As usual, Aztecs show superior finishing kick

UNLV basketball fans can take solace today: Should the Rebels meet San Diego State a fourth time this season, it would be no sooner than the Final Four.

I'm guessing UNLV would accept such a reality.

I'm guessing it wouldn't like the matchup.

Tell anyone who thinks the Aztecs arrived in Las Vegas with a sense of relaxation given they long ago secured an NCAA Tournament berth to open their eyes and get a clue.

San Diego State is playing like a team bent on daring the selection committee to deny it a spot on the top two lines of its bracket, the latest proof a 74-72 win against UNLV on Friday night when the Mountain West Conference tournament again delivered semifinals best described as thrilling.

D.J. Gay, the San Diego State senior point guard who must feel like he has run more marathons in the past five months than Meb Keflezighi in a lifetime, hit a short jumper with 4.9 seconds left. It allowed the Aztecs (31-2) to secure a place opposite Brigham Young (30-3) in today's championship, meaning the Mountain West final will feature two Top 10 teams.

"We know who we play," Aztecs coach Steve Fisher said. "Right now, none of us, including me, are thinking of Jimmer or Dave Rose or any of them. We're thinking of the 74-72 victory we got (Friday) tonight."

It is the fifth straight time San Diego State has sent the Rebels away disappointed, and this one had to hurt as much as any. UNLV played well enough to advance and again was turned away by a better side.

The Rebels shot well enough. They turned turnovers into points. They stayed near-even on the boards.

They were better than last year's tournament final loss and better than two setbacks to San Diego State this season. They even received a favorable whistle Friday night.

Most breaks went the way of UNLV.

The Rebels just can't solve this team, mostly because of, well, this team.

San Diego State has won 43 straight when leading with under five minutes left in regulation. When it comes to these teams and this series recently, it's simple: The Aztecs finish, and the Rebels don't.

When it came to Friday, UNLV coach Lon Kruger called timeout with 35.9 seconds remaining and drew up a lob play that had worked earlier, a play San Diego State coaches said afterward they warned their players about during the break.

San Diego State had the play sniffed out and forced a turnover off the pass, and Gay went on to hit the game-winner.

"Defensively, we had to do more," Kruger said of his team, which trailed by 10 at halftime. "First half, San Diego State did what it wanted, threw it where it wanted, didn't have much opposition from us. We got much more aggressive in (the second half) ... Disappointed in the result right now, but we'll take steps forward."

I am confused. I watch Quintrell Thomas play eight fairly solid minutes in the first half for the Rebels, being as active as he can against superior athletes inside and offering more than UNLV's other two bigs.

Then the second half comes, and Thomas scores his team's first two baskets. Then the first media timeout arrives, and he is taken out. Then he sits for 12 minutes. It's sort of maddening.

Carlos Lopez was not good Friday night. Brice Massamba was not good. They combined for zero points and three rebounds in 24 minutes. Thomas had six and three in 16.

San Diego State is better everywhere than UNLV but particularly inside. It's not certain Thomas logging more minutes would have reversed the outcome, but it is certain he was UNLV's best option and should have played more.

Maybe the Rebels learn from all of it. Maybe going through last year's loss in the conference tournament championship and then a first-round NCAA defeat to Northern Iowa and now this allows them to remain alive longer than a game next week.

They have time to think on it.

Those who deserve to play today tip off at 4.

It is the first time the tournament final has sold out a day early, and you have to believe some of those final tickets were being gobbled up as Jimmer Fredette kept scoring and scoring and scoring in BYU's semifinal win against New Mexico.

Fredette had 33 points at halftime. He finished with a career-best 52. He attempted one free throw. Read those last few sentences again. It was a terrific performance.

The best season in Mountain West history has come down to the two teams that put the league on the type of national map it never has known.

It's how it should be.

Las Vegas Review-Journal sports columnist Ed Graney can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. He can be heard from 3 to 5 p.m. Monday and Thursday on "Monsters of the Midday," Fox Sports Radio 920 AM. Follow him on Twitter: @edgraney.