MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT DAY 1 RECAP
Day 1 is in the books from the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, and much like the regular season, it provided us with wall-to-wall excitement. The day started with a near buzzer beater, continued with an overtime affair, and concluded with a vintage performance by the tournament’s darkhorse. Let’s take a look back at Wednesday’s action.
GAME 1:
COLORADO STATE 67 FRESNO STATE 65
Colorado State led for most of the game, and held a 12 point lead with less than 8 minutes to go before a furious Fresno State rally. The Bulldogs actually took a 3 point lead and had possession of the ball with 90 seconds remaining. But their offense failed them as they would not score again, and Rams senior Isaiah Stevens made a couple of big plays. First, he took advantage of some rare poor FSU transition defense to attack the rim and turn it into a 3-point play to tie the game. Then after a Bulldogs miss, Niko Medved chose not to call timeout, he let his senior captain dribble the clock down and Stevens delivered, hitting a silky smooth 10 foot runner in the paint with 2.7 seconds left. After a series of timeouts, Fresno State was unable to get off a last second shot and the Rams escaped with the win.
That sets up an afternoon date with top seeded San Diego State on Thursday. With Stevens running the show, Colorado State will always have a puncher’s chance, but they are outmanned and will need to play more consistently for 40 minutes in order to pull the upset. For the Bulldogs, it marks the end of a disappointing season. Speculation will now turn to the future of head coach Justin Hutson, as it’s possible he has coached his final game leading Fresno State.
GAME 2:
UNLV 78 AIR FORCE 70 OT
The middle game was a rematch of a 54-53 slugfest less than two weeks ago, and for the first 20 minutes, it looked like we were headed there again, as the host Rebels led 24-22 at halftime. Both teams were shooting in the low 30% range and it lacked the excitement of most conference tournament games. Thankfully the script was flipped in the 2nd half, and EJ Harkless showed why he deserved consideration for All Mountain West First Team. Without suspended backcourt partner Keshon Gilbert in the lineup, Harkless had to shoulder more of the scoring load, and he did just that. His free throw with 15 seconds left in regulation tied the game, and UNLV pulled away in overtime. Harkless finished with a game high 35. He got some help on the perimeter with Jackie Johnson and Justin Webster knocking down multiple 3’s as well.
UNLV will now take on Boise State in the third game of the day on Thursday. Gilbert will be back in the lineup and will be fresh, that could play a factor. The Broncos may need that victory to solidify their place in the NCAA Tournament, while the Rebels should play free as they have nothing to lose. Because of the way they play, there are likely to be ebbs and flows throughout the game, and it will probably be decided in the last minute. Air Force concludes their season at 14-18, which doesn’t sound like much, but there has been progress made, and they return a very nice core for coach Joe Scott next year.
GAME 3:
NEW MEXICO 87 WYOMING 76
The nightcap (early evening cap) saw a massive contingent of New Mexico fans file into the T & M Center to support their Lobos. They were on edge for the first 25 minutes, as Hunter Maldonado took a cue from fellow seniors Stevens and Harkless and put on a show. Wyoming actually led 38-35 at the break, but did not have enough depth to hang on. Credit must be given though, to the Lobos, who cranked up the defensive pressure, specifically Josiah Allick defending Maldonado. As it often does, the defense sparked the offense, and UNM was off and running, en route to a 52 point second half. The star backcourt of Jamal Mashburn Jr. and Jaelen House put up huge numbers, and Morris Udeze was a load inside.
Now in true Vegas fashion, we get a late night show worthy of the headlines, with New Mexico meeting Utah State, with it all on the line. The Aggies are still fighting for their at-large life as well, and are seen by many as a legit threat to win this tournament. They handled the Lobos in Logan in early February, and just scored 91 points in this building a week ago in a dismantling of UNLV, so they will be confident. But, anyone who has watched UNM play this year, knows they have an extra gear when it’s all clicking, and the 2nd half they played on Wednesday was one of the best they’ve played in a long time, so this sets up as a true toss-up. Wyoming’s injury ravaged season has come to an end, as has the incredible career of Maldonado, who went out with a career high 36 point effort.