ASSOCIATED PRESS Texas-El Paso point guard Filiberto Rivera drove for a layup against Lorenzo Williams of Rice last night in Reno, Nev. Rivera, a first-team All-WAC honoree, scored nine points in the WAC semifinal win.

Thomas powers UTEP
into WAC final

The Miners look to claim the
league crown before joining
Conference USA

RENO, Nev. » Apparently, you can't even stop Omar Thomas -- and, by extension, the Texas-El Paso Miners -- by getting the star forward benched.

Thomas scored 31 points in 28 minutes to lead UTEP past Rice 85-77 in a semifinal game of the Western Athletic Conference tournament last night at the Lawlor Events Center. The Miners play Boise State tonight for the league championship and automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Broncos beat the Bulldogs 86-85 last night.

The No. 2-seeded Miners improved to 26-7 and No. 3 Rice fell to 19-11. Both are in their last WAC go-round and move to Conference USA next season.

Thomas spent 12 minutes of the first half on the bench, saddled with two fouls. But while he was out, the Miners played even with the Owls, and led 36-35 at halftime.

When Thomas returned after the break, he exploded for 15 of UTEP's first 21 points.

"Omar Thomas was rested," Rice coach Willis Wilson said. "He sat in the first half and came out firing. We didn't make the adjustments."

Then it was John Tofi's turn. The UTEP center scored five consecutive points in a 7-0 Miners run that included the 12th and final lead change of the second half. UTEP led 62-59 with 8:36 remaining when Tofi left with his fourth foul.

"I thought John was getting ready to do something special," Miners coach Doc Sadler said. "I was coming back to run the same play to him on the block. When he gets going, he's difficult to stop. But then he picked up the block call for his fourth foul."

Thomas made all 14 of his free-throw attempts, including four in the last minute that sealed the deal.

Tofi also missed most of the first half because of fouls. But backups Thomas Gehrke and Will Kimble picked up the slack, which included trying to keep star Rice forward Michael Harris from taking over the game.

Savvy point guard Filiberto Rivera was also a big factor, and not just because of his 11 assists and nine points. He knew the game could be lost with Thomas on the bench in the first half, and he acted accordingly.

"He got us through that half by running clock," Sadler said.

Harris scored 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead the Owls, but missed opportunities in the first half and mistakes down the stretch hurt Rice.

"Turnovers were the difference," Harris said, noting that Rice committed 17 to six for UTEP. "I feel like we matched what they did offensively the whole game. But when you play against good teams you can't have turnovers. We made mistakes, and in a big-time environment you can't do that."

For the second game in a row, a role player stepped up early for the Miners. Giovanni St. Amant made four 3-point shots in the first half, staking UTEP to a 36-35 lead. In Thursday's quarterfinal win against Hawaii, Jason Williams scored the first five points of the game and 18 total.

St. Amant finished with 15 points and Williams added 10 last night.

"It's a blessing anyone can come out and make our jobs that much easier," said Thomas, who joined Rivera as a first-team All-WAC honoree this season. "Any one of our players can have a big game and we (he and Rivera) can work our way in."

Jason McKrieth scored 17 points and J.R. Harrison added 11 for Rice, which will likely play in the NIT.

"The disappointment has definitely settled in," McKrieth said. "Right now's not the time to reminisce, because we have more basketball to play."

So does UTEP. But the NCAA Tournament isn't a lock if it loses tonight.

Wilson said the Miners can go "as far as they want" if they make it to The Dance.

"(Rivera) has all the subtleties, he really takes control of the game on both ends, really understands the game. They have an explosive scorer in Thomas, other guys who step up and shoot the ball. They're second in the nation in free-throw shooting," Wilson said. "They play good enough defense to win games, but their offense will be there every night, and that makes them dangerous."