Reno, NV -- (Sports Network) - WAC Player of the Year Gary Wilkinson scored 21 points, and Utah State took home its first-ever conference crown with a 72-62 victory over the Nevada Wolf Pack.

Playing on Nevada's home court, the Aggies (30-4) avenged their NCAA Tournament snub in 2004, when they became the first and only team to ever be denied a bid to the Big Dance after finishing in the year-end Associated Press Top 25 poll. With the win, Utah State locked up an automatic bid to the tournament.

Tai Wesley contributed 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Jared Quayle had 15 points and 10 boards in the win for the Aggies, who shot 50.0 percent from the floor. Pooh Williams added 12 points for Utah State.

Armon Johnson paced Nevada (21-12) with 20 points, while Malik Cooke and Joey Shaw each scored 10 in a losing effort. The Wolf Pack shot just 30.6 percent from the field in the defeat.

The Aggies got a huge jump on the Wolf Pack, scoring the first 13 points of the contest. Wilkinson had six points, including the final layup just over six minutes into the game.

Wilkinson soon made it a 21-4 game at the midway point of the first half, but Nevada responded with 11 consecutive points to close the gap.

The Aggies led, 28-23, at halftime.

Utah State scored 14 of the second half's first 20 points, and a Wilkinson jumper with 13:14 left made it 42-29. Quayle's layup at the midway point of the second half made it 49-32, and the Aggies cruised to the conference championship.

Game Notes

Utah State leads the all-time series, 28-12, and took two of three meetings this season...Nevada topped Utah State in the 2006 WAC Tournament championship game.