[ WAC BASKETBALL ]
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Nevada players, including guard Kirk Snyder, second from left, guard Garry Hill-Thomas, middle, forward Kevinn Pinkney, second from right, and guard Todd Okeson celebrated after Nevada beat Texas-El Paso 66-60 in the Western Athletic Conference tournament final yesterday in Fresno, Calif.
Going dancing
The Wolf Pack overcome an
off night by Snyder to earn
bid to the NCAA
FRESNO, Calif. >> Even with its best player struggling through an off night, Nevada found a way to capture the Western Athletic Conference championship last night at the Save Mart Center.
The Wolf Pack earned the program's first WAC title with a 66-60 victory over Texas-El Paso in the McCaffrey WAC tournament title game before an announced crowd of 6,158. Next up for Nevada will be the team's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1985.
Conference finals
Yesterday's results
Pac-10: Stanford 77, Washington 66
Big East: Connecticut 61, Pittsburgh 58
Conference USA: Cincinnati 55, DePaul 50
Mountain West: Utah 73, UNLV 70
Atlantic 10: Xavier 58, Dayton 49
Big West: Pacific 75, CS Northridge 73
MAC: W. Michigan 77, Kent St. 66
MEAC: Florida A&M 58, Coppin State 51
America East Conference: Vermont 72, Maine 53
Southwestern: Alabama St. 63, Alabama A&M 58Today's games
ACC: Duke vs. Maryland
Big 12: Oklahoma St. vs. Texas
Big Ten: Illinois vs. Wisconsin
SEC: Florida vs. KentuckySelection special
Today, KGMB, 1 p.m.
"I'm so glad we get to play someone other than the teams in this league," Nevada coach Trent Johnson said, championship trophy at his side. "It's been one slugfest after another."
Nevada guard Kirk Snyder, the WAC Player of the Year, made just three of 13 shots from the field. But he finished with 11 points, 14 rebounds and four assists to lead the Wolf Pack and earn tournament MVP honors.
Forward Kevinn Pinkney scored a game-high 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the Wolf Pack (23-8), who shot 31.3 percent as a team. Todd Okeson hit two clutch 3-pointers in the second half and finished with 14 points and six assists.
"We haven't been shooting the ball well for the last five games, but the guys have really been defending," Johnson said. "Kirk wasn't himself on the offensive end, but he found ways to make plays."
Nevada's victory ended a WAC tournament in which the higher seeded team won all nine games for the first time since 1992.
The Wolf Pack, who lost to Tulsa in last year's WAC championship game, earned the top seed after ending the regular season tied with UTEP for first place in the conference.
UTEP (24-7) must now sweat out an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Miners' fate could impact Hawaii's future as the Rainbow Warriors look for a spot in the National Invitation Tournament (see notebook).
"We're going to have a party at my house to watch the selection show and they're going to call our name," UTEP coach Billy Gillispie said.
A bid to the NCAA Tournament would continue a remarkable turnaround season for the Miners, who went 6-24 last season.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Nevada coach Trent Johnson held up the WAC trophy after earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament yesterday.
UTEP point guard Filiberto Rivera, one of the newcomers who injected new life into the Miner program, led the team with 14 points, nine rebounds and six assists.
UTEP led 34-32 at halftime and limited Snyder to six points, four coming from the free-throw line, in the first 20 minutes.
Snyder missed his first six shots and didn't record a field goal until he tipped in a Pinkney miss with 1:25 left in the half.
The Wolf Pack shot 28.6 percent from the field in the first half as a team, but stayed close by making 11 of 12 free throws.
After a 3-pointer by Rivera gave UTEP a 53-49 lead with nine minutes left. Okeson responded with two long-range shots to give the Wolf Pack a 55-53 advantage with 6:36 remaining.
"When I hit that shot, it was a big relief that we finally broke some ice off that rim," Okeson said.
The teams then traded the lead six times. Snyder banked in a shot to put Nevada up 59-58 with 3:14 left and Pinkney followed with a jumper from the foul line with two minutes left.
UTEP struggled to get a look at the basket and Rivera missed the front end of a one-and-one with 37.8 seconds left. After two timeouts, Nevada broke UTEP's press and Pinkney sealed the win with a dunk with 21.6 seconds left.
After the game, Nevada fans chanted "one more year" as Snyder picked up his MVP trophy, referring to speculation that the junior would jump to the NBA next season.
"I'm just trying to finish the school year and get to the next level ... in the tournament," Snyder said.
All-Tournament team
Jason Williams, UTEP; Omar Thomas, UTEP; Filiberto Rivera, UTEP; Todd Okeson, Nevada; Kirk Snyder, Nevada (MVP).
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Nevada's Jermaine Washington celebrated his team's win over UTEP yesterday.
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Rainbow coaches still
hoping for an NIT
invitation
FRESNO, Calif. >> Although the Hawaii basketball team's hopes of playing in the NCAA Tournament were dashed Thursday, the Rainbow Warrior coaches will be glued to the television for today's announcement of the field of 65.
Hawaii's bid to continue its season in the National Invitation Tournament could hinge on the NCAA Tournament taking at least two teams from the Western Athletic Conference when the brackets are announced this afternoon.
"You're hoping for three, but that's probably not realistic," said Bill Foster, the WAC's supervisor of basketball officials, who has been in contact with NIT officials over the past few weeks. "It is realistic that we'll get two, and if we do Hawaii has a good chance (at the NIT)."
Nevada earned the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with its 66-60 win over Texas-El Paso last night.
UTEP, which was tied with Nevada for the WAC regular-season title, is hoping for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The NIT field will be finalized after the NCAA brackets are announced.
The Rainbows (19-11) returned to Honolulu on Friday following a 70-68 loss to Rice in the quarterfinals of the McCaffrey WAC tournament. Hawaii coach Riley Wallace said he hadn't heard from NIT officials as of last night and confirmed that the team would accept a bid if offered.
"I think (the players) want it and it would be good for us, especially if we can host," Wallace said.
Hawaii has appeared in the NIT seven times and played in the tournament last season with an 18-11 record. The Rainbows won at UNLV and ended the season with a loss at Minnesota.
"They have a good record and they've always been a good team for the NIT," Foster said.
UH has submitted a bid to host the first and second rounds of the tournament. But Foster said if the Rainbows are selected, they will likely be asked to go on the road.
Rice (22-10) and Boise State (21-9) are also in the running for NIT bids after being eliminated in the WAC semifinals on Friday. Coaches of both teams were confident they would be playing in the NIT after their WAC tournament runs were halted.
"I think we've earned it," Boise State coach Greg Graham said after the Broncos' loss to UTEP. "I think we deserve it. I think Rice, Hawaii and us should have a great shot at the NIT."
The WAC has placed two teams in the NIT each of the last three seasons, but hasn't had more than that since 1999, when the league had 16 teams.
