Mountain West Finals Recap

(3) Utah 73, (4) UNLV 70
With 1.8 seconds left, Nick Jacobson did what all of his teammates knew he would: hit a game winning three-pointer. There was no doubt in their minds that he had it in him. Jacobson has been the team leader whenever something big was needed, and this was as big as it had come. Tied at 70 a piece, and the MWC automatic bid on the line, Utah ran a simple play: Nick, come get the ball, and shoot. Jacobson finished the game with 22 points. Freshman Andrew Bogut had 17 points and 13 rebounds, as the Utes were victorious, 73-70.

For UNLV, their superstar, Odartey Blankson did all he could, when he nailed a three to tie the game at 70, giving him 23 points on the game. It proved to be one basket too little. This was the third consecutive loss for the Runnin’ Rebels in the MWC Championship Game.

The game had its share of ups and downs for both teams. Utah was down by as many as 10 points early in the second half, but went on a crucial 16-4 run to make the game manageable. The teams would trade free throws, with Bogut knocking down a pair with just 35 seconds remaining, making the score 70-67. Blankson came back the other way and drained his 3rd three pointer in the final 5 minutes of play.

Utah, with the win (third straight year in the NCAAA Tournament, and eight time in last 10 years), goes dancing, but the question is: will anyone else? It looks like the regular season champs, Air Force, will get an at-large bid. The even bigger question is what happens to BYU. Here’s their resume: winners of 10 of their last 11 games, a win over Oklahoma State (top 10 in all polls), made to the semifinals of the MWC tournament. Is that enough? Wait and see. As for the Rebels, they will more than likely be invited to the NIT.