a 16-point first-half deficit to win their second straight Mountain West tournament championship and an automatic berth to the NCAA tournament.
It was the second straight year the Aztecs (30-2) fell to Utah State in the title game.
No. 3 Dayton 76, George Washington 51: The host Flyers (29-2, 18-0 Atlantic 10) finished the regular season with their school-record 29th win. Dayton won its 20th consecutive game, tying a record set by the 1951-52 team.
No. 6 Kentucky 71, Florida 70: The Wildcats (25-6, 15-3 SEC), without starting point guard Ashton Hagans, overcame an 18-point deficit to defeat the host Gators. Hagans stayed home for personal reasons.
No. 7 Florida State 80, Boston College 62: The host Seminoles (26-5, 16-4) won the first ACC regular-season title in school history.
No. 12 Duke 89, North Carolina 76: Vernon Carey Jr. had 25 points and 10 rebounds to lead the host Blue Devils (25-6, 15-5 ACC) over the Tar Heels (13-18, 6-14), who finished last in the ACC for the first time since 2002.
Purdue Fort Wayne 77, South Dakota State 74: The second-seeded Jackrabbits (22-10), despite 35 points from Noah Freidel, were upset in the Summit League quarterfinals in Sioux Falls, S.D.
