Just a few yards away, tourists frantically jammed coin after coin into the myriad machines as cherries and bars whirred with hypnotic fury.
Lights flashed like a hellish disco and a near-topless waitress shoved her way through a crowded aisle, barely balancing a tray full of cocktails.
A sharply dressed security guard whispered into a walkie-talkie as a full-bearded mountain man staggered toward the elevators.
Anthony Carter, a stocking cap pulled down over his forehead, didn't notice any of it as he quickly walked through the lobby of the MGM Grand last night.
"We're not here to have fun," he said, in a voice barely audible above the surrounding madness. "We came here to play basketball."
The last time the junior guard was in Las Vegas, he also came to play some serious hoops.
And he used the same steely resolve to sink two free throws with just one second left in the game as UH knocked off UNLV by one point in front of more than 18,000 frenzied fans at the Thomas and Mack Center.
It was just one of Carter's many miracles this season, at home and on the road.
Right about now, he could be forgiven for turning the intensity down a notch.
Carter was recently named the Pacific Division player of the year. He also made the division's all-newcomer team and all-defensive team.
His regular-season stats are stunning for a player that no one knew much about just months ago.
He leads the 20-6 Rainbows in scoring (19.1 points per game), assists (6.4 per game) and steals (2.8 per game).
The Atlanta native also is among the WAC and national leaders in all three of those categories.
More important, though, is that he leads the team on and off the court by his example.
And he feels that this is no time to let up, despite the relentless adversity that simply won't go away for the remaining Rainbows.
Starting center Seth Sundberg is gone for the season with a lacerated spleen. Back-up point guard Aaron Curry won't join the team for postseason play after serving a suspension, which was expected up until a few days ago.
But nothing seems to faze Carter.
"This team is focused," he said, while dragging a suitcase along the marble floor. "We came here to get a job done."
UH's task, as it has been all season, is a huge one. Fourteenth-ranked New Mexico stands in the way of an NCAA tournament bid -- and a chance to stay alive in the WAC tourney.
"I don't care who we play," Carter said. "We beat New Mexico before so it's no big deal.
"We just have to come out ready to play. Then we can win this whole thing."
Nevada-Las Vegas 71, Rice 61Rice: Polk 1-1 0-0 3, Sanni 0-2 0-0 0, Igo 13-24 7-8 33, Singletary 0-1 0-0 0, Crawford 2-10 00 6, Armstrong 1-1 0-0 3, Stringer 1-1 0-0 3, Lumpkin 1-3 0-0 2, Beshara 1-4 0-0 2, Bougaieff 3-5 1-3 7, Johnson 1-8 0-0 2. Totals 24-60 8-11 61.
UNLV: Nesby 4-12 1-2 12, Rosegreen 4-9 4-6 12, Lane 0-5 2-2 2, Dickel 2-2 4-4 8, J. Smith 4-10 2-2 12, Clark 3-7 5-6 11, James 1-1 0-0 3, D. Smith 3-5 2-5 11. Totals 21-51 20-27 71.
Halftime-UNLV 40, Rice 28.
3-point goals-Rice 5-18 (Polk 1-1, Singletary 0-1, Crawford 2-8, Armstrong 1-1, Stringer 1-1, Beshara 0-2, Johnson 0-4), UNLV 9-15 (Nesby 3-5, Lane 0-1, J. Smith 2-2, Clark 0-1, James 1-1, D. Smith 3-5). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-Rice 44 (Bougaieff 13), UNLV 31 (Clark 11). Assists-Rice 15 (Polk 5), UNLV 16 (James 6). Total fouls-Rice 21, UNLV 17.
Texas Christian 72, Wyoming 61
Wyoming: Coleman 6-12 8-9 20, Roberts 7-15 0-0 19, Allen 3-6 2-2 8, Whitehead 2-8 3-5 8, Sawyer 1-8 1-1 4, Young 1-7 0-0 5, Haslam 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 20-58 14-17 61.
Texas Christian: Penny 0-3 0-0 0, Johnson 6-11 3-4 16, Walker 8-12 3-5 19, Burks 0-4 1-2 1, Jones 10-17 4-6 25, Fowler 3-6 2-5 8, Jacobs 0-2 0-0 0, Tuialii 0-1 0-0 0, Davis 1-1 1-4 3. Totals 28-57 14-26 72.
Halftime-Wyoming 36, Texas Christian 28.
3-point goals-Wyoming 7-22 (Coleman 0-1, Roberts 5-9, Whitehead 1-4, Sawyer 1-2, Young 0-5, Brinson 0-1, TCU 2-10 (Johnson 1-5, Burks 0-1, Jones 1-2, Fowler 0-1, Jacobs 0-1. Fouled out-Allen. Rebounds-Wyoming 37 (Coleman 15), TCU 38 (Tuialii 8). Assists-Wyoming 13 (Young 6), TCU 18 (Fowler 9). Total fouls-Wyoming 20, TCU 17.
Southern Methodist 93, Colorado State 89
Southern Methodist: Tijjani 6-12 3-7 15, Woods 6-10 6-6 22, Poerner 7-15 2-5 17, Matthews 4-8 3-4 13, Rich 7-13 4-6 21, Dimson 0-0 0-0 0, Krist 1-1 3-4 5. Totals 31-59 21-32 93.
Colorado St.: Christiansen 6-12 4-4 20, Barnett 5-8 1-2 12, Chilton 4-8 3-4 11, Palacio 3-8 0-0 6, Mahmud 11-18 0-0 30, Johnson 1-1 0-0 2, Smith 1-3 0-0 2, Benson 2-3 0-0 6, Ford 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 33-62 8-10 89.
Halftime-So. Methodist 51, Colorado St. 32.
3-point goals-SMU 10-20 (Woods 4-8, Poerner 1-3, Matthews 2-4, Rich 3-5), CSU 15-23 (Christiansen 4-7, Barnett 1-2, Palacio 0-1, Mahmud 8-11, Benson 2-2). Fouled out-Palacio, Mahmud. Rebounds-SMU 29 (Poerner 7), CSU 34 (Christiansen 11). Assists-SMU 17 (Tijjani, Rich 5), CSU 20 (Palacio 8). Total fouls-SMU 11, CSU 24.
New Mexico 103, San Jose State 70
San Jose State: Saint Jean 10-15 2-2 23, Quinet 4-9 1-2 10, Taylor 2-4 0-0 4, Addison 5-10 1-2 15, Williams 2-4 1-2 5, Campbell-Hall 4-9 0-0 9, Baker 1-3 1-2 3, Lowery 0-0 0-0 0, Anstey 0-1 1-2 1, Kavanagh 0-1 0-1 0, Clark 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-56 7-13 70.
New Mexico: Shields 6-10 0-0 15, Gibson 2-4 2-2 6, Thomas 7-10 3-3 18, Long 10-12 2-2 22, Smith 7-12 1-2 17, White 0-0 0-1 0, Olney 7-10 1-1 19, Paddock 1-1 0-0 2, Schornstein 0-0 0-0 0, Baum 2-4 0-0 4, Santiago 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 42-64 8-11 103.
Halftime-New Mexico 52, San Jose St. 26.
3-point goals-SJSU 7-19 (Addison 4-8, Saint Jean 1-3, Quinet 1-4, Campbell-Hall 1-4), UNM 11-20 (Olney 4-7, Shields 3-6, Smith 2-3, Thomas 1-2, Long 0-1, Santiago 0-1). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-SJSU 26 (Saint Jean 6), UNM 28 (Long 11). Assists-SJSU 12 (Campbell-Hall 4), UNM 24 (Smith, Olney 5). Total fouls-SJSU 17, UNM 15. A-4,214.
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San Diego St. vs. New Mexico
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