Wyoming’s deliberate pace almost fuels upset

Someone throw a Wyoming basketball jersey on Chumlee.

Thursday always is that wacky day at the Mountain West Conference tournament, that time when you can get memorable games that come down to last-second 3-pointers or ones that come down to wondering if a certain team can score 25 points.

Total.

UNLV is off and defending in an event it hopes will bring an NCAA Tournament seed that allows for much success next week, having beaten Wyoming 56-48 in a quarterfinal game that was every bit as monotonous as predicted.

You had to love the fans at the Thomas & Mack Center booing midway through the first half at the snail's pace of action, as if Wyoming suddenly was going to feel bad about how it plays and come out of the next timeout as Loyola Marymount of 1989.

The Cowboys have 20 wins because first-year coach Larry Shyatt understood the type of team he inherited (not all that athletic, not all that explosive, not all that deep) and directed it accordingly.

They didn't try to be something they're not but were dreadful for long stretches Thursday, even for their deliberate selves.

Wyoming had 11 points at halftime, when it had attempted 24 shots and made three. It was 0 of 8 on 3s and had zero assists.

"If I would say what's on my mind, my wife would kill me," Shyatt said. "I would like to talk about the inspired second half our guys played. I don't know if I've ever seen a team play more inspired in a time of adversity."

Problem: They lost the game in the first one.

Chumlee, from the local television show "Pawn Stars," took part in a shooting contest during one first-half timeout. He wore sunglasses, the equivalent of talking in the third person for celebrities who you're always perplexed as to how they reach such status, and shot five air balls from between 6 and 10 feet.

He also might have been the best shooter on that end of the floor the first 20 minutes.

But this also is Wyoming: Tough. Determined. Physical. All traits that helped trim a 22-point UNLV lead to six with 59.8 seconds left. The Cowboys never were going to score enough to win, but you always knew they could get enough stops to make it interesting and that the Rebels would miss enough jumpers and free throws to oblige.

UNLV went 10 second-half minutes without a basket because, well, why wouldn't it? But the Rebels also defended well for the most part and played like a team that, while it knows it's in the NCAA field, realizes there's an opportunity to improve the line on which it will see its name when the bracket is announced Sunday.

"When you hold someone to 3 of 24 shooting over (a half), you know you're doing something right," UNLV coach Dave Rice said. "But as you have seen at times this year, we built a big lead and then missed some shots and didn't guard the same way. But I was proud of the resiliency our guys showed to close the game out."

The tempo fans desired will reappear tonight, when the Rebels play New Mexico for a third time this season, a date in Saturday's championship at stake. The regular-season games couldn't have been more different in outcome, with the Rebels winning by 17 here and the Lobos by 20 in Albuquerque.

This part won't change: UNLV needs to know where Drew Gordon is at all times on the court and hope that large chip on his shoulder doesn't translate into how he dominated the Rebels on Feb. 18, when the senior forward went for 27 points and 20 rebounds.

The Lobos shared a conference title with San Diego State, but Gordon lost out to Jamaal Franklin for Player of the Year. Gordon had a terrific season, but Franklin deserved the award, and an unofficial tally of 15 or so voters here Thursday gave the impression the Aztecs sophomore won in almost unanimous fashion.

Gordon is using the results of that award and others presented by the conference as motivation, all but saying so in postgame comments following his team's quarterfinal win over Air Force.

"It's fueling us to get through this tournament and hopefully look back on it and laugh," Gordon said. "At this point, you can't really think about it except for motivation."

At this point, UNLV can only help its NCAA seed. And be thankful the snail's pace of action has been sent home.

Las Vegas Review-Journal sports columnist Ed Graney can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. He can be heard from noon to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday on "Gridlock," ESPN Radio 1000 AM and 98.9 FM. Follow him on Twitter: @edgraney.