BYU-UNLV Preview

3/15/2008 12:49 AM

By JEFF MEZYDLO
STATS Senior Writer

A year later and BYU still might not be completely recovered from losing to UNLV in last season's Mountain West tournament title game.

On Saturday night, the 24th-ranked Cougars look to avenge that loss when they again face the Rebels for the tournament championship on their rivals' home court in Las Vegas.

Top-seeded BYU (27-6), which hasn't won a Mountain West tournament title since 2001, advanced to the championship game after a 63-54 win over San Diego State in semifinal play on Friday.

The Cougars will make their fourth appearance in the finals and second in a row after losing 78-70 to UNLV on the Rebels' homecourt at the Thomas & Mack Center in the 2007 tournament championship.

Second-seeded UNLV (25-7) will try to become the first team in MWC history to win three tournament titles after beating No. 6 seed Utah 61-55 in Friday's other semifinal. Regardless of Saturday's outcome, the Rebels appear headed back to the NCAA tournament after parlaying last season's MWC tournament title into a run to the regional semifinals.

"Yeah, really looking forward to it," said BYU's Lee Cummard, the conference co-player of the year who had 20 points against San Diego State. "Really, I had a bad taste in my mouth after the last tournament championship."

While the two teams split the regular-season series, BYU has lost its last four road contests versus the Rebels, but appears confident playing in front of UNLV's home crowd considering what's at stake.

"Obviously, UNLV probably has a bigger following here," said BYU's Trent Plaisted, who had 19 points Friday. "But we're excited to be back in the championship game. That's where our goal has been, to get there. And we want to win."

The Cougars have won six in a row and 15 of their last 16 contests since losing 70-41 at UNLV on Jan. 15 in a game they shot 33.3 percent and were held to their fewest points of the season.

"We look forward to that opportunity (of playing in the tournament title game)," said UNLV coach Lon Kruger, whose team lost 74-48 at BYU on Feb. 16 in their most recent meeting. "But be careful what you wish for. (BYU) Coach (Dave) Rose has his team playing well."

The 6-foot-11 Plaisted had 22 points in the Cougars' most recent win over the Rebels, but combined with Cummard for just 20 in last season's MWC tournament final against UNLV, which outscored BYU 52-33 in the second half of that contest.

On Friday, BYU's defense proved to be the difference, holding San Diego State all-conference first-teamer Lorrenzo Wade to 10 points on 5-for-15 shooting while holding its fifth consecutive opponent to fewer than 65 points.

UNLV, meanwhile, got 20 points each from Wink Adams and Curtis Terry to overcome a 39.3-percent shooting night to beat Utah for its third consecutive win.

Adams, averaging a team-leading 16.4 points per game, has scored 49 combined in two tournament contests, but has just 14 total points on 2-for-19 shooting in two meetings with BYU in 2007-08.