They are newcomers in name only, their transition marked more by their pre-existing knowledge of the neighborhood than an altering of address.

Hawai'i, Fresno State and Nevada officially become the newest members of the Mountain West on Sunday, but introductions are largely inessential. The Warriors (football only), Bulldogs and Wolf Pack are not only familiar with the MW landscape, they are, in many instances, tethered by well-rooted rivalries and long-standing coaching connections.

To wit:

First-year Fresno State football coach Tim DeRuyter, an Air Force graduate, not only played for the Falcons but spent a total of seven years at the Academy during two separate stints as a position coach and defensive coordinator.

New Hawai'i football coach Norm Chow spent 27 seasons as an assistant at BYU before the former MW member opted to join the independent ranks last season.

Nevada's Chris Ault, the only active FBS coach in the College Football Hall of Fame, has faced every team represented in the 2011-12 configuration of the MW at least three times since joining the Wolf Pack staff in 1976.

"Today we officially welcome Fresno State, Hawai'i and Nevada as members, ushering in a new era for the Mountain West," said Commissioner Craig Thompson. "The addition of these fine institutions helps position the Conference for a bright future, and we look forward to the contributions that Bulldog, Warrior and Wolf Pack student-athletes, coaches, fans and administrators will make to the success of the Mountain West."

Here's a look at each of the three institutions and a sampling of their athletic successes:

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Fresno State

Football: The Bulldogs have failed to garner a bowl bid only twice since 2000. Fresno State went to four straight bowl games from 2007-10, with two of the contests coming against MW members Colorado State and Wyoming. Prior to DeRuyter's hire, the Bulldogs' two previous coaches --- Jim Sweeney and Pat Hill --- posted a combined winning percentage of .607 and won three conference titles.

"We're really excited about our first year in the Mountain West," said DeRuyter, a linebacker at Air Force from 1982-84. "Having some personal history in this conference, I know about the excellent programs and the excellent coaches in this league. We know this is going to be a tremendous challenge, but we're excited about it and we're looking forward to it."

Men's Basketball: The Bulldogs have won two conference titles, participated in one NCAA Tournament and two National Invitational Tournaments since 2000. Many believe second-year coach Rodney Terry has put together one of the program's top recruiting classes in years, a group led by 7-foot, 265-pound incoming freshman center Robert Upshaw, ranked No. 55 nationally in the 2012 ESPNU Top 100.

Women's Basketball: Fresno State is coming off a 2011-12 season in which it won a conference title, earned its fifth straight NCAA Tournament bid and won 28 games for the first time in program history. The Bulldogs started four underclassmen last season, including guard Ki-Ki Moore, the WAC Player of the Year.

Baseball: Fresno State, the 2008 national champion, won its seventh straight WAC title this past year while qualifying for the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in the past seven seasons.

Softball: The Bulldogs have participated in 30 of the last 31 NCAA Tournaments and won the 1998 national title. The Bulldogs have played in more NCAA Championships than any other Division I program and rank third all-time in tournament victories with 89.

Men's Tennis: The Bulldogs enter the Mountain West having won two consecutive league titles while earning three straight NCAA Tournament bids.

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Hawai'i

Football: Hawai'i became just the third non-automatic-qualifying conference team to play in a BCS bowl in 2008 when it faced Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. The Warriors were the only FBS team in the nation that year to finish the regular season undefeated. Hawai'i has appeared in a bowl game seven times since 2002, posting six winning seasons and four campaigns with double-digit victories.

"I think (the transition to the MW) is going to be extremely tough and that is what I am trying to impress upon our players, that this is a step up," Chow told the Maui News. "The schedule is extremely challenging, the non-conference games are as tough as the conference games, but if you are in this profession, you get in this profession, you enjoy challenges, and you enjoy the week-by-week work that goes with those challenges, so we are all very excited about it."

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Nevada

Football: The Wolf Pack, who finished the 2010 season ranked No. 11 in the nation, have appeared in seven consecutive bowl games. The program's history includes 14 conference titles and since 2005, Nevada has had one losing season and six campaigns of seven or more wins.

"We're excited to be jumping into the Mountain West and to be part of such an elite group," said football head coach Chris Ault. Ault enters his 28th season with a win percentage of 68.5 percent (226-103-1).

Men's Basketball: The Wolf Pack won the WAC regular-season championship with a mark of 13-1 last season en route to making their fifth appearance in the National Invitation Tournament. Nevada has posted eight 20-win seasons since 2003-04, while earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament four times.

Women's Basketball: Nevada has won at least 17 games five of the last seven seasons, twice advancing to the National Invitation Tournament.

Baseball: The Wolf Pack, who won a share of the regular-season conference title in 2012, have won 30 or more games six times since 2000, while winning two league titles and making two NCAA postseason appearances.

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Norm Chow wants students back in their seats at Aloha Stadium.

TRACK & FIELD HEADLINES

• Colorado State's Berryhill to take over Wyoming track and field program.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Back to the future: Meghan Heimstra rejoins Colorado State.

SOFTBALL HEADLINES

• Trisha Ford ready for the challenge in leading Fresno State softball program.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

TRACK & FIELD HEADLINES

• SDSU's Whitney Ashley enjoys memorable homecoming after winning NCAA title.

BASEBALL HEADLINES

• Phase 1 of facelift for Lobo Field gets go-ahead.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• New Mexico getting wealth of experience in new assistant coach Edwina Brown.

• JC All-American guard transferring to Colorado State.

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Wyoming's Shyatt will make teaching a priority this summer under NCAA rules change.

GENERAL HEADLINES

• Utah State anxiously awaiting official inclusion in Mountain West.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

Wednesday marked the final day of college basketball's spring signing period. Here is a look at the MW men's and women's spring signees and those who signed during the early period in November.

NOTE: Due to the Academy appointment process, Air Force does not sign student-athletes to letters of intent.

MW MEN'S BASKETBALL

BOISE STATE

Early signing period: The Broncos added 6-foot-7 forward Joey Nebeker, who was named Idaho's 2A State Player of the Year, and 6-foot-9 forward Edmunds Dukulis, a member of the Latvian U19 National Team that finished 10th at the U19 World Championships last summer. Nebeker, who averaged 20 points, seven rebounds and five blocks as a senior at Melba High School (Melba, Idaho), has the potential to add needed offensive firepower to a team that ranked sixth in scoring among the MW's eight teams this past season. Dukulis averaged 15.9 points and 9.5 rebounds at the U19s, including a 20-point, seven-rebound performance against future Bronco teammates Anthony Drmic and Igor Hadziomerovic's Australian U19 team.

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COLORADO STATE

Spring signings: Gerson Santo, a 6-10 transfer from the College of Southern Idaho, should help offset the loss of Will Bell, who averaged 8.4 points and 3.9 rebounds as a senior last season. Santo, a native of Valencia, Brazil, averaged 7.4 points per game and 4.0 rebounds per game at CSI and drew strong interest from California and Utah while spurning scholarship offers from Washington State and Illinois.

Early signing period: Before leaving for Nebraska, former Rams coach Tim Miles signed Jordan Mason, a 6-foot-2 guard from Ennis, Texas, and Jermaine Morgan, a 6-8 forward from Whitney M. Young High in Chicago. With CSU returning virtually its entire starting lineup under new coach Larry Eustachy, playing time could be hard to come by in 2012-13. Nonetheless, Mason and Morgan are not without talent. Viewed as one of the top prospects in Texas, Mason, who averaged 20.7 points as a senior at Ennis High, is considered a play-making guard who can score in a variety of ways. Morgan, who averaged a double-double as a junior, was rated as the No. 15 player in Illinois by Rivals.com. In addition to Mason and Morgan, the 2012-13 campaign will see a return to the court for transfers Daniel Bejarano, a 6-4 guard, and 6-10 forward/center Colton Iverson, both of whom sat out the 2011-12 campaign after coming to CSU from the University of Arizona and the University of Minnesota, respectively.

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FRESNO STATE

Spring signings: Robert Upshaw, a 7-foot, 265-pound center from Fresno, was ranked as the No. 4 overall prospect in California and the 55th best player in the nation in the 2012 ESPNU 100. He also received high marks from Scout.com, who rated him as a four-star recruit. As a senior at San Joaquin Memorial (Fresno, Calif.), Upshaw averaged 18 points, 11 rebounds, and five blocks per game. Fresno State also added 6-3 guard Marvelle Harris, who averaged more than 24 points in leading Rialto (Calif.) Eisenhower High to the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Division 1A quarterfinals, and Broderick Newbill, a versatile 6-5 wing from Hogan Prep Academy in Kansas City.

Early signing period: The Bulldogs addressed a need to bulk up inside by signing a pair of 6-9 forwards in Braeden Anderson and Tanner Giddings. Fresno State also added Aaron Anderson, a 6-3 point guard from Santa Fe High in Edmond, Okla. The trio joins junior guard Allen Huddleston, a former All-Big West Conference honoree and freshman All-American who redshirted last season after transferring from the University of Pacific.

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NEVADA

Early signing period: Shooting guard Marqueze Coleman is considered the nugget of a group that also includes 6-8 forward Cole Huff, 6-8 forward Raphael Carter and 6-9 center Cheikh (Ali) Fall. As a senior, Coleman averaged 21.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.4 assists for Bishop Alemany High School in Mission Hills, Ca. Huff and Carter, a transfer from Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, Calif., should help offset the losses of forwards Olek Czyz and Dario Hunt. Fall, a transfer from Barstow (Calif.) Community College, is a native of Senegal who attended Meitoku Gijuku School in Kochi, Japan.

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NEW MEXICO

Early signing period: With the graduation of MW Tournament MVP Drew Gordon and forward A.J. Hardeman, the Lobos addressed needs in the frontcourt by signing Obij Aget, a 7-foot, 220-pound center from LaPorte, Indiana. Aget, who was also pursued by the likes of Florida State, Missouri, Texas Tech and Florida, averaged nearly a double-double at LaLumiere School in LaPorte (8.6 points, 9.0 rebounds). New Mexico also added Nick Banyard, a 6-8 forward from Marcus High in Flower Mound, Texas, who was being pursued by Minnesota and Pepperdine, and 6-7 wing Devon Williams from Woodrow Wilson High in Dallas.

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SAN DIEGO STATE

Spring signings: Winston Shepard, a 6-8 forward from national power Findlay Prep in Las Vegas, is the highest-rated prep prospect to choose San Diego State in school history. Considered a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, Shepard, who is viewed as being capable of playing any position on the floor, joins a team that returns four starters, including 2012-13 MW Player of the Year Jamaal Franklin.

Early signing period: Shepard will join early signees Matt Shrigley, a 6-6 forward from La Costa Canyon High, in Carlsbad, Calif., and Skylar Spencer, a 6-9 forward from Price High School in Los Angeles. The class also includes 6-9 forward James Johnson, a transfer from Virginia; 6-7 forward Dwayne Polee, a transfer from St. John's; and 6-7 forward JJ O'Brien, a transfer from Utah.

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UNLV

Spring signings: The big news came late for the Runnin' Rebels, who on Tuesday, May 15, signed 6-8, 240-pound power forward Anthony Bennett, the first McDonald's All-American to come to UNLV straight out of high school since Freddie Banks in 1983. Bennett is a five-star recruit ranked as the No. 6 player overall in the 2012 class by CBS Sports, No. 7 by both ESPN and Rivals, and No. 8 by Scout. Ranked as the nation's No. 1 player at his position, he was the highest-rated high school player in the country that hadn't yet signed with a school before Tuesday. He averaged 16.3 points and 10.1 rebounds per game for Findlay Prep in Las Vegas this past season.

Early signing period: Katin Reinhardt, a 6-5 guard from perennial power Mater Dei High in Santa Ana, Calif., is expected to impact the Rebels immediately. A prolific scorer ranked No. 7 at his position by Rivals.com, Reinhardt averaged 18.6 points last season. The Rebels also added Daquan Cook, a 6-1 guard from St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, and Demetrius Morant, a 6-9 forward from Bishop Gorman High in Las Vegas. The trio will be joined by another McDonald's All-American, Khem Birch, a 6-9, 220-pound transfer from Pittsburgh, and 6-5 guard Bryce Dejean-Jones, a transfer from USC. Dejean-Jones will be able to play immediately in 2012-13, while NCAA transfer rules dictate that Birch sit out the first semester of the coming season.

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WYOMING

Spring signings: With the losses of guards JayDee Luster and Francisco Cruz, the Cowboys signed Nathan Sobey, a native Australian who comes to Wyoming via Cochise College in Douglas, Ariz. As a sophomore, the 6-3, 190-pound guard averaged 16.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.8 steals. Sobey was also recruited by Fresno State, Saint Mary's and the University of San Diego. Wyoming also added Derek Cooke, a 6-9 forward from Cloud County Community College in Kansas, who posted team highs of 8.4 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 55 percent shooting from the floor to go with 6.0 points and nearly one steal per game last season. Charles Hankerson Jr., a 6-5, 210-pound guard from Alabama, has also joined the Pokes, but will have to sit out the 2012-13 season per NCAA transfer rules, and will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Early signing period: Wyoming added a pair of guards in Josh Adams and Jason McManamen, while addressing its frontcourt needs with the signing of forward Austin Haldorson and center Matt Sellers. Adams, a product of Chaparral High in Parker, Colo., is considered one of the top guard prospects in Colorado, while McManamen, a 6-6 shooting guard who attended Torrington (Wyo.) High School, has been touted as the top 2012-13 basketball prospect in Wyoming. The 6-foot-10 Sellers, meanwhile, provides the Cowboys with much-needed size after averaging 6.3 points and 3.5 rebounds at Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs.

MW WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

BOISE STATE

Spring signings: Kayla Reinhart, a 5-10 wing and all-state performer from Carroll High (Texas) is expected to add perimeter scoring for the Broncos. Reinardt comes to BSU having averaged 12.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.7 steals per game as a senior. The Broncos also added several transfers in Erica Martinez, a 5-8 guard from Snow College in Ephraim, Utah, who averaged 16.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.6 steals last season, and 6-3 post player Laura Pelse, a native of Latvia who averaged 16.7 points and 7.9 rebounds 6-3 for Sheridan (Wyo.) College in 2011-12. Newcomer Brandi Henton, a 5-9 guard, spent last season at Yakima Valley Community College where she played in nine games before suffering a season ending injury in December. During those nine games, Henton averaged 24.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 3.1 steals in 24.8 minutes per game. She shot 50 percent (87-174) from the court and 41 percent (29-70) from beyond the 3-point arc. Rosalie Cutri, a 5-7 guard, comes to BSU after spending the past two seasons Casper College (Wyoming), where she was a NJCAA 2012 second-team All-American. Cutri started all 29 games last season, averaging a team-high 13.3 points 6.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 4.0 steals.

Early signing period: The Broncos signed Miquelle Askew, a 6-3 center and all-state performer from Skyline High in South Jordan, Utah.

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COLORADO STATE

Spring signings: The Rams' lone spring signee was Taylor Varsho, a 5-6 guard from Marshfield High in Marshfield, Wisc. Varsho concluded her prep career as Marshfield's career scoring leader with 1,367 points. She averaged 18.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists as a senior and was tabbed an all-state selection each of her final three seasons.

Early signing period: Varsho is the fifth signee for the 2012-13 season. The early signees are Courtney Lisowski, a 6-foot wing/guard from Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, Calif.; Emily Johnson, a 5-11 guard from Georgetown (Texas) HS; Caitlin Duffy, a 5-11 guard from St. Thomas More HS in Rapid City, S.D.; and Hali Ford, a guard/forward from Affton HS in St. Louis.

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FRESNO STATE

Spring signings: New head coach Raegan Pebley's first recruit was Jacinta Vandenberg, a 6-6 center from Australia who in 2009 and 2010 won gold medals while playing for Victoria Metro in the U-18 nationals. She also earned a spot on the U-17 Australian national team.

Early signing period: Fresno State added Toni Smith, a 6-foot center from Del City (Okla.) High, and Destini Price, a 6-foot forward/guard from Antelope Valley High in Lancaster, Calif., who was ranked 46th in the nation among guards by Hoopgurlz.com.

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NEW MEXICO

Early signing period: The Lobos inked four players during the early signing period including Khadijah Shumpert, a 6-foot forward and all-state performer from Bedilde-St. Margaret's High in Minneapolis; Jordyn Peacock, a forward/center from Beaverton, Ore., who chose New Mexico over offers from UNLV, Cal Poly and St. Mary's; Bryce Owens, a standout point guard from DeSoto, Texas; and 5-10 guard Antiesha Brown, a transfer from Texas Tech who holds the all-time scoring record at Clovis (N.M.) High with 1,673 points.

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SAN DIEGO STATE

Spring signings: With the loss of senior center Katrina Tutt to graduation, the Aztecs added Louisville transfer Cierra Warren, a 6-foot-4 center who must sit out the 2012-13 season per NCAA transfer rules. Warren, a native of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., who originally signed with North Carolina, was rated the 31st-best player in the nation and the No. 10 post player by Hoopgurlz.com as a prep. SDSU also added 5-9 guard Danesha Long, who spent the last two seasons at Midland College in Midland, Texas. Long, who earned NJCAA honorable mention All-American accolades as a freshman, averaged 11.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game last season.

Early signing period: The Aztecs started the signing class with Aleiah Brandon of Centennial High School in Corona, Calif., and Tia Levi-Dixon from local San Diego High School. Brandon, a 6-1 forward, was one of the top-85 ranked forwards and a three-star recruit, while Levi- Dixon, a 5-6 point guard, was ranked in the top-40 among point guards nationally by Hoopgurlz.com.

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UNLV

Spring signings: Aley Rohde, a 6-5 center who played at Arizona as a freshman last season, will sit out the 2012-13 season due to NCAA transfer rules, but will have three years left in her career. Rohde ranked fifth in scoring for the Wildcats last season at 7.6 points per game and third in rebounding with 6.0 per contest. She also led the team in blocks with 38 (1.2 bpg). Her 31 starts were second-highest on the team.

Early signing period: Four California natives --- Amie Callaway, Jehiah Cook, Rejane Verin and Jazzmeen Williams --- signed national letters of intent in November. Callaway is a 6-2 forward/center from San Diego High who was ranked No. 54 in the nation at her position by Hoopgurlz.com in this year's recruiting class. Cook is a 5-5 point guard from Sacramento High, while Verin is a 6-2 guard/forward who comes to UNLV from Serra High in Los Angeles and is considered the most athletic recruit in the class. Williams is a 6-4 center from San Bernardino.

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WYOMING

Spring signings: Aubry Boehme, a 6-foot forward who arrives from Otero Junior College in Smithfield, Utah, averaged 17 points and 6.6 rebounds per contest last season. She finished her career at Otero with 1,041 career points while recording a school high 94 career blocks and 100 steals in a season.

Early signing period: Boehme is the fourth student-athlete to join the Cowgirls as they inked three during the early signing period. The other signees include Marquelle Dent (5-7, guard, Denver, Colo.), Whitney Gordon (6-2, forward, Marion, Kan.) and Fallon Lewis (6-0, guard, Dayton, Wyo.). Dent was an all-state performer at Regis Jesuit High in Denver whose father, Terry, was a member of the Wyoming men's team from 1984-88. Dent is ranked as a three-star recruit and a top-40 guard nationally by Hoopgurlz.com

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Work ethic formed early by former CSU player Greg Myers has served him well away from game.

• Rehab is part of the regimen for pair of CSU offensive tackles.

• Wyoming looking to get its running game in gear during spring practice.

• Cowboys are encouraging linebacker Devyn Harris to bring the noise.

• Ex-Rebel not finished with leading the charge at UNLV.

BASEBALL HEADLINES

• UNLV pitcher and his mother taking the fight to cancer.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• At long last, former UNLV great Linda Frolich to be enshrined in school's hall of fame.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

Can anyone unseat defending Mountain West champion and talent-rich San Diego State? How much firepower will NCAA Tournament qualifier Fresno State bring to the MW? Will a Wyoming team that returns with its entire roster intact factor strongly in the league race? Here's a look at the 2012-13 Mountain West women's basketball season.

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Air Force Falcons

2011-12 record: 1-13 MW, 6-24 overall
Key losses: F Jamela Satterfield

Synopsis: If there's hope on the horizon, it's that Air Force has graduated just two players in the past two seasons. And while the Falcons figure to once again lean heavily on talented forward Dymond James (12.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg) in 2012-13, guard Alicia Leipprandt was among the league's most improved players, averaging a team-high 12.7 points and leading the team in assists. Forward Katie Hilbig, who finished second on the team in rebounding (5.8 rpg), posted three double-doubles during the regular season. James, Leipprandt and Hilbig will all be seniors.

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Boise State Broncos

2011-12 record: 5-9, 15-16
Key losses: G Katie Isham; F Nicole Brady; G Heather Pilcher

Synopsis: The Broncos will have a sizable void to fill with the loss of Isham, who ranked fifth in the league in scoring this season (14.2 ppg), finished second in the MW in 3-point field goals made (68) and played more minutes than anyone on the roster. The top returning player is All-MW second-team selection Lauren Lenhardt, who ranked among the league's top 10 in both scoring (14.0 ppg) and rebounding (6.1 rpg). For coach Gordy Presnell, the key will be identifying additional scoring options. Isham and Lenhardt combined for nearly 42 percent of Boise State's league-leading average of 67.6 points per game.

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Colorado State Rams

2011-12 record: 9-5, 13-17
Key losses: G Kim Mestdagh, F Kelly Hartig

Synopsis: The Rams graduate only two players, but replacing Mestdagh, one of the top talents in CSU history, will be no small task. A four-year starter, Mestdagh earned first-team All-MW honors this season after finishing first in the league in 3-point field goals made (69) and steals (2.6 spg). She also led the team in minutes played, was the league's third-leading scorer (14.8 ppg) and tied for second in the MW with an average of 4.0 assists per game. Much of the team's leadership in 2012-13 figures to come from forward Sam Martin, who ranked first in the MW in field-goal percentage this season (.532) and was ninth in scoring (13.1 ppg). Also returning is forward Meghan Heimstra, who was tabbed the league's Sixth Player of the Year after averaging 8.6 points and 4.3 rebounds.

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Fresno State Bulldogs

2011-12 record: 13-1 WAC, 28-6
Key losses: G Blakely Goldberg; C Veronica Wilson

Synopsis: The regular-season and WAC Tournament champion Bulldogs figure to make an immediate impact in their inaugural season in the MW. In addition to making its fifth straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament, Fresno State's 28 wins established a school record. Paced by WAC Player of the Year Ki-Ki Moore, the Bulldogs return their four top scorers in Moore (16.8 ppg), guard Rosie Moult (13.1), guard Madison Parrish (9.1) and guard Taylor Thompson (8.0). Moore, Moult and Thompson combined to average 17.0 rebounds per game for a team that led the WAC in both scoring offense (74.9) and scoring defense (62.2).

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Nevada Wolf Pack

2011-12 record: 3-11 WAC, 7-23
Key losses: G Kate Kevorken, F Kayla Williams, G Amanda Johnson

Synopsis: After posting their best season in school history with 22 victories and winning their first-ever postseason tournament game in 2010-11, the Wolf Pack endured their share of struggles in 2011-12. The first order of business for coach Jane Albright's team will be to replace its top two scorers in guard Kate Kevorken and forward Kayla Williams. Kevorken ranked among the WAC's top 10 players in both scoring (16.0 ppg) and rebounding (6.6 rpg) this season, while Williams averaged 12.9 points and a team-high 7.0 rebounds. The bulk of the scoring load figures to fall to guards Chanelle Brennan and Danika Sharp, who averaged 10.1 and 8.7 points, respectively. Brennan also ranked third on the team in rebounding (4.4 rpg).

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New Mexico Lobos

2011-12 record: 3-11, 11-20
Key losses: F Porche Torrance, G Nikki Nelson, G Lauren Taylor

Synopsis: Despite enduring a second straight injury-plagued season, the Lobos, who lost seven games by six or fewer points, were a study in grit down the stretch, reaching the MW Tournament title game for the sixth time before falling to top-seeded San Diego State. Two key pieces to the puzzle --- junior guard Sara Halasz and freshman post player Whitney Johnson --- were lost to knee injuries, with Halasz, arguably the team's top talent, going down before the season began for the second straight year. Much like this season, the 2012-13 campaign figures to center around guard Caroline Durbin, a senior-to-be and first-team all-league selection who ranked second in the MW with an average of 15.0 points per game. Other players who expect to impact next season's fortunes include Jourdan Erskine, Chinyere Nnaji and Jayme Jackson. The trio combined for 58 starts.

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San Diego State Aztecs

2011-12 record: 12-2, 25-7
Key losses: C Kalena Tutt

Synopsis: The only Mountain West women's team to earn an NCAA Tournament bid this season, San Diego State again figures to be a force to be reckoned with in 2012-13. The team returns four starters, including guard Courtney Clements, who earned MW Player of the Year honors after leading the league in scoring at 17.4 points per game. Also back is MW Tournament MVP and first-team all-league performer Chelsea Hopkins, the team's second-leading scorer and school's all-time assists leader, guard Kiyana Stamps, and center Malia Nahinu. Clements and Hopkins were the only two players in the league unanimously selected to the All-MW first team. In 2012-13, SDSU will have the opportunity to earn an NCAA Tournament bid while simultaneously winning at least 20 games for the fourth time in five years.

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UNLV Lady Rebels

2011-12 record: 10-4, 22-10
Key losses: F Lenita Sanford, F Jamie Smith, F Sandrine Nzeukou, C Markiell Styles

Synopsis: It was a season to remember at UNLV, where the Lady Rebels posted their first-ever top-two finish in the Mountain West and concluded the campaign with their best record in eight years. The payoff came with a bid to the Women's National Invitation Tournament, the first postseason appearance since 2006 for a team that doubled its win total from the previous season. The challenge in repeating that success will be identifying capable replacements for Sanford, a first-team All-MW selection, and Smith, who during her career became just the second player in MW history (men or women) to score 1,000 career points while collecting 1,000 career rebounds. Key returnees include guard Kelli Thompson, the league's fourth-leading scorer (14.3 ppg) and a second-team All-MW selection, and guard Mia Bell, who earned third-team all-league honors after finishing tied for second in the MW in assists.

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Wyoming Cowgirls

2011-12 record: 7-7, 12-17
Key losses: None

Synopsis: If there's a team to be wary of in 2012-13 it would appear to be the Cowgirls, who do not graduate a single player. Paced by forward Chaundra Sewell, the team's only returning starter this season, Wyoming returns three players who started all 29 games and another, standout freshman forward Kayla Woodward, who started 28. Sewell, a second-team All-MW selection, led the team in both scoring (13.7 ppg) and rebounding (8.8 rpg) while posting 11 double-doubles. Woodward (12.1) and forward Ashley Sickles (11.3) also averaged double-figure scoring for the Cowgirls, while finishing as the team's No. 3- and No. 2-ranked rebounders, respectively. Also back in the fold is starting guard Kaitlyn Mileto (9.1 ppg), as well as guards Chelan Landry and Alison Gorrell, who combined for 29 starts.

 2012 NCAA Tournament Bracket
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Despite defeat, the final act was far from forgettable. Fact is, where San Diego State's women's basketball team is concerned, the surface was merely scratched, the promise merely a preview.

During the course of a season where naiveté had little choice but to quickly come to grips with growth, the Aztecs might well have wilted with a roster that included one starting senior.

Instead, any fears of inexperience succumbing to ineptitude were dashed in only the second game of the season, when SDSU dispatched then-No. 18 DePaul 82-74, a win that would stand as the only victory by a Mountain West women's team against a Top 25 opponent this season.

In the ensuing five months, the Aztecs:

• Put together a 13-game win streak that marked the program's longest in 17 years and tied as the fourth-longest in team history.

• Opened MW play 7-0 for the first time in the 13-year history of the league.

• Posted their 14th 20-win campaign in program history, marking their third in the last four years and seventh under coach Beth Burns. Prior to 2008-09, the team hadn't won 20 games in the previous 11 seasons.

• Won their first outright MW regular-season title en route to pocketing their second MW Tournament title in three years.

• Boasted both the MW Player of the Year in junior guard Courtney Clements and the MW Tournament MVP in junior guard Chelsea Hopkins.

• Earned their third trip to the NCAA Tournament in four seasons.

And while the sting of Sunday's first-round NCAA Tournament loss to LSU will linger, its impact will last only long enough for SDSU to reload. In addition to returning four starters, the program was rated as having the 18th-best recruiting class in the nation this season by ESPN.com's HoopGurlz rankings. Moreover, forward Deajanae Scurry, a four-star recruit who was one of five freshmen on this season's roster, will rejoin the squad after redshirting in 2011-12.

"I think we may have skipped a step, if you will," Burns said after winning the MW Tournament. "I knew we had a talented young group. But the key was young, and our inside game beyond (senior) Kalena Tutt was such a question mark. We just weren't really sure how fast everything would get put together. I think it's a tribute to the older players on our team, the commitment they made, and the younger players on our team listening to the older players because I guess they did what you're supposed to do, which is get better and better and better as the season went on."

 2012 NCAA Tournament Bracket
 2012 WNIT Bracket
 Mountain West on Twitter: @TheMWC | @MW_WHoops | Hashtag: #MWBB
 Facebook.com/MountainWestConference

Two Mountain West women's basketball teams have earned postseason tournament bids. Regular-season and MW Tournament champion San Diego State will face LSU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, while UNLV will take on Saint Mary's in the Women's National Invitation Tournament. Here's a look at the matchups.

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Who: No. 12 San Diego State (25-6) vs. No. 5 LSU (22-10)
When: Sunday, March 18, 4:45 PT
Where: Baton Rouge, La. --- Pete Maravich Assembly Center
TV: ESPN2

San Diego State
What you need to know: The Aztecs will be playing in their third NCAA Tournament in four years and their ninth in program history. SDSU earned an automatic bid to the tournament after winning the MW championship on Saturday in Las Vegas with a 57-43 victory over New Mexico. The Aztecs were a No. 11 seed in their most recent NCAA appearance in 2010, defeating No. 6 Texas and No. 3 West Virginia to advance to the Sweet 16. San Diego State was a No. 10 seed in 2009, beating No. 7 DePaul before falling to No. 2 Stanford.

Players to watch: Junior guard Courtney Clements, the MW Player of the Year, reached double figures in scoring for the seventh straight game and 27th time of the season with 16 points in the MW Tournament title game. Clements was named to the MW All-Tournament Team after scoring 56 points (18.7 ppg) and grabbing 23 rebounds (7.7 rpg) over three games. Junior guard Chelsea Hopkins, who was named the MW Tournament MVP after finishing with 14 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals in the MW championship game, is the school's career assist leader with 202. Hopkins averaged 16.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 3.3 steals in the MW Tournament. Junior center Malia Nahinu was also named to the all-tournament team after averaging 6.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.0 blocks.

Just the facts: San Diego State is the only MW team to defeat a top-25 ranked team this season, having beaten then-No. 18 DePaul on Nov. 18 at the Jack In The Box Rainbow Wahine Classic in Honolulu, 82-74. It was the Aztecs' sixth win against a top-25 opponent over the last four seasons.

LSU
What you need to know: LSU, which finished tied for fourth in the SEC regular-season standings, knocked off top-seeded Kentucky (a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament) in the semifinals of the conference tournament before falling to No. 2 seed Tennessee in the title game. The Lady Tigers lead the SEC in field-goal percentage defense (.341) and rebound defense (33.0 rpg). They are second in the conference in free-throw percentage (.704) and rank third in field-goal percentage (.436). LSU is making its 21st appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Players to watch: To suggest that the Lady Tigers present a tall order is hardly cliché. LSU boasts eight players 6-2 or taller, including 6-2 senior forward LaSondra Barrett, a first-team all-SEC pick who leads the team in both scoring (12.5 ppg) and rebounding (6.9 rpg). Yet Barrett's status for Sunday's game is uncertain after she was knocked unconscious in the SEC title game against Tennessee. The only other player averaging double-figure scoring for the Lady Tigers is junior guard Adrienne Webb (10.1 ppg).

Just the facts: LSU set a school record with 34 made free throws on 43 attempts in its SEC Tournament semifinal game against Kentucky, breaking the previous mark of 31. The 43 attempts tied for third most in school history and were the most ever by LSU against an SEC opponent.

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Who: UNLV (22-9) vs. Saint Mary's (21-10)
When: Thursday, March 15, 7 p.m. PT
Where: Moraga, Calif. --- McKeon Pavilion
TV: None (live video on smcgaels.com)

UNLV
What you need to know: The Lady Rebels, who finished second in the Mountain West regular season, earned an automatic berth into the WNIT when San Diego State was the lone MW team to be selected to the NCAA Tournament after winning the conference's regular-season and tournament titles. This is UNLV's first trip to the WNIT since the 2005-06 season. The Lady Rebels have made nine appearances in the WNIT, posting an overall record of 9-10. UNLV made four straight trips to the WNIT from 2003-06.

Players to watch: Senior forward Lenita Sanford, a first-team all-MW selection, finished the regular season ranked second in the league in blocks (2.4 bpg), fourth in rebounding (7.4 rpg), 14th in steals (1.4 spg) and 15th in scoring (10.8 ppg). Her 62 blocks ranked as the fourth-highest total in school history, while her nine double-doubles were second-most in the MW. Senior forward Jamie Smith, the league's two-time rebounding champion, ranks third in the MW in rebounding (8.4), fifth in three-point field-goal percentage (.353) and double-doubles (six). Junior guard Kelli Thompson, a second-team all-MW pick, leads the team in scoring for the second straight year with an average of 13.7 points per game.

Just the facts: In 2011-12, UNLV not only doubled its win total from last season, but also posted just its third 20-win season in the last 18 years while claiming its first-ever top-two finish in the MW.

Saint Mary's
What you need to know: Saint Mary's, which has made four previous WNIT appearances, earned its third consecutive bid to the tournament. The Gaels, who reached the semifinals of the West Coast Conference Tournament before falling to runner-up Gonzaga, have one of the top RPI's in the West Region, entering the WNIT at No. 51. The Gaels have faced eight NCAA Tournament teams this season, posting wins over Gonzaga and WCC champion BYU. Saint Mary's finished fourth in the WCC regular-season standings.

Players to watch: The Gaels are led by senior guard Jasmine Smith, a two-time all-WCC selection who is averaging a team-high 15.0 points. Sophomore guard Jackie Nared (12.9 ppg) and senior guard Alex Carbonel (10.3 ppg) also average double-figure scoring. Nared and sophomore forward Danielle Mauldin (9.2 ppg) are averaging 7.4 and 8.6 rebounds per game, respectively.

Just the facts: In addition to having faced eight NCAA Tournament qualifiers this season, Saint Mary's has also played seven games against teams in the WNIT (San Diego twice, Oregon State, UC Davis, Cal Poly, Quinnipiac and Pacific).

 2012 Conoco MW Basketball Championships Central
 2012 Conoco MW Women's Basketball Championship Bracket

Where San Diego State's women's basketball team is concerned this season, give the C's an A for effort.

Behind yet another impressive performance from junior guards Chelsea Hopkins and Courtney Clements, the top-seeded Aztecs won their second Mountain West title in three years on Saturday with a 57-43 victory over No. 7 seed New Mexico.

And while those familiar with SDSU's 2011-12 title run are also more than a little familiar with Chelsea and Courtney, Chairese may not ring a bell, even if she is C squared.

Frequently lost amidst the talents of Hopkins, the tournament MVP, and Clements, the MW Player of the Year, are those toiling in roles that, while no less critical, tend to be crowded out by stardom.

Yet if San Diego State (25-6) is to take more than one step in the NCAA Tournament, coach Beth Burns knows full well there can be no distinction between stars and subs.

Exhibit A: Chairese Culberson.

A freshman forward who had been averaging 4.6 points and 19.5 minutes, Culberson may not have factored heavily in Saturday's title game, but neither was her contribution of eight points and four rebounds in 17 minutes to be taken lightly.

"That's what's been so good about this team," Burns said. "We don't have green eyed monsters. Everybody knows it's the sum of our parts that helps us win. To me, that's why we won the league, because if we had a bad night, somebody getting sick, we always had somebody who picked us up."

New Mexico (11-20) reached the title game despite a coaching change and a season littered with injuries.

"Good players make good plays, and San Diego State did that," said first-year coach Yvonne Sanchez. "I give them all the credit. That being said, I give my team a lot of credit. We were led by a great group of seniors. They never gave up. They could have written the season off. Six other teams thought they should be here. They watched our team play in the championship game. That's the thing I'm most proud of."

 2012 Conoco MW Basketball Championships Central
 2012 Conoco MW Women's Basketball Championship Bracket

Having made five previous appearances, the New Mexico's women's basketball team is familiar with the road to the Mountain West women's tournament title game.

To do so a sixth time not only demanded defying the odds, it also necessitated a minor miracle.

The Lobos, who staggered through the 2011-12 regular season beset by myriad injuries and the liabilities that come with subs assuming the roles of starters, became the first No. 7 seed in league history to advance to the championship game on Friday, holding off No. 6 seed Boise State, 51-50.

This from a team that finished 10-19 during the regular season, one that had to acclimate itself to a new coach following the retirement of Don Flanagan, who in 12 years led the Lobos to 11 consecutive winning seasons and 10 straight postseason appearances, including seven trips to the NCAA Tournament.

One that heads into the title game against No. 1 seed San Diego State with enough mojo working to persuade the most hardened of skeptics.

"It's absolutely incredible," said first-year coach Yvonne Sanchez, Flangan's former assistant. "There have been a lot of challenges, I will say. I told these kids at the beginning, regardless of what the case is, for my first year as a head coach, I don't want any other team ... They have incredible team chemistry. They are terrific to work with."

And for San Diego State, tough to beat. The Lobos, who got 15 points apiece from senior forward Porche Torrance (12 rebounds) and Caroline Durbin against Boise State, are 6-0 against the Aztecs in the MW tournament, including a 62-59 win in the 2008 championship game.

"These kids leave it all out on the court," Sanchez said. "That's what I told them: If you leave it all out on the court, give everything you have, I can live with the results. They've done that."

 2012 Conoco MW Basketball Championships Central
 2012 Conoco MW Women's Basketball Championship Bracket

For the first time in program history, San Diego State's women's basketball team this season won its first outright Mountain West championship. For the third time in four years, the Aztecs put together a 20-win season. From Dec. 16-Feb. 1, SDSU won 13 straight games, its longest streak in 17 years and the fourth-longest in team history.

In reaching the MW title game as the No. 1 seed with Friday's 73-55 win over No. 5 Wyoming, the Aztecs have a chance to pocket their second league title in three years.

Should they do so, they might even crack a smile. In the interim, the safe approach would be to keep your distance.

SDSU (24-6) is playing for keeps.

"The motivation for us right now is that we want to go to the NCAA tournament," said junior guard and MW Player of the Year Courtney Clements. "We're very well aware of the fact that even though we won our conference, there's a possibility we could still not get into the NCAA tournament. If that means that we have to win the championship to get to the NCAA tournament, that's what we're going to do."

If that statement carries with it a carload of conviction, rest assured that neither Clements nor fellow guard Chelsea Hopkins lack for tenacity --- or talent.

While Clements was scoring in double figures for the 26th time this season with 22 points on Friday, Hopkins set a MW tournament record with 10 assists. In adding 16 points, she also recorded her team-leading fifth double-double of the season.

"This team, really to a player, is really one big happy group," said coach Beth Burns. "Maybe that's because we've won a lot of games, but I think it's because we've had pretty good older leadership to involve everybody. We don't have somebody in there feeling left out. Everybody feels a part of it."

A feeling that might even prompt a measure of merriment --- when the job is done.

 2012 Conoco MW Basketball Championships Central
 2012 Conoco MW Women's Basketball Championship Bracket

Far be it from Boise State to be the only one not to throw a monkey wrench into the madness.

In keeping with the theme of the day on Wednesday, the No. 6 seed Broncos knocked off No. 3 seed Colorado State 68-63 in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West women's basketball tournament.

Boise State, which was swept by the Rams during the regular season, became the third lower -seeded team of the day to advance to Friday's semifinals, where it will meet No. 7 New Mexico.

With the exception of top-seeded San Diego State, three of the top four seeds lost in the opening round for the first time in the history of the tournament.

On a day where No. 2 UNLV and No. 4 TCU also fell by the wayside, junior forward Lauren Lenhardt scored a game-high 18 points for first-year MW member Boise State. Kati Isham (15), Kinzi Poteet (12) and Heather Pilcher (12) also finished in double figures for the Broncos, who head to the semifinals having swept New Mexico during the regular season.

"It sounds kind of little, but you always need a hump win," said Boise State coach Gordy Presnell. "This is kind of a hump win for our program. We battled injuries for a few years that just decimated us. Our kids were so focused, not on winning this tournament but just focused on Colorado State."

Sophomore guard Haley Thompson posted the first double-double of her career with 15 points and a career-high 10 rebounds for the Rams, who were hampered for much of the second half by foul trouble to starters Sam Martin and Kelly Hartig.

"With Sam and Kelly on the bench, it was hard because we didn't have the normal inside threat that we usually have," said senior guard Kim Mestdagh, who finished a standout career at CSU with 14 points and five assists. "They kept pressuring us outside, so it was hard. They were really physical, too. Meghan (Heimstra) kind of had to do it on her own in the paint. All of that made it a little harder. We were just kind of out of it. We couldn't find a way to get back in it and get good shots."

 2012 Conoco MW Basketball Championships Central
 2012 Conoco MW Women's Basketball Championship Bracket

Perhaps the nomination of New Mexico senior Porche Torrance as the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year was a bit premature.

Torrance, who led the MW in rebounding with an average of 8.8 per game in league play, went on the offensive Wednesday night, knocking down 8-of-12 shots from the field and tying a career high with 20 points as the No. 7 seed Lobos knocked off No. 2 seed UNLV 61-58.

It was the first time in the 12-year history of the MW women's tournament that a No. 7 seed eliminated a No. 2.

"I told myself, I'm a senior, this is my last opportunity," said Torrance, who posted her fifth double-double of the season by also collecting 11 rebounds. "I wanted us to win this game. It's hard to beat a team three times (UNLV swept the Lobos during the regular season). We definitely stepped up. I took care of business out on the court."

The Lobos, who shot 57.1 percent from beyond the arc (8-of-14), also benefitted from the first scoreless game of the season for UNLV standout senior guard Jamie Smith.

"Jamie is going to beat herself up until we play again," said Lady Rebels coach Kathy Olivier. "So we better get chosen to play in the post-season, because she needs to play again. This is not the way she wants to end her career."

 2012 Conoco MW Basketball Championships Central
 2012 Conoco MW Women's Basketball Championship Bracket

Over the years, coach Joe Legerski has come to refer to it as the Wyoming way, and it works it something like this:

Identify open shooter, get ball to open shooter, demonstrably deflate defense.

Exhibit A: Wednesday's Mountain West women's quarterfinal game against TCU.

In dispatching the No. 4 seed Horned Frogs, 61-44, the fifth-seeded Cowgirls amassed 17 assists on 20 made field goals, 10 of the assists coming in the first half as Wyoming raced out to a 32-18 lead.

The Cowgirls came up one shy of eclipsing the women's MW Tournament record for assists on made field goals in a game (18, by Colorado State in 2011).

"We share the basketball," Legerski said. "Everyone's asked to shoot when they're open. Tonight we got off to a great start. I thought the game was back and forth early. Then all of a sudden we started finding some people on the perimeter with threes. Those, I always say, are easy assists...they made the right decisions, found the right person, we stepped up and knocked down some shots. "

Wyoming will meet No. 1 seed San Diego State in the semifinals on Friday at noon PT. A No. 5 seed has advanced to the tournament championship only twice, with Utah winning in 2011.

 2012 Conoco MW Basketball Championships Central
 2012 Conoco MW Women's Basketball Championship Bracket

Asked to define the distinction between the first and second halves of Wednesday's Mountain West women's quarterfinal tournament game against San Diego State, Air Force coach Andrea Williams broke it down to its simplest terms.

Said Williams: "It's called the Player of the Year in the conference getting a little ticked off and saying, 'I'm Player of the Year.'"

That distinction belongs to Aztecs junior guard Courtney Clements, who finished with 18 points and a career-high 11 rebounds as top-seeded SDSU ousted the No. 8 seed Falcons, 68-58.

The Aztecs trailed 34-32 at the half, with Clements, the league's leading scorer, tallying only four points in the opening 20 minutes. It was the first time in MW women's tournament history that a No. 8 seed led a No. 1 seed at the half.

"Sometimes, when shots aren't falling, you have to find other ways," Clements said, who posted her second double-double against Air Force in three meetings this season. "A lot of games where you can't knock (shots) down, can't get touches, you have to find other ways to win. I just saw an opportunity by going to the offensive boards. Luckily, I was getting putbacks and getting and ones, get us going a little bit."

The 2012 Conoco Mountain West Basketball Championships open Wednesday, March 7, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas with women's quarterfinal action. No. 1 seed San Diego State takes on No. 8 seed Air Force at noon PT, followed by No. 4 seed TCU vs. No. 5 seed Wyoming vs. at 2:30 p.m. PT; No. 2 seed UNLV vs. No. 7 seed New Mexico at 6 p.m. PT; and No. 3 seed Colorado State vs. No. 6 seed Boise State at 8:30 p.m. PT.

Quarterfinal action on the men's side begins Thursday, March 8, with No. 1 seed San Diego State tipping off against No. 8 seed Boise State at noon PT. The Aztecs-Broncos match-up will be followed by No. 4 seed Colorado State vs. No. 5 seed TCU at 2:30 p.m. PT; No. 2 seed New Mexico vs. No. 7 seed Air Force at 6 p.m. PT; and No. 3 seed UNLV vs. No. 6 seed Wyoming at 8:30 p.m. PT.

Here's a look at each of the quarterfinal match-ups:

2012 MW MEN'S BASKETBALL QUARTERFINALS

No. 1 seed San Diego State (24-6, 10-4 MW) vs. No. 8 Boise State (13-16, 3-11 MW)
Thur., Noon PT, The Mtn. HD (DirecTV 616)
Two-time defending tournament champion San Diego State swept the season series against the Broncos, winning 58-56 in San Diego on Feb. 1 and 66-53 in Boise on March 1. Aztecs sophomore guard Jamaal Franklin, the league's leading scorer, averaged 17.0 points and 10.5 rebounds in the two contests. Freshman forward Anthony Drmic leads Boise State with an average of 11.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.

No. 4 Colorado State (19-10, 8-6 MW) vs. No. 5 TCU (17-13, 7-7 MW)
Thur., 2:30 PT, The Mtn. HD/ CBS Sports Network (DirecTV 616/613)
If you're waiting until Friday's semifinals for the real drama to unfold, forget it. Colorado State is trying to cement a spot in the NCAA Tournament, while TCU, with wins over Top-25 teams in UNLV and New Mexico, is bucking for its first postseason appearance as a member of the Mountain West. The Rams and Horned Frogs are squaring off in a rubber match after splitting their regular-season meetings by a mere 10 points combined, with the Rams prevailing 95-89 in double overtime on Jan. 14 and the Frogs getting even with a 75-71 victory in Fort Worth on Feb. 11.

No. 2 New Mexico (24-6, 10-4 MW) vs. No. 7 Air Force (13-15, 3-11 MW)
Thur., 6 p.m. PT, The Mtn. HD (DirecTV 616)
Though Air Force has rarely gone quietly in this event through the years, this was a nightmarish matchup for the Falcons during the regular season, with New Mexico winning both games by a combined average of 34.5 points. Senior forward Drew Gordon, who recorded his 15th double-double of the season in Saturday's win over Boise State, is averaging 13.2 points and 11.0 rebounds for the Lobos.

No. 3 UNLV (25-7, 9-5 MW) vs. No. 6 Wyoming (20-10, 6-8 MW)
Thur., 8:30 p.m. PT, The Mtn. HD/CBS Sports Network (DirecTV 616/613)
Five days after squaring off in the regular-season finale, the Runnin' Rebels and Cowboys meet again in a rubber match. UNLV prevailed 74-63 in Saturday's game in Las Vegas, with sophomore forward Mike Moser posting his 14th double-double of the season (17 points, 12 rebounds). Wyoming's 68-66 win over UNLV in Laramie on Feb. 4 marked its first victory over a ranked opponent since 2000.

2012 MW WOMEN'S BASKETBALL QUARTERFINALS

No. 1 seed San Diego State (22-6, 12-2 MW) vs. No. 8 Air Force (6-23, 1-13 MW)
Wed., Noon PT, The Mtn. HD (DirecTV 616)
The Aztecs won their first outright MW regular-season title after sharing the distinction with Utah in 2009. SDSU swept the Falcons during the regular season, winning each of the two contests by 13 points. Air Force beat New Mexico in its regular-season finale, posting its second-ever victory over the Lobos and its first as a Division I team.

No. 4 TCU (16-13, 9-5 MW) vs. No. 5 Wyoming (11-16, 7-7 MW)
Wed., 2:30 p.m. PT, The Mtn. HD (DirecTV 616)
TCU, last year's runner-up, enters the tournament having won four straight, including a 58-48 victory over Wyoming in the regular-season finale for both teams. The Cowgirls beat the Frogs 64-54 in Laramie on Feb. 2. The game matches two of the top freshmen in the MW in TCU's Natalie Ventress and Wyoming's Kayla Woodward.

No. 2 UNLV (22-8, 10-4 MW) vs. No. 7 New Mexico (9-19, 3-11 MW)
Wed., 6 p.m. PT, The Mtn. HD (DirecTV 616)
UNLV, which won 20 games for the fifth time in the past 20 years, has never been seeded this high in the tournament. The Lady Rebels swept New Mexico during the regular season, winning 64-50 in Albuquerque on Jan. 21 and 65-60 in Las Vegas on Feb. 18. The Lobos are led by junior guard Caroline Durbin, who ranks second in the league in scoring at 15.4 points per game. UNLV counters with junior guard Kelli Thompson (13.6 ppg), the eighth-leading scorer in the MW.

No. 3 Colorado (13-16, 9-5 MW) vs. No. 6 Boise State (14-15, 5-9 MW)
Wed., 8:30 p.m. PT, The Mtn. HD (DirecTV 616)
Following its 67-58 win over Boise State on Feb. 14, a win that marked a sweep of the season series by the Rams, Colorado State was positioned to claim a share of the MW title with San Diego State. Yet despite beating the Aztecs, the Rams dropped three of their last four, including a 53-48 loss to UNLV on Feb. 29 that left them with the No. 3 seed. CSU is paced by senior guard Kim Mestdagh, the MW Preseason Player of the Year, who ranks third in the league in scoring (14.8 ppg) and assists (4.0). Broncos junior forward Lauren Lenhardt, who ranks second in the MW in field-goal percentage (.500), is also the league's seventh-leading scorer (13.8 ppg).

The following is a weekly ranking the league's top 10 men's and top five women's performers. Beg to differ? Think I've missed the mark? Who do you think raised the bar this week? I welcome all debate. You can leave a comment below on my blog, email me at Mick@TheMWC.com, or send me a message on Twitter @MWCMick. After all, what's a little disagreement among friends?

MW MEN'S BASKETBALL

1. Jamaal Franklin, G, So., San Diego State - While the general consensus throughout the season has been that the MW Player of the Year vote comes down to either New Mexico's Drew Gordon or UNLV's Mike Moser, has anybody been watching this guy? In finishing with 18 points and 12 rebounds in Wednesday's win at Boise State, Franklin posted his second consecutive double-double and his seventh in the last 10 games. This on the heels of a 31-point, 16-rebound performance against Colorado State on Saturday. He has scored in double figures in a personal-best 16 straight games.

2. Leonard Washington, F, Jr., Wyoming - Washington secured his second consecutive double-double with 23 points and 12 rebounds in Tuesday's 71-59 win over TCU, helping the Cowboys post their first 20-win season since 2002-03. His 23 points marked the second-highest scoring total of his career. Washington, who has four double-doubles this season and 19 games scoring in double figures, also had 15 points and 11 rebounds in Saturday's victory over Boise State.

3. J.R. Cadot, G, Sr., TCU - The reigning MW Player of the Week posted his second consecutive double-double in Saturday's win over then-No. 18 New Mexico, finishing with a game-high 15 points, 10 rebounds and two steals. He had six offensive rebounds in the game as TCU beat a Top 25-ranked team twice in a season (UNLV on Feb. 14) for the first time in program history. Cadot finished with a team-high 11 points to lead the Frogs in scoring for the third straight game in Tuesday's loss at Wyoming.

4. Dorian Green, G, Jr., Colorado State - Green played a major role in rallying the Rams from a 16-point deficit by scoring 14 of his team-high 16 points in the second half of Wednesday's win over No. 17 UNLV. He tied for team-high scoring honors with 14 points while adding seven rebounds, one assist and one steal in the Rams' loss at No. 24 San Diego State on Saturday. Green, who has now started 92 games in his career at CSU, has knocked down at least one three-pointer in 12 of his last 14 contests.

5. Drew Gordon, F, Sr., New Mexico - Gordon posted his 14th double-double of the season and the 27th of his career in Wednesday's win over Air Force. Gordon, who had 16 points and six rebounds in 16 minutes in the first half, finished the contest by hitting 8-of-9 shot attempts in 27 minutes. After pulling down 12 rebounds in Saturday's loss at TCU, he currently has 317 rebounds, the eighth-best single-season total in New Mexico history. The school season record is 375 by Tom King in 1960-61.

6. Anthony Marshall, G, Jr., UNLV - In a win over Air Force and a loss to Colorado State, Marshall averaged 12.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists. He is the only player in the Mountain West averaging at least 12 points, five rebounds and four assists per contest for all games. He has scored in double figures in each of his last five games and seven of the last eight.

7. Francisco Cruz, G, Sr., Wyoming - Cruz scored 19 points to post his second consecutive double-figure scoring game and his 18th of the season in Tuesday's 71-59 win over TCU. He also dished out five assists, marking the seventh time this season he's finished with more than four in a game. He contributed a team-high 16 points in Saturday's win over Boise State.

8. Tim Shelton, F, Sr., San Diego State - Shelton, who had 11 points and four rebounds in Wednesday's win at Boise State, posted his fourth double-digit scoring game in his last five outings after going nearly three years (and 61 games played) without a double-digit effort. After connecting on 3-of-5 attempts from the field against the Broncos, he has now made 29 of his last 50 field goal attempts. He also drew his 30th charge of the season against BSU.

9. Wes Eikmeier, G, Jr., Colorado State - Eikmeier, who finished as the Rams' second-leading scorer in Wednesday's win over UNLV, tied for team-high scoring honors with 14 points in Saturday's 74-66 loss at San Diego State. The MW's second-leading scorer, Eikmeier has now hit a three-pointer in 23 of CSU's 28 contests this season and has reached double-figure scoring in 23 games.

10. Hugh Greenwood, G, Fr., New Mexico - Greenwood established career highs for points (22) and three-pointers (5) in Wednesday's win over Air Force. He scored the Lobos' first 14 points of the second half in a span of just 3:02, with 12 of his points coming from beyond the arc. Greenwood finished 7-of-9 from the floor, including a 5-for-7 performance from three-point range.

MW WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

1. Courtney Clements, G, Jr., San Diego State - The reigning Mountain West Player of the Week posted her third consecutive and league-leading 12th 20-point scoring outing of the year with 22 points in Wednesday's win over Boise State. Clements, the league's leading scorer, has averaged 23.7 points over her last three games.

2. Kelli Thompson, G, Jr., UNLV - Thompson tallied her third straight 20-point game in Wednesday's 53-48 win over Colorado State as the Lady Rebels secured the No. 2 seed in the upcoming MW Championships and claimed their first-ever top-two finish in the league. .In her last three games, Thompson has averaged 21.3 points while shooting 57.1 percent from the floor.

3. Jamie Smith, F, Sr., UNLV - Smith, who earlier this season became just the second player in MW history - men's or women's - to amass 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds, became the Lady Rebels' all-time leading rebounder in Wednesday's win over Colorado State. Smith, who had 11 rebounds in the game, broke the previous record of 1,124 held by former UNLV All-American Linda Fröhlich. Smith, the team's third-leading scorer, currently has 1,131 career rebounds.

4. Chelsea Hopkins, G, Jr., San Diego State - Hopkins, who has four of the Aztecs' six double-doubles this season, hit 5-of-6 shots from the field, finishing with 12 points, five rebounds, seven assists and three steals in Wednesday's victory over Boise State. The league leader in assists with an average of 6.5 per game (she has 61 more assists than any player in MW), Hopkins was a rebound shy of recording her fifth double-double in Saturday's loss at Colorado State, finishing with 11 points, nine boards, six assists and three steals in playing all 40 minutes.

5. Natalie Ventress, G, Fr., TCU - Ventress, who had 18 points and nine rebounds in Saturday's win over New Mexico, led TCU in scoring for the 18th time this season with a team-high 10 points in a 58-48 win over Wyoming on Tuesday. She also had five rebounds, four assists and two steals while scoring in double figures for the sixth straight game and 17th time this season.

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• It's a storybook ending for former Colorado State walk-on.

• There's plenty at stake for Runnin' Rebels in matchup with the Rams.

• Lobos may be in driver's seat in chase for regular-season title.

• Boise State guard Tre' Nichols has learned that success doesn't come easy.

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Former CSU safety Greg Myers up for election to College Football Hall of Fame.

• Reviews are mixed, but former Bronco safety still his worst critic at NFL Combine.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Patience, perseverance have paid big dividends for UNLV's Jamie Smith.

• Math made simple: Winner of CSU-UNLV gets No. 2 seed in MW Championships.

• San Diego State senior Kalena Tutt finally enjoying her time in spotlight.

SOFTBALL HEADLINES

• New Mexico cracks Top 25 poll for the first time in 13 years.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

• Top Billing: San Diego State's regular-season league title means the Aztecs have already assured themselves of at least an invitation to play in the WNIT. The highest-finishing school in its conference regular-season standings that does not play in the NCAA Tournament receives an automatic WNIT bid. The postseason appearance will be the 11th in program history, with SDSU having competed in the NCAA postseason eight times (1984, '85, '93, '94, '95, '97, 2009 and 2010). The Aztecs' No. 1 seed in the MW Championships is their highest as a member of the MW, with the team being a No. 2 seed in 2009.

• Good Omen: For the fifth time in 20 years, UNLV has posted a 20-win season. The previous eight times the Lady Rebels won 20 games they earned a spot in either the NCAA or WNIT tournaments. The last time UNLV won 20 games and was not allotted a postseason bid came in 1986-87, when the team finished 21-9.

• Record Breaker?: TCU freshman guard Natalie Ventress, the leading scorer in league games only through Feb. 25 (17.5 ppg), is on pace to break the MW all-time freshman record for points per game average currently held by Utah's Kim Smith (17.4, 2002-03). Ventress recently became the first player under head coach Jeff Mittie to post two-straight halves of 20 or more points, joining Wright State's Kim Demmings as the only freshmen in the nation to score 20-plus points in a half in two games.

• Twice the Fun: In finishing with 27 points and a career-high 15 rebounds in Saturday's game against Boise State, Wyoming junior forward Chaundra Sewell recorded her 11th double-double of the season. It was the 12th double-double of Sewell's career, moving her past New Mexico's Jordan Adams (1999-03), BYU's Lauren Riley-Varley (2004-08) and New Mexico's Lindsay Arndt (2001-05) on the MW all-time list.

• A Fond Farewell: Prior to Wednesday's game against New Mexico, Air Force will honor its lone senior, team captain Jamela Satterfield. Satterfield has played in 117 career games for Air Force, one shy of the program's all-time record. She is averaging a career-best 3.6 points and 4.3 rebounds this season.

• Turn of Events: New Mexico has historically enjoyed one of strongest home-court advantages in the nation, having gone 338-165 over the past 31 seasons. The past two seasons have not been as kind to the Lobos, however, with the team finishing 6-10 at The Pit this season and 6-9 in 2010-11. On the plus side, the Lobos head into the final week of the regular season ranked No. 8 in the nation with a three-point field goal percentage of .370, a mark that also currently leads the Mountain West.

• Movin' on Up: With Saturday's win over regular-season league champion San Diego State, Colorado State surpassed its conference win total from 2010-11 with its ninth league victory, its most in the Mountain West since coach Kristen Holt took the reins four seasons ago. Colorado State, which is tied with UNLV for second place, faces the Lady Rebels in Las Vegas on Wednesday. With a win, the Rams would earn the No. 2 seed in next week's MW Championships and face New Mexico in the first round. The loser of the CSU-UNLV game will face No. 6 seed Boise State.

• Down but not Out: Boise State, which scored only 17 points in the first half of Saturday's game against Wyoming, amassed 44 in the final 20 minutes en route to a 61-53 win. In doing so, the Broncos overcame a 13-point deficit, their largest of the season in a come-from-behind victory.

While San Diego State has already claimed the Mountain West women's basketball regular-season title, the men's crown is still up for grabs heading into the final week of Conference play. What MW match-ups are you looking forward to watching this week? You can leave a comment below on my blog, email me at Mick@TheMWC.com, or send me a message on Twitter @MWCMick.

MW Men's Basketball

1. No. 17/17 UNLV at Colorado State, Wednesday (8:15 p.m. MT, CBS Sports Network - DirecTV 613): Not quite sure how one sits squarely on a bubble, but in regards to qualifying for the NCAA Tournament, the Rams find themselves in that very position. Win here, however, and you have to believe CSU is back in the picture, making the MW a four-bid league (New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV). The Rams have won 12 in a row at home, while UNLV has traveled a rocky road in league play (2-4) away from the Thomas & Mack Center.

2. No. 21/23 San Diego State at Boise State, Wednesday (8 p.m MT, The Mtn. - DirecTV 616): The Aztecs were fortunate to hold off the Broncos in the teams' initial meeting in San Diego on Feb. 1, rallying from a 12-point deficit and eliciting an audible sigh of relief when Thomas Bropleh's 3-pointer rimmed out at the buzzer. Of the three teams who enter the final week of league play tied for first place --- New Mexico, San Diego State and UNLV --- the Aztecs are the only team among the three who play both of their final two regular-season games on the road (at BSU, at TCU).

3. No. 21/23 San Diego State at TCU, Saturday (6 p.m. CT, The Mtn. - DirecTV 616): Even if SDSU maintains a share of first place following Wednesday's affair at Boise State, this is hardly the place you want to end the regular season with a potential No. 1 seed in the MW Tournament on the line. The Horned Frogs have virtually become bullet-proof at home, having won eight in a row at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum, including knocking off the Aztecs' fellow league-leaders UNLV and New Mexico during that stretch. San Diego State has won nine of the last 10 meetings with TCU, including six straight.

4. TCU at Wyoming, Tuesday (7:30 p.m. MT, The Mtn. - DirecTV 616): TCU has been phenomenal at home, but until winning last week at Air Force, the Frogs had found the road a nightmare. The victory snapped a 15-game road losing streak in league play for TCU, which hadn't won away from Daniel-Meyer Coliseum since topping Wyoming, 76-68, on Feb. 13, 2010. If the Frogs are to reprise that effort, they'll have to do so against a Cowboy squad whose 19 victories this season include 14 at home.

5. Colorado State at Air Force, Saturday (2 p.m. MT, The Mtn. - DirecTV 616): Assuming CSU is fortunate enough to get past UNLV at home on Wednesday, and that's assuming plenty considering the Rebels have won nine times in 12 trips to Fort Collins since the MW's inaugural season, the Rams' quest for their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2003 could come down to this game. It was Air Force's 74-57 victory over the Rams at Clune Arena last season that factored heavily in Colorado State being left out of the NCAA Tournament conversation.

6. Wyoming at No. 17/17 UNLV, Saturday (7 p.m. PT, The Mtn. - DirecTV 616): The Rebels, who are 16-0 at home, will be looking to atone for a 68-66 loss in Laramie on Feb. 4 in which they had two chances to tie the game in the final 22 seconds but missed a layup and a long jumper as time expired. The Cowboys are one of just four teams in the league with five or more road victories but haven't won a regular-season game at the Thomas & Mack Center since Feb. 1, 2003.

7. Air Force at New Mexico, Wednesday (6 p.m. MT, The Mtn. - DirecTV 616): Just a hunch, but I don't envision The Pit being the ideal venue for an opposing team this week with the Lobos having lost two straight while ceding sole possession of first place. New Mexico dealt Air Force its worst loss of the season (81-42) on Jan. 31 as the Lobos' bench matched the Falcons' point total.

8. Boise State at New Mexico, Saturday (2 p.m. MT, NBC Sports Network - DirecTV 603): The final week of the regular season could well be a boon for the Lobos, who are 12-2 at The Pit this season and have not lost a home game since falling to San Diego State on Jan. 18. New Mexico won the first meeting between the teams, 65-49, limiting the Broncos to a shooting percentage of 31.1 percent.

MW Women's Basketball

Wyoming at TCU, Tuesday (6:30 CT, The Mtn. - DirecTV 616): While San Diego State has already locked up the regular-season title, this is not a game without seeding implications for the MW Tournament. Should Wyoming win, it would move into a tie for fourth place with TCU and sweep the season series. This game features several of the top freshmen in the league - Natalie Ventress (TCU), Chelsea Prince (TCU), Kaitlyn Mileto (Wyoming) and Kayla Woodward (Wyoming).

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• It's a family affair where Rebels' coaching staff is concerned.

• Aztecs Shelton, Green will be leading the cheers on Senior Night.

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• After four years of Ryan Lindley, San Diego State has 5 QBs auditioning for job.

• Former Broncos get set to be put through their paces in Indianapolis.

• New Air Force defensive coordinator ready to turn up heat on opposing offenses.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Boise State seniors provide a lift to women's program.

TRACK & FIELD HEADLINES

• CSU standout Trevor Brown keeps his focus on the next hurdle.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

The following is a weekly my ranking the league's top 10 men's and top five women's basketball performances. Beg to differ? Think I've missed the mark? Who do you think lit up the stat sheet this week? You can leave a comment below on my blog, email me at Mick@TheMWC.com, or send me a message on Twitter @MWCMick.

MW Men

1. Drew Gordon, F, Sr., New Mexico - While limited to 13 points and six rebounds in Tuesday's loss at Colorado State, Gordon was the definitive man against boys in Saturday's 65-45 win over then-No. 11 UNLV. In finishing with a career-high 27 points and 20 rebounds, Gordon became the first Lobo to pull off a 20-20 since Jimmy Allen (21 points, 20 rebounds) in 1976. It was Gordon's 13th double-double of the season and the 26th of his career. Over his last four games he is averaging 16.0 points and 14.0 rebounds.

2. Michael Lyons, G, Jr., Air Force - Although he was held to fewer than 10 points for the first time in five games in Wednesday's loss to TCU, Lyons was spectacular in Saturday's 58-56 win over then-No. 13 San Diego State. In the second-highest-scoring game of his career (27 points), Lyons also tied career-highs with six 3-pointers made and four steals. He entered the week having averaged 25.0 points in his previous three games, the best three-game scoring stretch by a MW player in league play this season.

3. Pierce Hornung, F, Jr., Colorado State - After delivering a game-changing put-back dunk that sparked an 18-6 run to close the game in Saturday's win over Wyoming, Hornung was instrumental in the Rams' 71-63 win over No. 18 New Mexico on Tuesday. Matched against Gordon, Hornung finished with 13 points and 15 rebounds. He leads the league in offensive rebounds per game (3.2), despite missing six contests earlier this season with a concussion.

4. Anthony Marshall, G, Jr., UNLV - Marshall, who led the Runnin' Rebels with 18 points and 10 rebounds in the team's loss at New Mexico, posted his fourth double-double of the season (11 points, 10 rebounds) in Wednesday's win over Boise State. He also dished out five of UNLV's 19 assists.

5. J.R. Cadot, G, Sr., TCU - Cadot posted his fifth double-double of the season and the eighth of his career with 16 points and a career-high-tying 13 rebounds in Wednesday's 65-62 win at Air Force, helping snap the Horned Frogs' 15-game MW road losing streak. Eight of Cadot's rebounds came on the offensive end.

6. Garrett Green, F, Sr., San Diego State - With his team facing the prospect of losing four straight games for the first time since 2005, Green, a transfer from LSU, came off the bench to score 14 points on 6-of-6 shooting from the floor in Wednesday's overtime against Wyoming. It was the first double-digit scoring game in the MW for Green, who led the Aztecs in scoring for the first time this season.

7. Tim Shelton, F, Sr., San Diego State - Shelton, who had not posted a double-digit scoring performance from March 3, 2009, through Jan. 14, 2012, hit double figures (10 points) for the third straight game in Wednesday's overtime win against Wyoming. The last time Shelton scored in double figures in three straight games was Dec. 6-13, 2008.

8. Chace Stanback, F, Sr., UNLV - Stanback finished with a game-high 19 points in Wednesday's win over Boise State, his best scoring performance since a 21-point outing against TCU in mid-January. Despite being troubled recently by a balky knee, Stanback had 11 points in the first half, including eight straight to give the Rebels an eight-point lead six minutes into the game.

9. Demetrius Walker, G, So., New Mexico - After coming off the bench to score nine points (all in the second half) in Saturday's win over UNLV, Walker again entered in a reserve role Tuesday and finished as the Lobos' second-leading scorer (14 points) in the loss to Colorado State. Walker's point total against the Rams was his best in a league game this season. He also played a career-high 25 minutes.

10. Anyone Shooting a Free Throw for Colorado State - The Rams, who earlier this season went 23-for-23 from the line in their win over then-No. 11 San Diego State, were practically pedestrian in Tuesday's victory over No. 18 New Mexico. CSU, which entered the game as the 11th-best free-throw shooting team in the nation, finished 20-for-23 against the Lobos, this coming on the heels of a 14-for-16 effort in Saturday's win over Wyoming. The Rams are shooting 76.6 percent from the line.

MW Women

1. Courtney Clements, G, Jr., San Diego State - After falling one rebound short of a double-double (16 points, 9 rebounds) in Saturday's win over Air Force, Clements, the league's leading scorer, finished with 25 points - 17 in the second half - as the Aztecs clinched a share of the MW regular-season title with a 68-55 victory at Wyoming. Clements' performance at Wyoming marked her tenth 20-point game of the season. In the two games, she shot a combined 14-of-29 (43.8 percent) from the field, including a 6-of-8 effort (75.0 percent) from beyond the arc.

2. Lenita Sanford, F, Sr., UNLV - Sanford, the reigning MW Player of the Week, finished one rebound shy of posting her third straight double-double (14 points, 9 rebounds) as the Lady Rebels topped Boise State 75-66 on Wednesday to move into a tie for second place while reaching the 20-win mark for just the third time in 20 years. Over her last three games, Sanford has averaged 17.0 points and 11.3 rebounds.

3. Natalie Ventress, G, Fr., TCU - Ventress, who scored a team-high 17 points while grabbing six rebounds and recording a pair of steals in Wednesday's win over Air Force, entered the week as one of only two freshmen in the nation to post two-straight halves of 20 or more points. Overall, Ventress has scored 20 or more points in six of the last 11 games.

4. Chelsea Hopkins, G, Jr., San Diego State - A steadying force in helping lead the Aztecs to the MW regular-season title, Hopkins recorded her fourth double-double of the season on Saturday with 15 points and 10 of the team's 11 assists in a 59-46 win over Air Force. The MW leader in assists, Hopkins matched her season high with five steals to go along with six assists and nine points in Tuesday's title-clinching win at Wyoming.

5. Caroline Durbin, G, Jr., New Mexico - Durbin, who on Thursday became the first player in Lobos history to earn Academic All-America honors when she was named to the Capital One Academic All-American first team, averaged 17.5 points for the week, including a 16-point performance in 53-45 win over second-place Colorado State. Durbin, who leads the MW in three-point field goal percentage (53.5) and ranks second in scoring (15.6 ppg), has scored in double figures in 23 of 26 games and has led the Lobos offensively in 17 contests.

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Young Boise State squad is coming of age in second half of league play.

• Max Yon is making a splash as freshman guard with Air Force basketball team.

• Cowboys looking for a cure to recent second-half shooting woes.

• UNLV's Stanback ailing, but refuses to use sore knee as crutch.

• Beat-up Aztecs would be happy with healthy outcome versus Wyoming.

• Journey back to playing almost complete for New Mexico grad assistant Dairese Gary.

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• BCS postseason plans: Call it a plus-one. Call it a playoff. Call it a concession. Call it a lollipop.

• BCS executive director preaching patience as playoff talks continue.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Sophomore center has had major impact on altering way opponents attack TCU.

BASEBALL HEADLINES

• Former Lobo looking to parlay defensive versatility into spot on Colorado Rockies' roster

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

• San Diego State junior point guard Chelsea Hopkins posted her third double-digit assist game of the season on Saturday against Air Force, finishing with 10 of the team's 11 assists. Hopkins is the only Mountain West player with multiple games of 10 or more assists and the only one to do so in a league contest. She entered the week ranked first in the league and 10th nationally with an average of 6.5 assists per game. An Aztec has led the league in assists or assists average each of the last three seasons and four of the last five years.

• In the last two games, TCU freshman guard Natalie Ventress not only became the first player under head coach Jeff Mittie to post two-straight halves of 20 or more points, but also joined Wright State's Kim Demmings as the only freshmen nationally to accomplish scoring 20-plus points in a single-half in two games. Overall, Ventress, who has scored 20 or more points in six out of the last 10 games, ranks No. 15 among all freshmen nationally in points per game. She is the only freshman in the Mountain West to score at least 20 points in six contests.

• Kayla Woodward isn't the only freshman coming of age at Wyoming. Guard Kaitlyn Mileto, one of three freshmen starters for the Cowgirls, did not allow Colorado State standout and MW Preseason Player of the Year Kim Mestdagh to score a field goal in Saturday's 66-62 overtime win against the Rams. Mestdagh, who finished with four points (all free throws) had scored in double figures in every MW game this season.

• Air Force junior Dymond James registered her fourth double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds against Wyoming on Feb. 15, while junior Katie Hilbig tallied the second double-double of her career with 10 points and 10 rebounds versus San Diego State on Feb. 18. The Falcons finished with a season-low 12 turnovers against Wyoming.

• New Mexico senior Porche Torrance, who has 143 blocks going into this week's action, is two removed from taking over second place on the school's career list. Torrance is also averaging double figures with an average of 11.7 points and leads the MW with an average of 8.4 rebounds per game. She also holds the top spot in the league in blocks per game (2.6) and defensive rebounds (5.6).

• For the fourth time this season, UNLV's Lenita Sanford was named the Mountain West Women's Basketball Player of the Week. The only other player in Lady Rebel history to duplicate that feat was former UNLV standout Constance Jinks, who won the award four times during the 2001-02 season.

• Colorado State senior forward Kelly Hartig, who currently ranks second in the league in field-goal percentage (.545), has shot 64.3 percent from the field (18-of-28) in her last three games. Hartig finished a rebound short of a double-double against Boise State last week, posting a career-high 20 points while grabbing nine rebounds.

Who's got next? Fasten your seatbelts, folks. If this past week - make that five weeks - is any indication, we're in for a fun 14 days as the race for the Mountain West title enters the home stretch. What are your top Mountain West games on television this week? You can leave a comment below on my blog, email me at Mick@TheMWC.com, or send me a message on Twitter @MWCMick.

MW Men's Basketball

1. No. 18/21 New Mexico at Colorado State, Tuesday (8 p.m. MT, The Mtn. - DirecTV 616): It's not a week free of challenges for the first-place Lobos, who in the span of four days play at Colorado State and at TCU, teams that already own wins over nationally-ranked San Diego State and UNLV, respectively. New Mexico is riding a seven-game win streak and (finally) entered the national polls for the first time this season after dispatching the aforementioned Aztecs and Runnin' Rebels last week. The Rams and Horned Frogs are 12-1 and 12-2, respectively, at home this season, with CSU having won 11 straight at Moby Arena. The Rams' last loss at home came against Southern Mississippi on Nov. 19.

2. No. 18/21 New Mexico at TCU, Saturday (6 p.m. CT, The Mtn. - DirecTV 616): TCU has won seven straight at home, the team's longest run since winning nine in a row in 2008-09. The Frogs, whose last appearance in Fort Worth culminated in a 102-97 overtime victory over then-No. 11/11 UNLV, a game in which they rallied from an 18-point deficit, have not lost at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum since falling to Tulsa on Dec. 31.

3. Wyoming at No. 24/25 San Diego State, Wednesday (7:30 p.m. PT, The Mtn. - DirecTV 616): While New Mexico plays both of its games away from The Pit this week, the Aztecs, who trail the Lobos by two games in the standings, are at home for meetings with Wyoming and Colorado State. SDSU is 23-1 at home against current members of the MW, but also finds itself in the midst of a three-game skid for the first time in four years. One of only four teams in the league without an overall losing record on the road, Wyoming is also trying to put the brakes on a three-game losing streak.

4. Colorado State at No. 24/25 San Diego State, Saturday (7 p.m. PT, The Mtn. - DirecTV 616): The Rams dealt the then-12th-ranked Aztecs their worst loss of the season (77-60) on Jan. 28, posting their first home win against a ranked opponent since 2003. But while CSU has been largely bullet-proof at home, it is one of only two teams in the MW (TCU) not to have won a league road game this season. Overall, the Rams have lost eight straight away from Moby Arena.

5. Boise State at No. 21/20 UNLV, Wednesday (7:15 p.m. PT, CBS Sports Network - DirecTV 613): After going 0-7 through the first round of league play, Boise State has won three MW games in a row, with each of its last two wins coming down to the final second. The Broncos had the Runnin' Rebels on the ropes in Boise on Jan. 25 before falling 77-72 in overtime. UNLV, 13-0 at home this season, is looking to find its feet after consecutive losses to TCU and New Mexico (64-45), the latter marking its largest margin of defeat since dropping a 68-48 decision to Louisville on Nov. 21, 2007.

6. Air Force at No. 21/20 UNLV, Saturday (1 p.m. PT, NBC Sports Network - DirecTV 603): Hats off to Falcons' interim head coach Dave Pilipovich, who is now 2-1 following Saturday's 65-63 win over No. 13-ranked San Diego State. Air Force's only other victory against a ranked opponent came against No. 22 UTEP on Feb. 15, 1992. The Falcons put a scare into the Rebels in the teams' initial meeting of the season, falling 65-63 in overtime in a game Air Force led 34-33 at the half. Since the 2004-05 season, five of the seven meetings in Las Vegas have been decided by seven or fewer points.

7. TCU at Air Force, Wednesday (6 p.m. MT, The Mtn. - DirecTV 616): The Falcons, who rallied from a 12-point deficit to win at Wyoming on Wednesday, have won two in a row after dropping seven straight. TCU won the teams' initial meeting of the season, 59-56, in a game the Falcons led 28-26 at the half. The Frogs are looking for their first league road win of the season.

8. Boise State at Wyoming, Saturday (2 p.m. MT, The Mtn. - DirecTV 616): Wyoming never trailed in the teams' first meeting of the season on Jan. 28, winning 75-64 at Taco Bell Arena as it finished 25-of-38 (65.8 percent) from the field, including an 8-of-14 performance (57.1 percent) from three-point range. The Broncos took 24 shots from beyond the arc but made just seven.

MW Women's Basketball

San Diego State at Wyoming, Tuesday (6 p.m. MT; The Mtn. - DirecTV 616): The first-place Aztecs (20-5, 10-1), who hold a two-game lead in the MW with three to play, nailed down their third 20-win season in four years with Saturday's victory over Air Force. SDSU, which has won 16 of its last 17, trailed only once (3-2) against Wyoming in the teams' first meeting on Jan. 24, winning 56-45. The Cowgirls, who knocked off second-place Colorado State, 66-62, in overtime on Saturday, have won four of their last five home games. The game will feature MW Player of the Year candidate Courtney Clements (SDSU), Newcomer of the Year candidate Chelsea Hopkins (SDSU) and Freshman of the Year candidate Kayla Woodward (Wyoming).

MW MEN'S BASKETBALL

• Peak Performances: Colorado State junior guard Wes Eikmeier, who scored a career-high 26 points in Saturday's game at TCU, topped that achievement when he finished with 30 on Wednesday at Boise State. Eikmeier, the league's leading scorer (16.7 ppg), has hit at least one three-pointer in 20 of the Rams' 24 contests this season and has reached double figures in 20 games.

• Rare Occurrence: No. 13-ranked San Diego State, which owned the nation's fifth-longest streak without suffering consecutive losses (trailing only Kansas, Duke, Temple and Ohio State) prior to Wednesday's setback against New Mexico, has not lost three straight games since falling Feb. 9, 13 and 16, 2008. The Aztecs, who visit Air Force on Saturday, have gone 142 straight games without experiencing a three-game losing streak. SDSU is 11-1 in its last 12 games following a loss.

• Man of Many Talents: TCU senior guard Hank Thorns, who is tied for first in the MW in minutes played (33.4 mpg) and tied for third in 3-pointers made (2.28 3pg), also ranks No. 4 in assists (4.6 apg) and 3-point percentage (40.7%), No. 5 in scoring (13.7 ppg), No. 7 in assist/turnover ratio (1.47) and tied for 10th in steals (1.44 spg). In MW play, Thorns is No. 1 in 3-point shooting (47.0%) and 3's made (3.44 3pg) and is tied for No. 3 in scoring (15.8 ppg). He has made at least one 3-pointer in 13 consecutive games, a career-long streak that ranks as the second-longest active streak for all MW players.

• Ain't No Mountain High Enough: Air Force's rally from a 14-point deficit against Wyoming on Wednesday was its largest this season and the largest since overcoming an 18-point deficit against Sam Houston State on Dec. 28, 2010. It was also the largest deficit Air Force has overcome against a Mountain West opponent since Jan. 9, 2007, when the Falcons rallied from a 21-point first-half deficit to beat New Mexico, 65-57, at Clune Arena.

• Movin' On Up: New Mexico sophomore guard Kendall Williams, who tied a career-high with 21 points in Wednesday's 77-67 win at No. 13 San Diego State, has taken over as the team's leading scorer (12.5 ppg). Williams leads the Mountain West in league games only with a .564 shooting percentage, including a .515 mark from three-point range. He is averaging 14.2 points in Conference play and ranks among the MW top 10 overall in scoring (12.5), free throw percentage (.761) and assists (4.2).

• Rebels Look for Repeat Performance: In dealing New Mexico its worst league loss in four years (80-63) on Jan, 21, UNLV had five players finish in double figures, led by Mike Moser's double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman forward Carlos Lopez tied a career high with 14 points, while junior guard Anthony Marshall (13), senior forward Chace Stanback (13) and junior guard Justin Hawkins (10) also had double-digit scoring performances. The Runnin' Rebels held a 26-0 advantage in fast-break points, recorded 11 steals and forced 21 turnovers. The teams meet again at The Pit in Albuquerque on Saturday (11 a.m. MT, CBS).

• Cowboys Look to Get Back in Saddle: Wyoming, which visits Colorado State in Round 2 of the Border War on Saturday, suffered consecutive losses for the first time this season when it dropped a 58-53 decision at home to Air Force on Wednesday. The Cowboys, who had been 5-0 in games following losses, had outscored opponents by an average of 12 points in the five wins.

• Climbing the Charts: Boise State junior center Kenny Buckner, who had a team-high 20 points in Wednesday's win over Colorado State, has made 87 of his 144 field goal attempts in his debut season with the Broncos, a shooting percentage of .604. The mark currently ranks ninth all-time in Boise State single-season history, and is the best mark since Kurt Cunningham went 134-of-199 (.673) in 2008-09.

MW WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

• No Experience Necessary: Wyoming forward Kayla Woodward continues to defy the notion that freshman need time to get a feel for the game. In Wednesday's win at Air Force, Woodward posted her third double-double of the season, finishing with 19 points and 12 rebounds. She has led the team in scoring nine times.

• Formula for Success: First-place San Diego State has won or been even in the rebounding battle in 22 or its 24 games this season. The Aztecs have also had more offensive boards than their opponent in all but two games, holding a composite advantage of 417-292.

• Cool in the Clutch: For the fourth time this season and the fifth time in her career, UNLV junior guard Mia Bell provided the Lady Rebels with the game-winning points when she hit a pair of free throws with 11 seconds left in Wednesday's 55-54 win over TCU. Bell also has game-winners this season against Fresno State, UC Santa Barbara and Kansas State.

• A Future Flush with Fortune: TCU freshman guard Natalie Ventress, who scored a career-high 25 points on Wednesday against UNLV, has led the team in scoring 14 times this season. Ventress' performance against UNLV marked the fifth time this season that she's eclipsed the 20-point mark. Ventress, who had a career-high five three-pointers against the Lady Rebels, has made at least eight field goals in five games.

• Finishing with Flurry: Colorado State senior guard Kim Mestdagh, the MW Preseason Player of the Year, is making the most of her final season. Mestdagh, who has finished in double figures in every league game, has averaged 20.1 points in her last eight outings. She has also averaged 7.0 assists in the Rams' last three contests.

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

•  New Mexico looks to build on momentum from win at San Diego State.

• Pressure on Wyoming's bench should decrease with Derrious Gilmore's return.

• SDSU standout Jamaal Franklin is questionable for Saturday's game against Falcons.

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Aztecs look at offensive line challenges as matter of opportunity.

• Boise State's new football complex gets go-ahead from State Board of Education.

• CSU's McElwain opts to employ co-defensive coordinators.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• With three freshmen in backcourt, young guns are coming of age for Cowgirls.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

The following is a weekly ranking of the league's top 10 men's and top five women's hoopsters. Beg to differ? Think I've missed the mark? Which performances caught your attention this week? You can leave a comment below on my blog, email me at Mick@TheMWC.com, or send me a message on Twitter @MWCMick.

MW Men

1. Mike Moser, F, So., UNLV - There was little Moser didn't do in the Rebels' 65-63 win over No. 13 San Diego State last Saturday, finishing with 19 points, nine rebounds, six steals and four blocks. He then went for 22 points with eight rebounds in an overtime loss at TCU. He has posted a double-double in seven of his last 11 games.

2. Hank Thorns, G, Sr., TCU - Thorns, the Las Vegas native who on Saturday had 15 points and six assists in a 75-71 win over Colorado State, delivered the ultimate dagger on Tuesday, scoring a career-high 32 points in TCU's 102-97 overtime win over No. 11 UNLV. Thorns' 32 points matched the third-highest output by a MW player this season. His eight three-pointers equaled the second-highest single-game total by a TCU player, one shy of Michael Strickland's school record of nine set against Arkansas on Feb. 14, 1990.

3. Kendall Williams, G, So., New Mexico - As was the case a year ago, Williams seems to have saved his best for the stretch run. After finishing with a game-high 10 points and five assists in Saturday's grueling 48-38 win over Wyoming, Williams tied a career-high with 21 points on Wednesday as the visiting Lobos took sole possession of first place with 77-67 win over No. 13 San Diego State. Williams, who hit a career-high 5-of-6 attempts from beyond the arc against the Aztecs, is shooting 51.5 percent (17-of-33) from 3-point range in MW games.

4. Jamaal Franklin, G, So., San Diego State - Despite the Aztecs suffering consecutive losses for the first time in 80 games, Franklin recorded his eighth double-double of the season and ninth of his career with 16 points and 10 rebounds in Wednesday's setback against New Mexico. Franklin, who finished in double-figure scoring for a career-high 13th straight time, has eight double-doubles in his last 12 games. Against the Lobos, he led the team in rebounding for the seventh straight game.

5. Wes Eikmeier, G, Jr., Colorado State - While the Rams can't seem to find their way home on the road, having lost eight straight away from Moby Arena, don't blame Eikmeier. After finishing with a game-high 26 points (5-of-6 from three-point range) in a loss at TCU on Saturday, Eikmeier posted a game-high 30 points in Wednesday's loss at Boise State. He is the league's leading scorer at 17.6 points per game.

6. Drew Gordon, F, Sr., New Mexico - While the Lobos were bombing away from three-point range with repeated success in Wednesday's win at No. 13 San Diego State, Gordon took care of things inside, finishing with 17 points and 17 rebounds, both season-highs against a MW opponent. It was Gordon's 12th double of the season and 25th of his career, 13 of which have come in MW play.

7. Craig Williams, F, Sr., TCU - Williams matched his entire season total for three-pointers by hitting 4-of-5 attempts from beyond the arc and finished with 20 points in Saturday's 75-71 win over Colorado State. In a game in which TCU matched its season high with 12 three-pointers, Williams went 7-of-11 from the field. He fouled out in Tuesday's overtime win against UNLV, but nonetheless contributed 10 points in 13 minutes.

8. Michael Lyons, G, Jr., Air Force - After going a combined 0-for-7 from beyond the arc in losses to New Mexico and Colorado State the previous week, Lyons regained his stroke against Boise State and Wyoming, connecting on 10-of-14 three-pointers. He shot 66.7 percent (18-of-27) from the field overall in those two contests, finishing with 24 points each time. Lyons has topped the 20-point mark in three of his last five games.

9. Oscar Bellfield, G, Sr., UNLV - Bellfield, who finished with 15 points and six assists in Saturday's win over San Diego State, came back with 16 points and five assists in Tuesday's overtime loss at TCU. Ranked No. 2 all-time on the MW assist list, Bellfield needs 28 assists to pass career leader and former New Mexico standout Dairese Gary, who had 564 from 2007-11.

10. Dave Pilipovich, Interim Head Coach, Air Force - The Falcons have endured more than their share of struggles this season, and changing head coaches in mid-season only heightens the challenge. Nontheless, with Pilipovich directing just his second game, the Falcons overcame a 14-2 deficit at the outset to defeat host Wyoming 58-53 on Wednesday. The win was Air Force's first in Laramie since the 2007-08 season. The Cowboys had won 13 of 15 home games this season prior to the loss.

Honorary performer: Derrick Marks, G, Fr., Boise State - Marks only scored seven points in Wednesday's win over Colorado State, but any guy who goes coast-to-coast to hit a game-winning shot with .8 seconds left, particularly a freshman, should at least get a mention in the weekly top 10.

MW Women

1. Kim Mestdagh, G, Sr., Colorado State - Whatever struggles the MW Preseason Player of the Year may have endured in non-conference play, Mestdagh is playing her best basketball down the stretch. After finishing with 21 points, eight assists and two steals in the Rams' first victory over TCU in 13 years, Mestdagh had 18 points, five assists and four steals in a 67-58 win over Boise State, keeping CSU in contention for its first MW title since 2001-02.

2. Chelsea Hopkins, G, Jr., San Diego State - Hopkins kept the Aztecs atop the league standings, posting her third double-double of the year with 12 points and 12 assists and a team-high six rebounds in a 77-64 win over UNLV. Hopkins' 12 assists matched her career high and are three more than any other MW player in a league contest this season. She also had 12 points, contributed six of the team's nine assists and had two steals in a 57-44 win over New Mexico on Wednesday.

3. Kayla Woodward, F, Fr., Wyoming - Woodward continued to make a strong case for the MW's Freshman of the Year award, averaging 16.0 points and 9.0 rebounds in games against New Mexico and Air Force. Woodward had 13 points, six rebounds and two blocks in a three-point loss to New Mexico before posting a double-double with 19 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and two steals in Wednesday's win over Air Force.

4. Lenita Sanford, F, Sr., UNLV - Slowed by a knee injury during a stretch in which the Lady Rebels endured a three-game losing streak, Sanford returned to form in Wednesday's 55-54 win over TCU. Finishing with 19 points, 13 rebounds, three blocks and two steals, she was instrumental in snapping the team's three-game skid, recording her sixth double-double and enabling the Lady Rebels to post their first season sweep of TCU.

5. Ashley Sickles, F, Jr., Wyoming - Sickles, who ranks among the top 10 players in the league in five statistical categories, posted her first career double-double in Wednesday's win over Air Force, finishing with 26 points and 12 rebounds. Sickles went 9-of-13 from the field, including a 6-of-6 performance from three-point range.

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• There's a whole lot on line for Lobos as they gear up for rematches with Aztecs, Rebels.

• Players from Down Under have wasted little time rising to top for Boise State.

• It's not just another game on schedule when NCAA Tournament seeding is at stake.

• Falcons' junior guard Kyle Green throws open the door when opportunity knocks.

• Colorado State looks to cure road woes at Boise State.

• From Flava Flav to the Rebellion, a rejuvenated fan base inspires the Runnin' Rebels.

• Aztecs' rebuilding year has turned into a bridge to somewhere.

• Investment in coach's approach to defense has paid dividends for Cowboys.

BASEBALL HEADLINES

• San Diego State coach and Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn undergoes cancer surgery.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Neither New Mexico coach Yvonne Sanchez nor her brother intended to chase coaching careers.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

• Colorado State senior guard Kim Mestdagh, the preseason MW Player of the Year, moved into fourth place in the CSU record book for career points when she scored 21 in the Rams' win over TCU on Saturday. Mestdagh, who earned MW co-Player of the Week honors, now has 1,616 career points.

• New Mexico junior guard Caroline Durbin, who scored a game-high 23 points in leading the Lobos to their first MW road win of the season at Wyoming on Saturday, has scored in double figures in 21 out of 23 contests this season, including recording six 20-point games. The league leader in three-point field goal percentage in MW games only (.556), Durbin also ranks third in scoring (17.4 ppg) and field-goal percentage (.508).

• San Diego State junior guard Chelsea Hopkins, who along with Colorado State's Kim Mestdagh earned MW co-Player of the Week honors, logged her third double-double of the season (12 points, 12 assists) in Saturday's win over UNLV. Hopkins' 12 assists matched her career high and are three more than any other Mountain West player in a league contest this season. Hopkins ranks 10th nationally in assists (6.4/g) and is 18th in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.1).

• Wyoming junior forward Chaundra Sewell has done it all for the Cowgirls this season. Sewell, the squad's lone returning starter, has either led or tied for team-high honors in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals in six games this season. She has also led or tied for team-high honors in blocks on 10 occasions.

• Air Force junior guard Alicia Leipprandt scored a game-high 22 points against Boise State on Saturday, marking her highest scoring output of the league season. Leipprandt, who shot 8-of-11 from the field, had her best offensive performance since scoring 32 points against South Florida on Dec. 3. It was the fourth 20-plus point game of the season for Leipprandt, who had posted only two 20-plus outings in her previous two seasons.

• One of the key reasons behind UNLV's current three-game losing streak has been the health of senior forward Lenita Sanford. Prior to suffering a knee injury in mid-January, Sanford was averaging 11.6 points and 7.5 rebounds and had scored in double figures in five straight games. Since returning in a limited capacity against Colorado State on Feb. 1, she has averaged 5.6 points and 3.0 rebounds.

• TCU, which can break a three-way tie for third place when it hosts UNLV, is 19-5 in the final month of the season over the past three years. Since joining the league in 2005, the Horned Frogs, who advanced to their first MW Tournament title game last season, are 34-12 in the month of February.

• The Boise State tandem of senior guard Kati Isham (14.8 ppg) and junior forward Lauren Lenhardt (14.6 ppg) ranks fourth and fifth, respectively, in scoring in the MW. Isham and Lenhardt, who has four 20-plus point games.

This week's television slate features eight MW men's games and three women's contests. What are your top Mountain West games on television this week? You can leave a comment below on my blog, email me at Mick@TheMWC.com, or send me a message on Twitter @MWCMick.

MW Men's Basketball

1. New Mexico at No. 13/15 San Diego State, Wednesday (7:15 p.m. PT, CBS Sports Network, DirecTV 613): Assuming 11th-ranked UNLV wins at TCU on Tuesday --- and that's assuming a lot considering the Horned Frogs have won six straight at home --- the loser of this game will fall out of the current three-way tie for first place among the Runnin' Rebels, Aztecs and Lobos. San Diego State, which has won four of its last five against New Mexico, including a 75-70 win in Albuquerque on Jan. 18, is 23-0 at home against current members of the MW. The Lobos enter Wednesday's match-up riding a five-game win streak.

2. No. 11/11 UNLV at New Mexico, Saturday (11 a.m. MT, CBS): The Runnin' Rebels made short work of the Lobos in Las Vegas last month, winning 80-63 in a game in which New Mexico suffered its worst league defeat since Feb. 2, 2008 (a 19-point loss to UNLV). The Rebels, who swept New Mexico last season, have won four of their last six against the Lobos, including two straight in Albuquerque. New Mexico is 11-2 at The Pit this season and has won its six MW games by an average of 19.2 points.

3. No. 11/11 UNLV at TCU, Tuesday (6:30 p.m. CT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): While the Runnin' Rebels have lost just twice to the Horned Frogs in 18 meetings, TCU extended its home win streak to six with Saturday's 75-71 victory over Colorado State, the Frogs' longest run since winning nine in a row at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum in 2008-09. Overall, TCU is 11-2 at home this season, as well as being 11-2 in games decided by six or fewer points.

4. Wyoming at Colorado State, Saturday (7 p.m. MT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): If Colorado State and Wyoming are able to get past Boise State and Air Force, respectively, on Wednesday, this season's second meeting in the Border War could have significant implications. Both enter the week at 4-4 in MW play, with the Cowboys having beaten the Rams, 70-51, on Jan. 21 in a game in which Wyoming junior forward Leonard Washington finished with a career-high 32 points and 14 rebounds. While CSU is 11-1 at home this season, both teams have won three times in the last six meetings in Fort Collins.

5. TCU at Boise State, Saturday (2 p.m. MT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): Boise State got a much-needed shot in the arm on Saturday, winning its first MW and first road game of the season with a 72-61 victory at Air Force. One of the Broncos' toughest (and narrowest) losses of the first half of the league season came at TCU, where the Frogs staged a 20-2 run over the final 8:50 to win, 54-52.

6. Colorado State at Boise State, Wednesday (2 p.m. MT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): The Rams won the season's first meeting on Jan. 17, 66-55, behind 20 points from junior guard Dorian Green. Boise State, which was 9-0 at Taco Bell Arena in non-conference play, must somehow find a way to regain the benefit of home-court advantage. While the Broncos' average margin of defeat in MW games on the road this season has been 5.0 points, their four home losses in league play have come by an average of 11.8.

7. No. 13/15 San Diego State at Air Force, Saturday (2 p.m. MT, NBC Sports Network, DirecTV 603): The Aztecs have had their share of struggles at Clune Arena, dropping five straight between 2004 and 2008. The Falcons have not been so fortunate in the series of late, however, losing eight in a row, including a 57-44 loss in San Diego on Jan. 21.

8. Air Force at Wyoming, Wednesday (6 p.m. MT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): With 5:46 remaining in the teams' first meeting of the season at the Academy on Jan. 18, Air Force led 46-42. Yet over the course of the final 5:07, Wyoming forced five of the Falcons' 16 turnovers and outscored the Falcons, 22-7, en route to a 64-53 win.

MW Women's Basketball

1. Boise State at Colorado State, Tuesday (7:30 p.m. MT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): Colorado State, which beat Boise State 60-52 in the teams' first meeting of the season, enters the week in sole possession of second place. Yet the Rams would do well to take advantage of Moby Arena while they can. Following its rematch with the Broncos, CSU plays three of its final four regular-season games on the road, with the lone home contest coming against league leader San Diego State.

2. New Mexico at UNLV, Saturday (3:30 p.m. PT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): New Mexico pocketed its first road win of the season on Saturday, 60-57 at Wyoming to put the brakes on the Cowgirls' longest win streak of the season (three). Lobos junior guard Caroline Durbin, who scored a game-high 23 points (19 in the second half), enters Wednesday's contest at San Diego State having averaged 25.0 points in her last two games. UNLV, which beat New Mexico 64-50 on Jan. 21, is trying to stop a three-game skid after winning five of its first six MW games.

3. Boise State at TCU, Saturday (12 p.m. CT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): In a game that was tied 29-29 at the half at Taco Bell Arena on Jan. 21, TCU shot 57.7 percent in the second half en route to a 74-68 win. Delisa Gross and Natalie Ventress both finished with 18 points for the Frogs. TCU enters the week locked in a three-way tie for third place with UNLV and Wyoming.

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• UNLV's Mike Moser provides perspective on Saturday's showdown with San Diego State.

• In world that's neither fair nor necessarily easy, SDSU's Tim Shelton is beacon of light.

• Rebels coach Dave Rice ready to do battle with new opponent: Autism

• Cut by his high school team, DeShaun Stephens is getting grip on game at SDSU.

• Wyoming will be facing a new challenge in rematch with New Mexico.

• Pierce Hornung's absence underscored his value to Colorado State.

• Wyoming's coaching staff had hand in resurrecting Lobos during 1980s.

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Eleven MW players receive official invitations to the NFL Combine. Here's the list.

• New Lobos offensive coordinator will tailor system to players.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Wyoming freshman Woodward feeling a flow on the hardwood.

• Clements reaping the benefits of hard work at SDSU.

OTHER MW HEADLINES

• Steady and spirited wins the race for New Mexico softball coach.

• Lobos hosting the nation's best in indoor track & field.

• UNM learning from last season's highs and lows heading into 2012 baseball season.

• UNLV baseball looks to local prep talent.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

With the first half of the Mountain West schedule in the books, it's time to reveal my midseason picks for the various individual and all-Conference awards. I considered overall and MW-only performances in making today's selections, but the actual postseason awards will be limited to Conference-only statistics. Beg to differ? Think I've missed the mark? How do my picks stack up against your favorites? You can leave a comment below on my blog, email me at Mick@TheMWC.com, or send me a message on Twitter @MWCMick.

ALL-MW MEN'S BASKETBALL

• Mike Moser, F, So., UNLV - Moser is third in the nation with a league-leading average of 11.7 rebounds per game, trailing only Siena's O.D. Anosike (12.9 rpg) and Kansas' Thomas Robinson (11.8). He is fourth in the MW in scoring (14.7 ppg) and has recorded double-doubles in six of his last seven games. He leads the MW and is 10th nationally with 12 double-doubles.

• Jamaal Franklin, G, So., San Diego State - Franklin is the only player in the Mountain West to rank in the top three in both scoring and rebounding for all games (16.0 ppg,1st; 7.2 rpg, 3rd) and conference games only (18.0 ppg, 2nd; 9.3 rpg, 2nd). He has reached double figures in scoring in a career-high 11 straight games and has seven double-doubles in his last 10 games. During that 10-game stretch, Franklin has averaged a team-high 17.9 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.4 steals.

• Leonard Washington, F, Jr., Wyoming - Washington has been in double figures in all nine games for the Cowboys since Jan. 1. He has scored more than 20 points twice during that span, including a 32-point effort against Colorado State on Jan. 21. He is currently one of three players in the MW, along with Moser and Franklin, to rank in the top 10 for all games in points (13.2), rebounds (6.5) and blocks (1.1). In Conference games only, Washington ranks first in field-goal percentage (.577) and second in scoring (17.0 ppg).

• Chase Tapley, G, Jr., San Diego State - Tapley, who is second in the league in scoring (15.9) and first in steals (2.09), has already surpassed his scoring total from both his freshman and sophomore seasons. He has reached double figures in scoring in a career-high 17 straight games. In all games, Tapley ranks first in minutes played (33.3), second in 3-point field-goal percentage (.433), third in field-goal percentage (.475) and fifth in 3-point field goals made (2.3).

• Anthony Marshall, G, Jr. UNLV - Marshall, who at 6-foot-3 is UNLV's second-leading rebounder (4.6 rpg), ranks among the top 10 players in the league in assists (No. 2, 5.0), assist-to-turnover ratio (No. 3, 1.7), steals (No. 6, 1.6) and free-throw percentage (No. 9, 73.3). He ranks second on the team in scoring (14.9 ppg), has two double-doubles to his credit this season and has reached double figures in scoring in nine of his last 11 games.

• Player of the Year: Mike Moser, UNLV.

• Newcomer of the Year: Mike Moser, UNLV.

• Freshman of the Year: Anthony Drmic, F, Boise State.
Drmic is the only freshman in the league to rank among the top 20 in scoring (11th, 12.5 ppg) and rebounding (4.9 rpg). He also leads all MW freshmen in 3-point field-goal percentage (.350) and 3-point field goals made (2.33).

• Coach of the Year: Steve Fisher, San Diego State.
When you lose four starters from a Sweet 16 team, one of them a first-round NBA draft pick, and still manage to find yourself ranked among the top-15 teams in the nation, that's not merely remarkable, it's ridiculous. Fisher, last year's National Coach of the Year, has designated assistant head coach Brian Dutcher as the program's head-coach-in-waiting. At this rate, Dutcher could be waiting a while.

ALL-MW WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

• Courtney Clements, G, Jr., San Diego State - Clements, the league's leading scorer (16.6 ppg), has a MW-best eight 20-point games. She has scored at least 17 points in 14 contests and has reached double-figures in all but three games. Clements also ranks third in the MW in free-throw percentage (.839), 3-point field goals made (2.2) and is fourth in 3-point field-goal percentage (.366).

• Chaundra Sewell, F, Jr., Wyoming - The team's lone returning starter this season, Sewell has posted a MW-leading nine double-doubles. In all games, she ranks second in rebounding (8.9 rpg), seventh in scoring (13.4 ppg) and fifth in field-goal percentage (.457). Sewell is the league leader in offensive rebounds with an average of 3.8 per game.

• Kim Mestdagh, G/F, Sr., Colorado State - Mestdagh, the MW Preseason Player of the Year, has been in double figures in 21 of CSU's 23 games. In all games, she ranks first in the MW in steals (2.7), second in 3-point field goals made (2.3), third in scoring (15.3 ppg) and assists (3.7), and is fifth in free-throw percentage (.828) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.0).

• Chelsea Hopkins, G, Jr., San Diego State - Hopkins is averaging 6.1 assists per game, a figure that ranks 12th nationally and is a full 2.0 more than any player in the league. She also leads the MW and ranks in the top 30 nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.0). A main component on a first-place team that put together its longest win streak (13) in 17 years, Hopkins has had four double-digit rebound games this season and is SDSU's third-leading scorer at 9.4 points per game.

• Sam Martin, F, So., Colorado State - In all games, Martin ranks first in the MW in field-goal percentage (.546) and second in free-throw percentage (.880). She is the league's sixth-leading scorer (13.6 pgg), having posted 13 double-digit scoring games and recording two double-doubles.

• Player of the Year: Courtney Clements, San Diego State.

• Newcomer of the Year: Chelsea Hopkins, San Diego State.

• Freshman of the Year: Kayla Woodward, Wyoming
Woodward has been stellar in league play, where she ranks second in field-goal percentage (53.3 percent), third in scoring (17.8 ppg), sixth in free-throw percentage (.810), sixth (tied) in rebounds (6.6 rpg) and seventh in steals (1.8). In all games, she ranks 12th in the league in scoring (12.0 ppg).

• Coach of the Year: Beth Burns, San Diego State.
At 7-1, the first-place Aztecs are off to their best start in league play since the 1997 squad also was 7-1 and went on to post a 15-1 mark en route to the regular-season conference title. SDSU has five more victories than it had all of last season. This is the fourth time in the last five years the Aztecs have at least 14 wins after being unable to reach that mark once in the previous 10 seasons. The Aztecs' loss to TCU last Saturday, which snapped a 13-game win streak, was the team's first setback in nearly two months. The win streak is the ninth-best in the nation this season and tied for fourth-longest in school history.

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Red-hot New Mexico generating plenty of buzz going into second half of season.

• Wyoming coach Larry Shyatt is rewriting the script in Laramie.

• Dave Rice has hit the court running in first season with Rebels.

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Defensive coordinator's jump to Colorado State figures to fuel the fire of Border War.

• UNLV shuffles staff, announces new offensive and defensive coordinators.

• Former Boise State signal-caller Kellen Moore is one of 19 QBs invited to NFL Combine.

• McElwain's staff hirings at CSU translate to homecoming for former local prep standout.

• Boise State football center granted sixth year of eligibility.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Air Force freshman rekindles a career she thought was over.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

• Keep an eye on Wyoming. The Cowgirls, who have put together their longest winning streak of the season (three), play three of their next four games at home. Wyoming hasn't lost at home since dropping a three-point decision to UNLV in its MW opener. The Cowgirls, who are currently in a three-way tie for third place, atoned for the setback against UNLV with a 51-47 overtime win in Las Vegas on Saturday.

• New Mexico junior guard Caroline Durbin has been in double figures in every league game this season. Durbin, who is averaging 16.8 points against MW opponents, has finished as either the team's or the game's high scorer four times in eight league contests. She had a career-high 29 points against Wyoming earlier this season.

• In seeing its 13-game winning streak come to an end in Saturday's 58-39 loss at TCU, league leader San Diego State failed to connect on a three-point shot (0-for-17) for the first time this season.

• Boise State junior forward Lauren Lenhardt, who has led the Broncos in scoring six of their last eight games, has hit at least one three-point basket in every league contest this season. In conference games only, Lenhardt leads the league in both scoring (20.1 ppg) and three-point field-goal percentage (57.7, 15-for-26). Only one other player in the MW --- New Mexico's Caroline Durbin (52.2) --- is shooting better than 50 percent from beyond the arc in league games.

• Through 23 games this season, Colorado State sophomore forward Sam Martin ranks 14th in the nation and first in the MW with a free-throw shooting percentage (minimum of 2.5 made per game) of 88.0 percent (66-of-75).

• TCU has held nine different opponents to less than 30 percent shooting from the floor this season, including San Diego State, which shot a season-low 23.4 percent on Saturday. The Frogs are 6-1 when holding an opponent without a three-point field-goal in a half. Five opponents in TCU's last eight home games have not hit a three-point shot in a half.

At the midway point of the Conference season, 15 of the 16 men's and women's basketball teams get a mid-week break (the TCU men will be stepping out for a non-conference date Wednesday at SMU). But a full schedule of television games will fill up your Saturday with four MW men's games and two women's contests on the slate. What are your top Mountain West games on television this week? You can leave a comment below on my blog, email me at Mick@TheMWC.com, or send me a message on Twitter @MWCMick.

MW Men's Basketball

1. No. 13/14 San Diego State at No. 14/16 UNLV, Saturday (1 p.m. PT; NBC Sports Network, DirecTV 603): Fans on both sides have been eagerly awaiting this top-25 re-match since Jamaal Franklin's last-second bucket lifted San Diego State to a 69-67 win in the teams' MW season opener in San Diego. The Aztecs, who enter the game in sole possession of first place, have an opportunity to grab the inside track to the league title, particularly in that they get New Mexico, Wyoming and Colorado State at home over the course of the next three weeks. SDSU has won six straight against UNLV, but will be entering a Thomas and Mack Center where the Runnin' Rebels are undefeated in 12 outings this season.

2. Wyoming at New Mexico, Saturday (1:30 p.m. MT; The Mtn., DirecTV 616): The Cowboys, who made things even more interesting in this season's regular-season race with Saturday's win over UNLV, can wreak additional havoc this weekend in Albuquerque. Doing so, however, will require an effort of some proportion. While Wyoming has found success away from Arena-Auditorium by winning four of its last five road games, the Lobos have won four straight games by an average of 26.3 points and are 12-2 at The Pit this season. New Mexico, who is receiving votes in both top-25 polls this week, won the season's first meeting in Laramie, 72-62.

3. Colorado State at TCU, Saturday (7:30 p.m. CT; The Mtn., DirecTV 616): The teams' first meeting of the season in Fort Collins was a dandy, with Colorado State winning 95-89 in double overtime after the Horned Frogs had forced the first extra session by erasing an 11-point deficit. TCU, which has won five straight at home, is 10-1 this season in games decided by six or fewer points.

4. Boise State at Air Force, Saturday (7 p.m. MT; CBS Sports Network, DirecTV 613): The Falcons recorded their largest margin of victory in a MW road game under coach Jeff Reynolds in the teams' first meeting of the season, winning 74-59. The Broncos, hit hard by offseason attrition and the loss to injury of key players Igor Hadziomerovich and Jeff Elorriaga, have been forced to use 11 different lineups this year, more than they did in the entire 2010-11 campaign (eight). BSU is still in search of first road win of the 2011-12 campaign.

MW Women's Basketball

1. TCU at Colorado State, Saturday (4:30 p.m. MT; CBS Sports Network, DirecTV 613): Colorado State, which claimed sole possession of second place with Saturday's win over Air Force and UNLV's loss to Wyoming, will be looking to avenge a 79-71 loss to the Frogs on Jan. 14. TCU hit 12 three-point shots in a game it led 15-0 before the Rams got on the scoreboard. This game features two of the top freshmen in the Conference in CSU's LaDeyah Forte and TCU's Natalie Ventress.

2. Air Force at Boise State, Saturday (4 p.m. MT; The Mtn., DirecTV 616): Boise State put the brakes on a five-game losing streak and moved a game over .500 (12-11) with Saturday's win at New Mexico. Air Force's 81-75 setback against the Broncos on Jan. 14 was its narrowest margin in a loss this season against a MW opponent.

MW MEN'S BASKETBALL

• Lobos Lighting it Up: Heading into Saturday's contest at Boise State, New Mexico has outscored its last three opponents by an eye-popping average of 29.7 points per game. The Lobos' 81-42 win at Air Force on Tuesday marked their third-largest margin of victory in a road game and the second-largest in a league road game. New Mexico beat BYU by 42 (90-48) in Provo on Feb. 27, 1997.

• Plenty in Reserve: New Mexico's bench tied a season high for the second time in three games in the team's win at Air Force by scoring 42 points. It's the sixth time this season the Lobo reserves have combined to score at least 40 points.

• May I Help You?: UNLV ranks third in the nation with a league-best 18.7 assist average. The Rebels have dished out at least 18 assists in 14 of their 24 games this season.

• Man of Many Talents: Wyoming junior forward Leonard Washington has been a handful in MW play. Washington, who sat out last season after transferring from USC, is averaging a league-best 17.2 points against MW opponents and is averaging a team-high 13.1 points and 6.5 rebounds for the season. He ranks in the top eight in six different league categories, including a MW-best field goal percentage of 62.4.

• Getting Defensive: TCU is forcing an average of 17.1 turnovers per game, 1.2 more than any other Mountain West team. The Frogs are No. 2 in the MW and No. 38 nationally in average turnover margin (+2.67). More than 25% of the Frogs' points this season have come off turnovers (385 of 1,483).

• Tough to Double Up: Though it was nearly ambushed by Boise State on Wednesday after falling to Colorado State, San Diego State has gone 77 consecutive games without suffering consecutive losses, the fifth-longest streak in the nation.

MW WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

• Flirting with Perfection: San Diego State's 13-game win streak is the program's longest since the 1994-95 team set a school record with 18 consecutive victories. It is also the fifth-longest current streak in the nation, trailing only four top-10 ranked teams in No. 1 Baylor (22), No.10 Green Bay (19), No. 2 Notre Dame (19) and No. 4 Stanford (16). A win on Saturday at TCU would give SDSU (7-0 in MW play) its best league start since going 14-0 in 1995.

• Deep Threat: Since the beginning of Mountain West play this season, Colorado State's Kim Mestdagh has hit three three-pointers in seven consecutive games. The Rams are 7-4 when Mestdagh makes at least three from beyond the arc. Mestdagh's season high for three-pointers came vs. Tulsa on Nov. 17 when she hit seven en route to a career-high 35 points.

• Doubling Down: After posting her second consecutive double-double (20 points, 11 rebounds) in Wednesday's win over TCU, Wyoming junior forward Chaundra Sewell now has nine double-doubles this season.

• Shouldering the Load: Boise junior forward Lauren Lenhardt and senior guard Kati Isham have accounted for nearly 45 percent of the Broncos' scoring this season. Lenhardt, who had a game-high 24 points on Wednesday against San Diego State, has scored 20 or more points in four of the team's seven league games.

• Pulling Away: San Diego State has never trailed in the second half in 15 of its 17 victories this season.

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• The Aztecs' future man in the middle is growing by leaps and bounds.

• Charlie Spoonhour should never be forgotten for what he did for UNLV basketball.

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• New Mexico coach Bob Davie is happy camper being back on the sideline.

• SDSU's Rocky Long didn't just want a kicker; he wanted an athlete.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Wyoming coach Joe Legerski doesn't want his young team to get ahead of itself.

• Lady Rebels forward is hoping for a fitting end to a long journey.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

The following is a weekly ranking of the Mountain West's top 10 men's and top five women's performers. Beg to differ? Think I've missed the mark? Who do you think had a great week? You can leave a comment below on my blog, email me at Mick@TheMWC.com, or send me a message on Twitter @MWCMick.

MW Men

1. Mike Moser, F, So., UNLV - Moser was almost pedestrian in Wednesday's win over Colorado State, finishing with 13 points and eight rebounds. Of course, after averaging 22.5 points, 16.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.0 assists in consecutive overtime road wins prior to Wednesday's game, even Superman has occasional problems pulling his cape on.

2. Jamaal Franklin, G, So., San Diego State - Finished with 16 points in Wednesday's win over Boise State, reaching double figures for a career-high 10th straight game. After a 9-for-10 outing at the free-throw line against the Broncos, he is now 27 for his last 29 from the free-throw line.

3. Oscar Bellfield, G, Sr., UNLV - Bellfield kept the nation's No. 11-ranked team rolling by averaging 14.0 points and 6.5 assists in wins over Air Force and Colorado State. Bellfield's average of 5.3 assists per game leads the MW.

4. Wes Eikmeier, G, Jr., Colorado State - After leading Colorado State with 19 points in Saturday's upset of then-No. 13 San Diego State, Eikmeier finished with a game-high 18 in Wednesday's loss at No. 11 UNLV. Eikmeier, the second-leading scorer in the Mountain West, has now hit a three-pointer in 18 of CSU's 21 contests this season and has scored in double figures 17 times.

5. Kendall Williams, G, So., New Mexico - Averaged 13.5 points and 4.5 assists as the Lobos posted consecutive wins over Air Force and TCU. His seven rebounds against Air Force marked a career-high.

6.Chase Tapley, G, Jr., San Diego State - Tapley, who had 14 points in Wednesday's win over Boise State, has scored in double figures a career-high 16 straight games and 20 times this season. He has recorded multiple steals in 13 of the Aztecs' 22 games.

7. Leonard Washington, F, Jr. Wyoming - Washington, who had a game-high 21 points against TCU on Wednesday, is one of four players to rank among the top 10 in the Mountain West in both points and rebounds. He is also just one of two players, along with UNLV's Mike Moser, to rank in the top 10 of the MW in points, rebounds and blocks. Washington is currently in the top 10 of six different MW categories.

8. Drew Gordon, F, Sr., New Mexico - Even though his scoring numbers dipped in games against TCU and Air Force, Gordon continued to be a force on the glass as he averaged 9.0 rebounds in the two contests. The league's No. 2 rebounder with an average of 10.5 per game, he now has 505 career rebounds in 48 games with the Lobos.

9. Anthony Drmic, F, Fr., Boise State - Drmic, who tied for game-high honors with 17 points in Wednesday's two-point loss at San Diego State, continues to be the only freshman in the league to rank among the top 20 in scoring (11th; 12.8 points per game). He also leads all MW freshmen in rebounding (5.0 per game), 3-point field goal percentage (.364) and 3-point field goals per game (2.4).

10. Tony Snell, G, So., New Mexico - After scoring just 10 points in his first two league games this season, Snell has scored a combined 51 in his last four.

MW Women

1. Courtney Clements, G, Jr., San Diego State - The league's leading scorer is making a serious case for Player of the Year honors. Clements, who has played a major role in San Diego State's 13-game win streak and 7-0 start in league play, finished as the team's leading scorer and rebounder in wins against Colorado State and Boise State, averaging 18.0 points and 6.0 rebounds.

2. Chaundra Sewell, F, Jr., Wyoming - Sewell helped move the Cowgirls over the .500 mark in league play by posting a pair of double-doubles. After finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds in Saturday's win over Boise State, Sewell had 20 points and 11 rebounds to help lead Wyoming past a TCU team that had won three straight.

3. Kim Mestdagh, G/F, Sr., Colorado State - Mestdagh finished as the leading scorer in Wednesday's key matchup with UNLV, putting up 22 points to enable the Rams to hold onto a tie for second place in the MW. Mestdagh, the league's Preseason Player of the Year, also had a game-high 21 points in Saturday's loss to league leader San Diego State.

4. Chelsea Hopkins, G, Jr., San Diego State - Hopkins, the league's assist leader by a wide margin, has dished out 100 assists in the Aztecs' 13-game win streak after finishing with seven on Wednesday at Boise State. Hopkins also scored 13 points against the Broncos after finishing with 15 in Saturday's win over Colorado State.

5. Kayla Woodward, F, Fr., Wyoming - Woodward, who along with TCU's Natalie Ventress is making a push for Freshman of the Year honors, averaged 17.5 points and 6.0 rebounds in wins over Boise State and TCU.

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• In grueling MW, Pokes have found success away from Arena-Auditorium.

• UNLV's Moser has been a monster, even when he's ailing.

• Former SDSU standout Marcus Slaughter has become professional globetrotter.

• Rebel Nation loses former coach Charlie Spoonhour.

• Extended losing streaks have seldom been part of program for Aztecs.

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Falcons' defensive coordinator leaving Academy to coach linebackers at Texas A&M.

• San Diego State recruit gives new meaning to term 'veteran leadership.'

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Colorado State's regular-season fate could hang in balance against UNLV.

• Cowgirls not out of woods yet, but young team showing signs of progress.

• New Mexico's women's basketball team continues to draw impressive crowds to The Pit.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

MW Women's Basketball News and Notes • San Diego State's 12-game win streak is the longest by a Mountain West squad this year. The Aztecs (16-4, 6-0 MW) have exceeded their win total from last season when they went 12-17. SDSU has at least 15 victories for the fourth time in the last five years after failing to reach that mark once in the previous 10 seasons.

• Despite having three starters out for the season with injuries and still searching for its first MW win, New Mexico's women's basketball team continues to draw impressive crowds to The Pit. The Lobos ranked No. 10 in the nation in women's basketball home attendance with an average of 6,756.

• Air Force has used 12 different starting lineups this season with 11 different players earning at least one start. Sophomore forward Megan O'Neil registered a career-high four blocks against UNLV on Jan. 28 and ranks fifth on the Academy's Division I single-season blocks list with 45.

• Colorado State senior guard/forward Kim Mestdagh, the MW preseason Player of the Year, has scored 20 or more points in three of the team's last four games. Mestdagh, who currently has 1,545 career points, is 52 points removed from moving into fourth place on the school's career scoring list. She recently became the seventh player in CSU history with 500 or more field goals.

• One of the big keys to UNLV's success thus far has been rebounding. The Lady Rebels, who rank second in the league in rebounding margin (+6.4), boast four of the top 11 rebounders in the MW. Senior forward Jamie Smith's average of 8.4 rebounds per game ranks third in the Mountain West, while senior forward/centers Lenita Sanford (7.5) and Sandrine Nzeukou (6.6) rank fourth and seventh, respectively. Senior center Markiell Styles ranks 11th with an average of 6.2 rebounds per contest.

• Newcomer Boise State leads the Mountain West in free-throw shooting at 74.1 percent on the season, but is shooting 78.8 percent from the line in league games. The Broncos never led that statistical category in 10 seasons as Wyoming, which has made at least one three-point shot in every game this season, has now done so in 86 consecutive contests. The streak dates back to the 2008-09 season against Colorado State (3/10/09).

• In three of its first six league games, TCU has limited opponents to a field-goal percentage of 40 percent or less. The Frogs have forced a combined 61 turnovers in their last three games while holding Boise State, Air Force and New Mexico to a combined shooting percentage of 28.9 percent (11-of-38) from three-point range.

As we get ready to close out the first half of the 2011-12 Mountain West slate, San Diego State and UNLV are waging battles for supremacy at the top of both the men's and women's standings. This week's television slate features eight MW men's games and three women's contests. What are your top Mountain West games on television this week? You can leave a comment below on my blog, email me at Mick@TheMWC.com, or send me a message on Twitter @MWCMick.

MW Men's Basketball

1. Colorado State at No. 11/13 (AP/Coaches) UNLV, Wednesday (7:30 p.m. PT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): Can Colorado State back up Saturday's big win against No. 13 San Diego State? A year ago, the Rams picked up their first win (78-63) at UNLV since 2003. CSU is 2-5 on the road, where it has dropped its two league road games by an average of 26 points, and will be heading into a Thomas & Mack Center where the Rebels have won 11 straight. While many thought last year's win over the Runnin' Rebels might earn CSU a bid in the NCAA Tournament, such hopes never came to fruition after the Rams lost four of their last five regular-season MW games. Win this one, and an invitation to The Dance should be in the mail, if CSU doesn't falter down the stretch.

2. No. 11/13 UNLV at Wyoming, Saturday (2 p.m. MT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): Will a stingy defense beat a high-paced offense? Tune in Saturday to find out. The Cowboys continue to be the best defensive team in the Mountain West (and fourth-best in the NCAA), limiting opponents to an average of 53.6 points per game. However, slowing the Runnin' Rebels, the nation's ninth-highest scoring team (MW-best 80.6 ppg), will be no small feat. Yet UNLV has had its share of struggles on the road, with each of its last two games away from the Thomas & Mack Center (Boise State and Air Force) being decided in overtime.

3. New Mexico at Air Force, Tuesday (8 p.m. MT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): The Falcons were on the verge of posting what might arguably have been one of the biggest wins in program history before falling 65-63 to then-No. 12/15 UNLV in overtime on Saturday. Air Force has been hamstrung by a rash of injuries, but standout junior guard Michael Lyons served notice against UNLV (25 points) that he's on the mend after being hampered for more than a month by a high ankle sprain. New Mexico also has a healthy Hugh Greenwood back running the point. The Falcons reeled off seven straight wins vs. the Lobos on their home court from 2001-07, but New Mexico has won each of the last four meetings at Clune Arena.

4. Wyoming at TCU, Wednesday (7 p.m. CT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): The Cowboys are unbeaten on the road in Mountain West play thus far in 2011-12, with wins at Air Force and Boise State. TCU has yet to lose a league game at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum, with wins over the same two teams. Look for a defensive battle in a game where the Pokes and Horned Frogs rank first and second, respectively, in the league in turnover margin.

5. Air Force at Colorado State, Saturday (3 p.m. MT, CBS Sports Network, DirecTV 613): Three of the last five games in the series have been decided by four or fewer points. Colorado State's NCAA Tournament hopes largely slipped away last season due in part to its 17-point loss at the Academy in late February. As with any opponent facing the Falcons, good shots figure to be at a premium for CSU, the top-shooting team in the league. Air Force guard Michael Lyons averaged 17.5 points in the teams' two meetings a year ago.

6. TCU at No. 17/17 San Diego State, Saturday (7 p.m. PT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616/Ch. 4 San Diego): The Horned Frogs have historically given the Aztecs fits in San Diego, with four of the last five games being decided by an average of six points. Two of the top guards in the league will square off in SDSU's Chase Tapley (16.1 ppg) and TCU's Hank Thorns (13.2 ppg), who currently rank first and eighth, respectively, in scoring.

7. New Mexico at Boise State, Saturday (2 p.m. MT, NBC Sports Network, DirecTV 603): The Broncos, who nearly played the role of giant killer at Taco Bell Arena last week before falling to then-No. 12/15 UNL`V 77-72 in overtime, get another shot at one of the top-tier teams in the MW. The next six days figure to severely test the Broncos, who must travel to San Diego State on Wednesday.

8. Boise State at No. 17/17 San Diego State, Wednesday (7:15 p.m. PT, CBS Sports Network, DirecTV 613): The Aztecs, who will undoubtedly be anxious to rid themselves of the hangover of Saturday's loss at Colorado State, have won 42 straight home games against unranked teams. The Broncos have yet to win a road game this season, but fell by just two (54-52) at TCU in their last outing away from Taco Bell Arena.

MW Women's Basketball

1. San Diego State at TCU, Saturday (2 p.m. CT, CBS Sports Network, DirecTV 613): The Aztecs, who remain the only unbeaten team in league play, enter the week having won 12 straight, the program's longest streak in 17 years. The Horned Frogs have won four out of the last six meetings against SDSU, including sweeping their two-game set against the Aztecs last season. TCU enters the week having won three straight and four of its last five. This game kicks off the second half of Mountain West action on the women's side. The Aztecs won the first meeting of the season in San Diego, 61-46.

2. Wyoming at UNLV, Saturday (4 p.m. PT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): The Lady Rebels, whose only league loss came in overtime against front-running San Diego State, have won four in a row and seven of the last eight coming into the week. Wyoming, which is coming off one of its most impressive performances of the season with a 20-point win over Boise State, has won three of its last five games. In the first meeting of the season, UNLV squeaked by Wyoming in Laramie, 54-51.

3. Air Force at New Mexico, Tuesday (6 p.m. MT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): One thing's for certain: Somebody is going to breathe a contented sigh of relief to end the first half of Conference action. Both teams come into the week at 0-6 in league play. New Mexico has won 30 straight games in the series.

MW MEN'S BASKETBALL

• Young Guns: The Broncos have gotten five 20-point games by freshmen this season, including three from Anthony Drmic and two from Derrick Marks. The five performances are more than the combined total of 20-point games by Bronco freshmen the last 17 seasons. The single-season total is also the highest in at least the last 24 years.

• Taking Their Best Shot: No. 12-ranked UNLV is outscoring its opponents by an average of 15.4 points per game and is shooting 47.4 percent from the field. The Runnin' Rebels are shooting 37.5 percent from 3-point range. Last year, UNLV shot 45.9 percent from the field and 33.0 percent from 3-point range.

• Climbing the Charts: TCU senior guard Hank Thorns needs only four more assists to reach the 500 mark for his career. Despite having played only 51 games as a Horned Frog, Thorns is just 10 assists away from entering the program's career top-10 list (321). Thorns is No. 4 this season in the MW in assists (4.53); No. 5 in minutes (32.37); No. 6 in 3-pointers made (1.95) and assist/turnover ratio (1.54); No. 7 in scoring (13.4); and tied for No. 10 in steals (1.42).

• Time Well Spent: In Wednesday's win over Colorado State, New Mexico senior guard Phillip McDonald came off the bench to score 12 points in 12 minutes. McDonald is shooting 52 percent (21-of-40) from three-point range in the past nine games. He has connected on 30-of-61 attempts (49.0 percent) beyond the arc this season.

• Clamping Down: No. 13-ranked San Diego State, winner of 11 straight, has gone 37 consecutive games without allowing an opponent to shoot 50 percent or better from the field, a streak that dates back to last season. In four MW games this season, SDSU opponents are shooting 35.3 percent from the field.

• In Good Hands: After leading the nation for three-straight weeks earlier this season, Wyoming senior guard JayDee Luster entered Saturday's action ranked sixth in the NCAA in assist-turnover ratio. Luster currently has 73 assists and 23 turnovers on the season for a 3.17 ratio.

MW WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

• Off and Running: San Diego State's 11-game win streak is the program's longest in 15 years when the 1996-97 team also claimed 11 in a row before falling in the NCAA Tournament. A victory on Saturday against Colorado State would give the Aztecs their longest win streak since the 1994-95 team set a school record with 18 consecutive wins. The Aztecs are in the midst of their best league start (5-0) in the Mountain West's 13-year history. The team's previous best start was 3-0 during the 2009-10 campaign. SDSU is also one win away from matching its MW win total from last season.

• Breaking From the Gate: Colorado State's 4-1 start in league play is its best since opening 5-0 in 2001-02, a season in which the Rams went wire-to-wire in first place to win the MW regular season championship and earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

• Reserves to the Rescue: In nine of TCU's 10 victories this season, the Horned Frogs have outscored their opponent off the bench by a combined 267-114. Overall, TCU has outscored its opponent off the bench in all but six games.

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• A year after the most successful season in program history, San Diego State continues to roll, even with a change of the ingredients in its recipe for success.

• The college basketball world is no longer overlooking Mountain West.

• New Mexico players rise to the challenge when coaching staff throws down the gauntlet.

• It's the little things that can mean a lot, and Wyoming is paying attention to smallest detail.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• As UNLV men climb ever higher, there's another team on campus making noise of its own.

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Kellen Moore's future as an NFL quarterback will largely depend on how he measures up.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

Random musings on a Mountain of thoughts...

While I've grown increasingly numb to overzealous parents who envision their sons or daughters as superstars, I've hit the end of my tether with agents who convince unwitting and ill-informed college athletes to abandon their books in favor of blind faith.

Is former San Diego State running back Ronnie Hillman making the right decision to enter the NFL Draft? Who am I to say? This much I do know: Hillman's limitations are, well, not exactly limited.

A player who struggled to stay healthy at the college level, the 5-foot-10, 195-pound Hillman is not cut out to run between the tackles in the NFL just yet. His ability to get to the corner will be checked by NFL linebackers and cornerbacks who are equally fast. He was a minimal factor in the passing game and did not return kicks his first two years, an assignment he should have asked to take on next season with the Aztecs had he wanted to find a legitimate spot in the NFL.

Instead, a player that was garnering attention as a possible Heisman Trophy candidate next season has likely become another victim of questionable advice from someone who has placed Hillman's net worth ahead of his best interest.

And then there's the case of Wyoming running back Alvester Alexander, who has convinced himself that he, too, is ready for the next level...

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The four new football coaches in the Mountain West --- Norm Chow (Hawai'i), Bob Davie (New Mexico), Tim DeRuyter (Fresno State) and Jim McElwain (Colorado State) ---- have a combined 108 years in the business. All four coaches have great pedigrees and are certain to bring the excitement back to their respective campuses. I have a hunch that McElwain has the makings of a monster in Fort Collins, where the Rams have more --- and better --- young talent than any team in the league.

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More than once in the past week, UNLV men's basketball coach Dave Rice has said that he'd have a hard time believing that any guard in the country is playing better than Rebels junior Anthony Marshall. Having witnessed Marshall's performance at San Diego State, where he finished with a game-high 26 points before scoring a career-high 27 four nights later against TCU, who's to argue? Marshall, who averaged 7.5 points his first two seasons, is currently averaging 12.0 points. Topping it off, he's averaging 4.7 rebounds. From a guard?

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Nineteen Division I players are currently averaging double-doubles. The Mountain West is one of only two leagues (Colonial League) in the nation to feature more than one --- UNLV's Mike Moser and New Mexico's Drew Gordon.

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So, the BCS Presidential Oversight Committee can't find an agreeable time for its members to meet and provide the MW with an answer to its request for a two-year exemption from the BCS? I can never reach my wife on her cell phone, either.

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And speaking of the advancement of civilization (no, not the BCS), how does one charter a jet in San Diego for purposes of flying to Laramie, Wyoming, and find it necessary to refuel in Cedar City, Utah and Grand Junction, Colo.? The next time San Diego State's men's basketball team opts to charter, which it will later this season when it visits Boise State, it may first want to taxi over to the Shell station at the corner of Laurel Street and Pacific Highway.

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Does the MW deserve to be rated above the hallowed ACC in the latest RPI rankings? Other than holding a 3-1 advantage in head-to-head meetings, a better winning percentage against non-conference opponents and having two teams ranked in the top 15, no. ☺

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Former Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore will take part in the 14th annual All-Star Football Challenge, an event staged in Indianapolis on Feb. 5 as part of Super Bowl week. No word on whether competition in something called the FRS Healthy Performance QB Scramble dictates that invitees be at least 6-foot-4 and weigh a minimum of 235. The word prototypical should be stricken from the English language, particularly when it comes to defining athletes.

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The San Diego State men's and women's basketball teams, both undefeated in MW play, have won a combined 22 straight, with each having won 11 in a row. I realize that current men's assistant Brian Dutcher has been designated the "head-coach-in-waiting" by current head coach Steve Fisher, but Dutcher may want to consider filling his own spot with women's coach Beth Burns. Trust me, Burns is not someone with whom you'd care to go one-on-one, be it in a basketball game or an interview session. When a former colleague of mine asked for a sit-down with Burns some years ago, she replied, "Bring a change of clothes."

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I don't know if hoops guru Jerry Palm uses bats' wings and eye of newt in his bracketology formula, but his latest NCAA Tournament pairings have UNLV as a No. 3 seed in Albuquerque and San Diego State as a No. 4 seed in Portland, Ore. Palm also has New Mexico as being one of the first four teams out. Don't count on it, Jerry. I've seen the Lobos in this position before.

The following is a weekly ranking of the Mountain West's top 10 men's and top five women's performers. Beg to differ? Think I've missed the mark? Who do you think had a great week? You can leave a comment below on my blog, email me at Mick@TheMWC.com, or send me a message on Twitter @MWCMick.

MW Men

1. Mike Moser, F, So., UNLV - Moser continued to hold the inside track to Player of the Year honors this week, finishing with 14 points and 10 rebounds in an 80-63 win over New Mexico on Saturday before scoring 18 points and collecting 21 rebounds (most in the MW this season) in Wednesday's 77-72 overtime win at Boise State. Moser has posted a double-double in five of his last six games and three straight.

2. Jamaal Franklin, G, So., San Diego State - After posting his fourth double-double of the season (14 points, 10 rebounds) in the Aztecs' win over Air Force on Saturday, Franklin picked up his fifth double-double in his last seven games with a 12-point, 11-rebound performance in a 52-42 victory Tuesday at Wyoming.

3. Drew Gordon, F, Sr., New Mexico - Helped the Lobos snap a two-game skid by finishing with 13 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals in Wednesday's 85-52 win over Colorado State. Gordon, who also drew three charges in the game, posted his 11th double-double of the season. He had 11 rebounds in 16 minutes in the second half.

4. Hank Thorns, G, Sr., TCU - After scoring 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting in a 15-point comeback win over Boise State, Thorns scored a career-high 22 points in Wednesday's victory over Air Force. Thorns, who led TCU in scoring for a team-leading ninth time this season, shot 75.0 percent from the field (9-of-12) against the Falcons, the second-best performance by a Mountain West player this season with at least 10 field-goal attempts in a game. He also matched a career-high with four 3-pointers on only five attempts.

5. Chase Tapley, G, Jr., San Diego State - Tapley, who had a game-high tying 12 points in SDSU's win at Wyoming on Tuesday, has scored in double figures a career-high 14 straight games. He has connected on at least one 3-point field goal in a career-long 19 consecutive games and has multiple 3s in 12 of his last 14 contests.

6. Leonard Washington, F, Jr., Wyoming - After almost single-handedly leading the Cowboys to a win over Colorado State with 32 points and 14 rebounds, Washington had a team-high 12 points, eight rebounds and three blocks against San Diego State. He has scored in double figures in six straight games.

7. Taylor Broekhuis, C, Jr., Air Force - A mainstay for the Falcons this season, Broekhuis, who had a team-high 15 points and seven rebounds on Wednesday against TCU, is averaging 13.6 points and 6.7 rebounds while shooting 62.2 percent over his last six games. During that stretch, the 6-foot-10 Broekhuis has hit 6-of-13 attempts from three-point range.

8. Derrick Marks, G, Fr., Boise State - Marks, who earlier this season scored the most points (20) by a Boise State freshman in 22 years, tallied a career- and game-high 21 points to go with six rebounds, four assists, two steals and a blocked shot in Wednesday's overtime loss to UNLV. Marks made his second straight start in a Bronco lineup that has seen 10 variations this season.

9. Chace Stanback, Sr., G/F, UNLV - Stanback, who continues to lead the Runnin' Rebels in both field-goal percentage (.498) and three-point field-goal percentage (.479), scored in double figures for the seventh time in nine games by finishing with 15 points in Wednesday's overtime win against Boise State. Stanback had 13 points in the Rebels' win over New Mexico on Saturday.

10. Thomas Bropleh, So., F, Boise State - Bropleh, who had not played more than 16 minutes in a league game this season, logged 38 minutes off the bench against UNLV, posting his first career double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Broleph entered the contest averaging 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 19.4 minutes per game.

MW Women

1. Courtney Clements, Jr., G, San Diego State - Clements, who recorded her first career double-double with a game-high 21 points and 10 rebounds against Air Force, notched her seventh 20-point game of the season and her third in the last four games with 21 points on Tuesday against Wyoming. Clements, who has played a key role in the Aztecs' 11-game win streak, had 16 of the team's 30 first-half points on Tuesday.

2. Kelli Thompson, G, Jr., UNLV - Thompson, the team's leading scorer, finished with 24 points in Wednesday's win over Boise State as the Lady Rebels (16-5, 4-1) clinched their first winning season in six years. It was the third time this season that Thompson has exceeded the 20-point mark.

3. Kim Mestdagh, G/F, Sr., Colorado State - Mestdagh scored 19 points to go along with three steals and three assists in Wednesday's win over New Mexico as the Rams moved to 4-1 in league play for the first time since the 2001-02 season. Mestdagh, who has cracked the 20-point mark in two of her last three games, scored 21 points in Saturday's win over Wyoming when she finished 8-for-14 from the field and 3-for-6 beyond the arc. She also collected five rebounds.

4. Natalie Ventress, G, Fr., TCU - Ventress, who tied for team honors with 18 points in Saturday's win over Boise State, finished with a game-high 21 in Wednesday's victory over Air Force. It marked the third time in four games that Ventress has scored 20-plus points. She has led TCU in scoring nine out of the last 11 games.

5. Chelsea Hopkins, G, Jr., San Diego State - Hopkins, who had 19 points, seven assists, six rebounds and five steals in a win over Air Force, helped the Aztecs remain unbeaten in league play when she produced another all-around effort with nine assists, nine rebounds and seven points in Tuesday's victory over Wyoming.

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• It's been nearly six weeks since the Mountain West requested a two-year exemption from the BCS, and Brian Murphy of the Idaho Statesman says it's time for the BCS to respond. Now. An exemption would give the league an automatic spot in one of the five BCS bowls.

• Former Boise State standout Kellen Moore, the NCAA's winningest quarterback, figures to be under the microscope at Saturday's Senior Bowl. Former San Diego State quarterback Ryan Lindley will also put his talents on display.

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Taylor Stewart's older sister may be competing in a riding ring these days instead of on a basketball court, but she keeps his competitive fires burning at Air Force.

• ESPN's basketball rankings were altered a bit this week when a new league moved into the top five. Which league was it? Here's a hint: It wasn't the ACC.

• Patience may be a virtue, but for UNLV sophomore point guard Reggie Smith, it's not a virtue that's easy to practice.

• With ex-UNLV players Dave Rice and Stacey Augmon now leading from the sideline, the Rebels are runnin' once again.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Colorado State's 'X factors' playing significant role in formula for the team's fast start in league play.

• San Diego State's Chelsea Hopkins healthy and happy after transferring from Duke.

• Colorado State eliminating giveaways in MW play and thriving.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

• While Air Force is holding its own on the boards in MW play, ranking second in defensive rebounds and tied for third in rebounding offense, the Falcons clearly have been undone by shooting woes. Though Air Force shot a season-best 51.1 percent in putting a scare into league-leader San Diego State last week, its shooting percentage of 33.6 against MW competition has resulted in a scoring differential of minus -28.8 points per game. Meanwhile, junior Dymond James registered her third double-double of the season, and second in the past three games, against San Diego State, finishing with a game-high 19 points and 11 rebounds. James now has nine double-doubles in her career. But it is early in the Conference season and head coach Andrea Williams is looking for a turnaround in her team.

• Something's gotta give when Boise State visits UNLV on Wednesday. The Broncos enter the contest tied with Colorado State for No. 2 in the league in scoring offense at 66.5 points per game. UNLV, meanwhile, is allowing an average of 56.0, ranking third in the MW. While Boise State is trying to snap a two-game skid, it has won its last two road games. The Lady Rebels, who are receiving votes in this week's coaches' poll, are 3-0 on the road but have yet to win a home league game.

• Three Colorado State players are currently ranked in the top 50 of the Mountain West record book. Sophomore forward Sam Martin currently has the fifth-best field-goal percentage (.550) in MW history and ranks first among active players. Junior forward Meghan Heimstra ranks 24th with 73 career blocks, while standout senior guard Kim Mestdagh appears in the record book no fewer than five times. Mestdagh leads all active players in points per game (20th), field goals made (20th), three-point field goals made (second) and free throws made (46th).

• Beset by a raft of injuries this season, New Mexico coach Yvonne Sanchez had only two scholarship players available in Saturday's 64-50 loss to UNLV. "All year long we've tried not to make excuses out of it," said Sanchez, whose team is 0-4 in MW play. "We have to use what we have on the bench and we have to get them better. You can get frustrated with it, but it's not going to change. The people that we have now are it. Maybe aside from Jourdan Erskine (knee), the other players aren't coming back. It sounds like a horror movie, 'She's never coming back,' but that's the reality of it. We have to do whatever we can as a staff to work as hard as we can to continue to teach these players. If we can do that, then I think we're successful. "

• MW leader San Diego State, which is receiving votes in the Associated Press Top 25, puts its 10-game win streak on the line in Tuesday's home game against Wyoming. The Aztecs' run ties them for the sixth-longest active streak in the nation and accounts for more victories than five of the other seven Mountain West teams have for the entire season. The streak is also the longest by an MW squad this year by four victories. SDSU has already exceeded its win total from all of last season when it finished 12-17 overall.

• TCU's Delisa Gross had a breakout game on Saturday against Boise State, scoring a season-high 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting. With her 18-point showing, Gross has now scored in double-figures three times this season. During her three years on campus, the Horned Frogs are an impressive 13-5 when Gross scores in double-figures. Meanwhile, Natalie Ventress has led TCU in scoring eight out of the last 10 games, including an 18-point showing against Boise State. The freshman has led the Frogs in scoring 10 times this season, the first TCU freshman to lead the team in scoring in 10 games since former Horned Frog and current professional Helena Sverrisdottir carried TCU in eight games during the 2007-08 season.

• If Wyoming freshman forward Kayla Woodward hasn't exactly been awed by her transition to the collegiate level, there's ample reason why. Woodward, a three-time Wyoming All-State selection at Sheridan High, earned the Milward L. Simpson award, given to the top female athlete in the state of Wyoming, as a senior. Woodward, the current MW Player of the Week, averaged 25.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 3.0 assists in games against Air Force and Colorado State. For the week, she shot 76.9 percent (20-26) from the field, including 87.5 percent (7-8) from three-point range, and was a perfect 4-4 from the free throw line.

This week's Mountain West television hoops schedule features eight men's and three women's games. For the most part, home teams have held serve in the opening week of Conference play - will that trend continue, or will the visitors turn the tide in their favor?

Here's how I rank the games to watch this week:

MW Men

1. Colorado State at New Mexico, Wednesday (8 p.m. MT, CBS Sports Network, DirecTV 613): This game pits the league's top field goal shooting percentage offense (CSU-49.3%) vs. the MW's best shooting defense (UNM-38.3%). After opening Conference play with a win at Wyoming, preseason favorite New Mexico will be looking to get back on the winning track following a week in which the Lobos suffered back-to-back losses to nationally-ranked San Diego State and UNLV. Colorado State, meanwhile, is coming off an emotional road loss at Border War rival Wyoming, and will be looking to steal a win in one of the nation's toughest environments.

2. No. 13/12 San Diego State at Wyoming, Tuesday (6:30 p.m. MT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): With sole possession of first place in hand, the Aztecs head to Laramie having dropped five of their last eight at Arena-Auditorium. SDSU has not beaten Wyoming in Laramie in consecutive seasons since 2002-03. Cowboys' junior forward Leonard Washington (6-7, 235) was unstoppable against Colorado State on Saturday, finishing with 32 points and 14 rebounds.

3. No. 13/12 San Diego State at Colorado State, Saturday (2 p.m. MT, NBC Sports Network, DirecTV 603): A grueling week for the Aztecs, who after playing at Wyoming on Tuesday must return to the Front Range to face the Rams on Saturday. SDSU has won five straight at Moby Arena by an average of 14.6 points.

4. No. 12/15 UNLV at Air Force, Saturday (7 p.m. MT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): The Falcons give plenty of teams fits at Clune Arena, but last year's 49-42 win by UNLV was typical of a series in which the Runnin' Rebels have won just nine times in 16 games at the Academy.

5. Air Force at TCU, Wednesday (6:30 p.m. CT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): The Horned Frogs sidestepped a 0-3 start in league play by rallying from a 15-point second-half deficit against Boise State. That won't work against Air Force, as the Falcons will limit your possessions and make you earn every basket. Since its inaugural season in the MW in 2005-06, TCU has been swept in its regular-season series against the Falcons three times.

6. Wyoming at Boise State, Saturday (1:30 p.m. MT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): After two straight years of going winless on the road, the Cowboys have turned things around, winning three straight road games for a 4-2 mark away from Arena-Auditorium this season. However, Boise State has been nearly unbeatable in Taco Bell Arena, stretching its home win streak to 15 games before having it snapped against Air Force in the Jan. 14 Conference opener.

7. TCU at New Mexico, Saturday (4 p.m. MT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): Not many teams survive facing New Mexico at The Pit, including TCU. The Horned Frogs are 0-9 against the Lobos in Albuquerque.

8. No. 12/15 UNLV at Boise State, Wednesday (8 p.m. MT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): The Runnin' Rebels appear to have regained their stride since dropping their league opener to San Diego State, posting a 13-point win against New Mexico on Saturday after drubbing TCU by 23. Boise State, which has used nine different starting lineups in 18 games this season, has failed to score more than 60 points in four straight games.

MW Women

1. Wyoming at San Diego State, Tuesday (7:30 p.m. PT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): San Diego State has won 10 straight and is off to a 4-0 start in MW play, the team's best in the league's 13-year history. Senior Courtney Clements is leading the Aztecs' charge, and the league, with a 16.7 scoring average. The Cowgirls have won two of their last three but are 2-6 on the road. Wyoming is a young team and has a freshman in Kayla Woodward who averaged 25.5 points per game last week

2. Colorado State at San Diego State, Saturday (Noon PT, CBS Sports Network, DirecTV 613): Should the Aztecs beat Wyoming on Tuesday, they have a chance to distance themselves from the pack, particularly having already won this season at UNLV. Colorado State and UNLV are currently tied for second place. The Rams are coming around in Conference play after a tough non-conference schedule, and feature Preseason Player of the Year Kim Mestdagh.

3. New Mexico at TCU, Saturday (Noon CT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): Both teams have played short-handed due to key injuries this season, but in a game pairing two teams that haven't exactly covered themselves with glory in terms of shooting percentages from the field or the foul line this season, TCU is the better rebounding team. Last year each team won on the other's home court.

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Beg to differ? Think I've missed the mark? What are your top Mountain West games on television this week? You can leave a comment below on my blog, email me at Mick@TheMWC.com, or send me a message on Twitter @MWCMick.

With two months of play under our belts, it's time to take a stab at ranking the Mountain West's top 10 men's and top five women's performers to date. Beg to differ? Think I've missed the mark? I welcome all dissenters. You can leave a comment below on my blog, email me at Mick@TheMWC.com, or send me a message on Twitter @MWCMick. After all, what's a little disagreement among friends?

MW Men

1. Mike Moser, F, So., UNLV - I'm assuming there won't be an overabundance of backlash here. A midseason Wooden Award nominee, Moser has it all, having posted a double-double in three of his last four games to put his season total at nine overall. He has flirted with triple-doubles on three occasions this season, including a 16-point, 18-rebound, six-assist performance in the Runnin' Rebels' upset of No. 1 North Carolina in November. Moser is averaging a double-double with 14.0 points and 11.4 rebounds per game, ranking sixth nationally in the latter category, and has also dished out 50 assists from the post.

2. Chase Tapley, G, Jr., San Diego State - Tapley has been one of the league's most consistent performers to date, scoring in double figures in 16 of 18 games, while shooting a shade over 50 percent (110-of-217) from the field and ranking ninth nationally with a .474 (45-of-95) conversion rate from behind the arc. He was all over the floor in Wednesday's win at New Mexico, tallying 12 points to go along with seven rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocked shots. Tapley has topped the 20-point mark six times this season and is tied with Colorado State's Wes Eikmeier for the league lead in scoring (16.7 ppg).

3. Chace Stanback, Sr., G/F, UNLV - Along with Tapley, Stanback is one of the league's top perimeter threats, converting .476 (50-of-105) of his 3-point attempts to rank seventh nationally. He is shooting just over 50 percent (97-of-193) from the field, leading UNLV's high-powered offense with 14.7 points per game. One of his top performances of the season came in the aforementioned take-down of the Tar Heels, when he poured in 28 points on 10-of-19 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds.

4. Anthony Marshall, G, Jr., UNLV - After a slow start, Marshall (12.3 ppg) has caught fire of late, scoring in double digits in six straight games while shooting 55.4 percent from the field during that span. Without his 26 points at San Diego State, the Rebels would have been run out of the building in Saturday's loss to the Aztecs. In Wednesday's win against TCU, Marshall topped that effort with a career-high 27 points.

5. Drew Gordon, F, Sr., New Mexico - The Naismith Trophy candidate recorded his ninth double-figure scoring effort in 10 games with 15 points, eight rebounds and a career-high five assists in Wednesday's loss to San Diego State. He is averaging a double-double for the second straight year (12.6 ppg, 10.4 rpg), while converting 50 percent (84-of-166) of his field goal attempts.

6. Wes Eikmeier, G, Jr., Colorado State - Three of his six 20-point scoring performances this season have come in the last five games, as he has helped lead the Rams to eight straight wins. As mentioned earlier, his 16.7 scoring average is tied for the MW lead, while his 88.3 (68-of-77) shooting percentage at the free throw line is tops in the Conference.

7. Jamaal Franklin, G, So, San Diego State - When Aztecs coach Steve Fisher speaks of Franklin, he uses the analogy of the little girl with the curl. When he's good, he's very, very good. When he's not, he'll drive you crazy. Franklin has been good more often than not this season, averaging 15.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. He has scored in double figures in six straight games, including knocking down the winning shot against UNLV on Saturday with three-tenths of a second left.

8. Luke Martinez, G, Jr., Wyoming - The junior college transfer has quickly established himself as the Cowboys' top offensive threat, averaging 13.4 points per game. He has scored at least 15 points in 14 of 17 games as the Pokes are enjoying their best start (15-3) since the 2002-03 season. Martinez is riding a five-game double-figure scoring streak heading into Saturday's Border War with Colorado State.

9. Xavier Thames, So., G, San Diego State - The graduation of four-year starter D.J. Gay left the Aztecs looking for a new floor general. In stepped Thames, a sophomore transfer from Washington State, who leads the league with a 5.3 assist average despite missing three games with a knee injury. Thames, the first Aztec point guard of Steve Fisher's 13-year tenure to record a 20-point, 10-rebound game, also boasts an 11.7 scoring average.

10. Anthony Drmic, F, Fr., Boise State - One of four Australian imports playing in the Mountain West this season, Drmic entered the week ranked 17th nationally in scoring among freshmen (14.1), third in 3-point field goal percentage (.404) and fourth in 3-point field goals made per game (2.80). He leads all MW freshmen in each of the aforementioned categories, as well as rebounding (4.3).

MW Women

1. Jamie Smith, F, Sr., UNLV - Smith became only the second player in Mountain West basketball history, men's or women's, to record 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career in Wednesday's win at TCU. Smith currently has 1,035 career rebounds and 1,011 career points.

2. Courtney Clements, G, Jr., San Diego State - Clements, the league's leading scorer, notched her fifth 20-point game of the season in Saturday's overtime win at UNLV. She returned with 19 points in Wednesday's victory over New Mexico as SDSU remained the only unbeaten team in the MW.

3. Chelsea Hopkins, G, Jr., San Diego State - Hopkins, a transfer from Duke who had seven assists and three steals in 21 minutes in Wednesday's win over New Mexico, was coming off a pair of games in which she averaged 14.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 3.0 steals.

4. Kati Isham, G, Sr., Boise State - Isham is the MW's second-leading scorer at 15.7 points per game and leads the league in 3-pointers made per game at 2.6 (36th nationally). She is also 34th nationally in 3-point field-goal percentage (38.8 percent), third-best in the league.

5. Sam Martin, F, So., Colorado State - Martin ranks second in league play with an average of 21.3 points per game and is first in field-goal percentage at 72.2 percent as the Rams have opened Conference action with a 2-1 mark. She is tied for fourth in the MW with an average of 2.0 blocks per game.

UNLV senior forward Jamie Smith is on the verge of becoming just the second player in MW history to score 1,000 career points while collecting 1,000 rebounds.

When Kathy Olivier returned to UNLV as the women's head basketball coach in 2008, she was well aware that the homecoming would involve some heavy lifting.

A former Lady Rebel All-American who had spent the previous 15 years as head coach at UCLA, Olivier was inheriting a team that had limped to an 8-22 finish in 2007-08, exiting with a loss to Colorado State in the first round of the Mountain West Tournament.

It was a fitful final act, a humbling, if not humiliating, end to a season that had seen UNLV finish 4-12 in league play and lose its final six games by an average of nearly 18 points. In drawing Colorado State in the first round of the tournament, the Lady Rebels were paired against an opponent that had gone winless in the MW, lost 20 straight games and sported an overall mark of 3-26.

If there was nowhere to go but up, the first order of business was to determine the depth of down.

"My feeling is that we're going to work our butts off and do everything we can to get better and people will eventually buy in," Olivier said in October of 2008, six months after being hired as the eighth head coach in the history of the program. "We're trying to develop a championship mentality with our players."

Four years later, Olivier's vision may be on the cusp of being realized.

As UNLV prepares to open league play Wednesday night at Wyoming, it does so having already won more games than it did in the entire 2010-11 season. At 12-4, the Lady Rebels boast the best record in the MW, with the likes of Iowa and Kansas State numbered among the vanquished.

And while Olivier knows that to forecast an easy lope through league play would be folly, she also has a veteran group of players no longer content to settle for satisfactory.

"We have a group of returning players that are sick of the seasons we've had in the past," said senior forward Jamie Smith, who is on the verge of becoming just the second player in Mountain West history to score 1,000 career points while collecting 1,000 rebounds. "Coming off the season we had last year (the Lady Rebels lost eight games by seven or fewer points while finishing 11-20), it's a different mentality. We're done with losing."

Olivier, whose roster runs deeper than at any point during her tenure at UNLV, has a starting lineup that consists of three juniors and two seniors. Although the Lady Rebels have shared the wealth in receiving contributions from multiple positions, the key addition is senior center Lenita Sanford. A former McDonald's All-American who transferred from El Camino Community College in California prior to the 2010-11 season. Sanford started 11 games but was forced to sit out the spring semester due to academic issues.

Through 16 games this season, the 6-foot-3 Sanford ranks second on the team in scoring (11.4) and rebounding (7.4).

"She brings so much fire to our team," Smith said. "She's going to give you 100 percent every single time. If any of the rest of us starts to fall off a little bit, her intensity really picks us up. She knows the game and she knows how to win, but it's that fire and that intensity that she has that spreads throughout our whole team."

The task now will be to carry that fire and intensity into league play, where strengths are identified and weaknesses exposed, where veteran coaches recognize tendencies and expose chinks in the armor. A year ago, despite playing a rugged non-conference schedule that included perennial power North Carolina, UNLV finished a game under .500 at 7-8. When league play began, the Lady Rebels proceeded to drop six of their first eight.

Following Wednesday's MW opener at Wyoming (4-9), UNLV will get a visit from San Diego State (10-4), whose victory over No. 18 DePaul on November 18 may arguably be the league's signature win to date.

"Last year, we were in a lot of close games, but we just didn't finish," Olivier said. "I truly believe our players realized that and they hated the feeling. They made a big commitment over the summer to work extremely hard and I think it's giving them the confidence right now to get the job done.

"As a staff, we feel like we've changed the mentality of the program. We knew it was going to take some time, because it takes a lot of commitment and a lot of sacrifice to develop that championship mentality. The players we've recruited have bought into the formula for winning. Everyone's on the same page now and it's working for us."

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Allure of McElwain already creating buzz among potential CSU recruits.

• Parker's picks were crucial to Aztecs' success in 2011.

• SDSU defensive lineman has caught eye of NFL talent scouts.

• Cowboys' Gabe Knapton has been force at multiple positions.

• Wyoming QB Smith's passion for game is rare commodity.

• Wyoming walk-ons will also share in rewards of job well done.

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Lopez has labored to become low-post presence for Rebels.

• Rebels learn that taking it on the run isn't as easy as it sounds.

• Multiple options making Wyoming tough to defend.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Lobos' Rhoades adjusts to making spin move without the spike.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Aztecs' Stahovich could soon be getting his kicks in NFL.

• Boise State's recruiting efforts could pay off handsomely with 2012 class.

• Falcons' Calhoun content with decision to remain in Mountain West.

• TCU assistant has different outlook on life following health scare.

• Part I of Q and A with Wyoming standout freshman quarterback Brett Smith

• Cowboys' receiving corps appears to be on fast track to success.

• UNLV's Hauck won't take easy way out when it comes to recruiting.

• Wyoming's Brandon Self now making grade both on and off field.

• Falcons making most of busy schedule in advance of Military Bowl.

• Cowboys' safety will fill void just about anywhere.

• Aztecs' Long sees similarities between Wyoming, Ragin' Cajuns.

BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Despite the pain, Cowboys' Wadell has gotten off on right foot this season.

• Lobos' volleyball player fills void on injury-depleted hoops roster.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

Thursday, December 1, 2011

MW FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• San Diego State-Fresno State marks renewal of deep-rooted rivalry.

• Hauck: Season finale is at hand, but Rebels are raring to go.

• Christensen mum on whether Wyoming will employ "WildSam" vs. CSU

• Cowboys have chance to pocket rare hat trick against Rams.

• Linebacking corps is once again mainstay of TCU defense.

• CSU seniors have hopes of finishing on high note.

• Idaho Statesman: Media, coaches have no place in BCS business.

• Broncos' safety has become team leader both on and off the field.

• Before Lobos bid adieu to 2011, a sizable hurdle remains.

MW MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• UNLV big man Mike Moser has the key to his rebounding success.

MW WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Injuries have left Lobos with little in reserve.

• Wyoming searching for ways to jump-start offense.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

MW FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Nwoke's milestone gives Rams reason to celebrate.

• Roster moves have been beneficial for Boise State.

• Veteran Wyoming players provide history lesson on CSU rivalry.

• Status of Rebels' QB Herring is up in air for TCU game.

MW MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Lobos confident tournament experience will pay dividends.

• Honors roll in for UNLV's Mike Moser.

• Despite impressive start, Aztecs have yet to catch attention of pollsters.

• Rebels can now expect to get every opponent's best shot.

OTHER MW HEADLINES

• CSU volleyball player Steffan took position change to heart.

• Since 1979, 'Mad Dog' supplies Wyoming Cowboys with gear, -isms.

• TCU women's basketball assistant sports good look for good cause.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

MW FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Boise State freshman DB playing it by the book.

• Lobo Nation anxious to see if Davie has tools to get things fixed.

• Aztecs may have to wing it if Hillman is unable to play.

• Actions speaking louder than words for TCU freshman DB.

• Freshman QB Grayson could take center stage for Rams.

• Wyoming hoping to ward off another bite from injury bug.

• Cowboys making the most of opponents' miscues.

MW MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Rebels sophomore forward refuses to let injury impede progress.

• First-year Wyoming coach demands disciplined effort.

MW WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Blow to Lobos offset by signing of talented of recruit.

• Air Force sophomore forward is no Dymond in the rough.

• Young Cowgirls trying to find their way in early going.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

Friday, November 11, 2011

MW FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Fake punts have become calling card for Broncos.

• By the numbers: Boise State QB Kellen Moore.

• New Mexico senior cornerback carries on despite lean times.

• Calhoun says Falcons will need to play 'best game so far' to beat Wyoming.

• Broncos have respect for much-maligned TCU secondary.

• Questions still swirling around CSU kicking game.

• CSU senior wide receiver not about to throw in towel.

• Cowboys know they'll have to clean up coverage issues against Air Force.

• UNLV hopes to find remedy to road woes at New Mexico.

• Former rival high school QBs hook up once again in SDSU-CSU game.

MW MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Rice ready to roll with Runnin' Rebels.

• Don't expect it to be business as usual at TCU this season.

MW WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Rams no longer content settling for second-best.

• New-look Cowgirls anxious to get season started.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

Thursday, November 10, 2011

MW FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• TCU needs no formal introduction to Kellen Moore.

• Boise State's Shea McClellin is hero either way in tale of two cities.

• For Rams' Nwoke, patience has become virtue at college level.

• Cowboys won't be ill-prepared for Air Force running game.

• SDSU running back not short on mettle --- or metal.

• Rebels could have strength in numbers against short-handed Lobos.

MW MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Time to shine has finally arrived for Rebels' Hawkins.

• Air Force set to host All-Military Classic.

MW WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• UNLV senior forward won't settle for anything less than league title.

• Falcons still putting together pieces of puzzle.

MW VOLLEYBALL HEADLINES

• Rams starting to play their best volleyball of the year.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

Monday, November 7, 2011

MW FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Boise State notebook: Making the grade.

• It was a small step for the Lobos, but at least it was step in right direction.

• Falcons take time to pass out kudos, then turn attention to Wyoming.

• TCU welcomes challenge poised by Boise State.

• Wyoming freshmen make big step forward against TCU.

• Aztecs keeping fingers crossed over status of senior linebacker.

MW BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• First-year Cowboys coach stressing character in search for building blocks.

• Colorado State women's team loses sophomore guard for season.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

MW FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Jefferson's status for Army game is up in air.

• Defensive struggles forcing Lobos to adjust on the run.

• Christensen: TCU game is 'huge.'

• Boise State once again making wishes come true.

• Rebels not running for cover in advance of visit from Broncos.

OTHER MW HEADLINES

• Lobo men's hoops set to stage coming-out party at the Pit.

• For UNLV assistant MBB coach, career path was never in doubt.

• Colorado State plans to hit the court running.

• Lobos flourishing in soccer, cross country.

• Cowgirls' Joe Legerski wants returning starter Chaundra Sewell to shoot more.

• San Diego State celebrates Halloween with intrasquad baseball game.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

Friday, October 28, 2011

MW FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Boise State's Doug Martin: Catch him if you can.

• Injury to offensive lineman gave TCU reason to circle the wagons.

• It's what's up front that could count most for Wyoming in season's second half.

• Aztecs wary of Cowboys' tendency to reach into bag of tricks.

• UNLV's Payne has potential to be thorn in side of CSU.

• Rather than sulk, Falcons' kicker Soderberg puts best foot forward.

• Rebels hoping to take advantage of Rams' recent struggles.

OTHER MW HEADLINES

• Women's soccer tournament host New Mexico takes aim at regular-season crown.

• Joe Legerski anxious to see who will step forward for new-look Cowgirl women's hoops.

• Colorado State's Meghan Heimstra is ready to get back on the basketball court after hip injury.

• Cross country: Wyoming sophomore beginning to hit his stride.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

MW FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Fairchild to Rams: One step at a time.

• Air Force not about to be caught looking past Lobos.

• Cowboys reach challenging stretch in schedule.

• Pokes fully aware of importance of corralling SDSU's Hillman.

• How to win a national title in five (not so) easy steps.

• UNLV sets sights on making most of season's second half.

MW MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Yahoo! Sports' Jeff Eisenberg previews the upcoming MW season.

MW WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Hoops dreams coming true for UNLV's Sandrine Nzeukou.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

Monday, October 24, 2011

MW FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Lobos searching for sliver of hope in wake of latest setback.

• Boise State jumps to No. 4 in BCS standings following win over Air Force.

• Falcons vow to get back on track after traveling rough road for past month.

• Frogs' junior safety proving to be in right place at right time.

• CSU seeking answers to putting brakes on three-game skid.

MW MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• New Mexico begins life without point guard Dairese Gary.

• UNLV sharpshooter returns after missing 2010-11 season with knee injury.

• Veteran Tim Shelton could provide steady hand for reshuffled Aztecs' lineup.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

Friday, October 21, 2011

MW FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Falcons finding answers hard to come by when it comes to slowing Kellen Moore.

• Wyoming defensive tackle is cut above.

• Rams will be facing deep running back rotation at UTEP.

• TCU hoping for better production on part of punt returners.

• Broncos' Moore taking aim at smashing FBS completion percentage mark.

• It'll be a family affair when Lobos face Horned Frogs on Saturday.

MW MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• UNLV junior guard ready to assume role of team leader.

• League's top returning scorer finds himself in new role at Air Force.

MW WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Air Force senior Jamela Satterfield talks about the start of practice.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

MW FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Learning curve beginning to flatten out for young TCU secondary.

• Air Force offense hoping to catch Boise State with its guard down.

• After six games, Rams have reached crossroads.

• Boise State defensive end has come long way in reaching potential.

• Wyoming freshman making most of role on special teams.

• Hauck: Rebels, staff won't rest during bye week.

MW MEN'S AND WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• For this pair of Cowboys, no pain, no gain has become mantra.

• Wyoming finds itself on unfamiliar ground with lack of senior leadership.

• Change can be positive sometimes.

OTHER MW HEADLINES

• Colorado State volleyball team makes policy statement.

• San Diego State sisters act is hit on and off the tennis court.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

MW FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• TCU's Patterson sings praises of Lobo wide receivers.

• Boise State offense hitting on all cylinders.

• Air Force well aware of test that awaits at Boise State.

• CSU, UTEP head into Saturday's contest coming from opposite directions.

• Wyoming: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

MW MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Rams will need to fill sizable scoring void.

• Cowboys add size in frontcourt.

• UCLA transfer anxious to show off talents at UNLV.

MW WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Injury to key player won't dampen Lobos' expectations.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

Monday, October 17, 2011

MW FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Rams could be facing crossroads this week at UTEP.

• TCU turns focus to Lobos following bye week.

• New Mexico must find way to ratchet up pressure on opposing passers.

MW MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Shifting sands of time have taken ex-SDSU star to Libya.

• Rebels will be runnin' once again in Las Vegas.

MW WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Lobos lose preseason All-MW pick second straight season.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

MW MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Aztecs' basketball looking for answers to myriad of questions.

• Cowboys' basketball wants to turn up the heat at 7,340 feet.

• TCU men's hoops convinced chemistry is right to make run in MW.

• Lobos tabbed preseason favorite in men's hoops for first time in MW history.

• Runnin' Rebels ready to live up to nickname.

• Ram hoopsters look to continue climb towards MW peak.

• New basketball coach pleased with Wyoming personnel.

• Anticipation high for UNLV hoops.

• CSU basketball coach looking for playmakers.

MW WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Newest Cowgirls will see court action early.

• Pieces coming together for CSU basketball.

• TCU coach looking for freshman class to contribute early.

• Wyoming basketball coach preaching patience.

• New Lobo coach looks to carry on predecessor's legacy.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

Friday, October 7, 2011

MW FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Wyoming-Utah State will match talented pair of true freshmen at quarterback.

• UNLV's Herring anxious to part company with the recent past.

• Ram RB Chris Nwoke: "Slowing down has never been in my vocabulary."

• San Diego State hoping to uncover soft spot in TCU defense.

• Tim Jefferson's legacy will have long shelf life at the Academy.

• Air Force aware it can ill afford defensive lapses at Notre Dame.

• In a world of blue turf, Boise State relishes playing on grass.

• Former head coach's son makes most of opportunity at New Mexico.

OTHER MW HEADLINES

• UNLV's Anthony Marshall looking forward to Runnin' Rebels' new up-tempo offense.

• CSU's Katelyn Steffan has developed into the Rams' go-to hitter.

• Deedra Foss is becoming more comfortable as Colorado State's setter.

• UNLV softball is looking for pitching depth as fall practice starts next week.

• UNLV women's tennis looks to young leader Lucia Batta.

• UNLV's Kendall Wallace is ready to run after a delayed senior season.

• Update on UNLV's Sandrine Nzeukou's experiences playing in the FIBA Africa Cup this week.

• Cowboy fans invited to a night of "Madness."

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

Monday, October 3, 2011

MW FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Wyoming ready to get back to work after making most of its bye week.

• Falcons won't let lore of Notre Dame get in way of task at hand.

• Wide receiver Geraldo Boldewijn is back in the fold at Boise State.

• Aztecs' Parker making quarterbacks wish they had looked the other way.

OTHER MW HEADLINES

• Colorado State's freshmen women's basketball players got their first dose of college practice on Sunday.

• Wyoming women's hoops needs to find four starters when they start practice this week.

• Lobo women's basketball getting some help in practice from the "Coyotes".

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

Monday, September 26, 2011

MW FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Cowboys will throw open door to competition during bye week.

• CSU not about to get comfortable resting atop its laurels.

• Air Force heightens focus on winning turnover battle in preparation for Navy.

• Boise State's backup QB gets rare opportunity to run the show.

• Lobos forge ahead under interim head coach George Barlow.

• UNLV loses one of its legends in former football coach Tony Knap.

OTHER MW HEADLINES

• CSU head coach Kristen Holt talks about the excitement of starting women's basketball practice on Sunday

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

Cross Country

 No rest for Wyoming runners

 Wyoming cross country talks about preseason training (video)

Soccer

 UNLV expects to replace, not rebuild in women's soccer

Volleyball

 CSU's Katelyn Steffan learning to play on left side for volleyball team

  Behind the Scenes with UNLV Volleyball (video)

 First-year coach Cindy Fredrick is getting the UNLV volleyball program in shape

 Wyoming Volleyball set to open the season (video)

Miscellaneous

Summer Buzz about the UNLV Rebels

A look around the new-look Mountain West in men's basketball

TCU turns into frequent arms supplier for major leagues

UNLV's Sandrine Nzeukou makes the first cut for Cameroon national women's basketball team

Wyoming's Hillary Carlson had dream fulfilled, will play in Portugal

Cross Country

 Memory of the 8 Memorial Run/Walk to be held on Sept. 16

Volleyball

 Six freshmen give New Mexico depth in 2011

 Words of Westman: UNLV sophomore to blog during the 2011 season

 Colorado State's Tom Hilbert still tweaking lineup

 Colorado State settling several issues during preseason camp

Women's Soccer

 Wyoming coach Danny Sanchez is confident the Cowgirls are hitting their stride

 Wyoming Cowgirls add an international flavor to the roster

 Boise State uses exhibition match to assist former Bronco

 Lobos dedicate season to George Montoya

 New Mexico Soccer watching its steps

Summer Baseball

 New Mexico's Trey Porras continues hitting ways as TCL's batting champ

Summer University Games

• New Mexico's Phil Anderson and fellow Canadian Lee Daigle upset No. 2 tennis seed in China

• Wyoming's Francisco Cruz is playing well for Mexico in World University Games

• Former CSU All-American to compete at World Championships

Miscellaneous

• Gentler approach working for Air Force coaches Matt McShane, Andrea Williams and Mike Kazlausky

• Former Wyoming sprinter Afiya Walker wins national title in home country

• UNLV's Sandrine Nzeukou provides updates from her workouts with the Cameroon women's basketball national team

• TCU women's basketball player Starr Crawford shares her thoughts about the upcoming season

• SDSU's assistant softball coach Stacey Nuveman Deniz helps USA Softball claim World Cup

Now that the NBA season is over, Mountain West fans can continue to get a basketball fix by turning their attention to the ladies of the WNBA.

Four WNBA players with ties to Mountain West institutions are continuing their professional careers this season in the United States - Erin Thorn (BYU) of the Chicago Sky, Leilani Mitchell (Utah) of the New York Liberty, Sandora Irvin (TCU) of the Atlanta Dream and Becky Hammon (Colorado State) of the San Antonio Silver Stars.

Three games into the 2011 season, all four are making an impact for their teams with Hammon as the veteran in her 13th year in the league. Mitchell was the 2007-08 Mountain West Player of the Year. Thorn was the 1999-2000 MW Freshman of the Year and a three-time all-MW first team honoree. Irvin wrapped up her TCU career in 2004-05.

Check out the links below to follow along with the action this season!

• Becky Hammon - San Antonio Silver Stars

• Sandora Irvin - Atlanta Dream

• Leilani Mitchell - New York Liberty

• Erin Thorn - Chicago Sky

• 2011 WNBA Schedule

• 2011 WNBA Standings

Join me live from courtside as I'll be blogging throughout tournament play at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. Plus, you can check out both the live audio stream of the game and track the stats at TheMWC.com/2011.

Have You Heard? MWC Women's Basketball March 2 Edition Better Late Than Never

BYU (22-7, 14-1) clinched a share of the regular-season league title in Saturday's 56-52 win over San Diego State, but not without being pushed to the brink.

The Cougars, who trailed 34-24 at the half, found themselves staring at a 44-28 deficit after Aztecs guard Coco Davis hit the second of two free throws with 1:52 gone in the second half.

BYU turned up the defensive pressure, however, ultimately scoring 10 points off 13 second-half turnovers by SDSU. The Cougars, whose only advantage in the game had come at 2-0 at the 19:25 mark of the first half, completed the comeback when Haley Hall hit a three-pointer with 1:32 left to give the hosts a 54-52 lead.

"This team really believes in itself," said coach Jeff Judkins. "When things aren't going their way, they really believe they can stick together and inch their way back. Every timeout we had, we just kept encouraging them, reminding them that we weren't going to get it all back with one shot.

"It's been a long time since we'd found ourselves in that kind of position, but our players believed they could win the game. They just kept working and refused to get discouraged. Earlier in the year, we might have let that kind of situation bother us, but they just inched their way back. I was really proud of them."

The Cougars wrapped up sole possession of the 2011 Mountain West Conference regular season title and the No. 1 seed in the Conoco MWC Women's Basketball Championship Tournament next week in Las Vegas with a 65-49 win over New Mexico on Tuesday night.

Up and Coming

When Utah (6-8, 13-15) stages its senior night on Wednesday prior to tipoff against Colorado State, the list of honorees won't be lengthy.

Of the 14 players currently on the roster, forward Michelle Harrison and guard Hennasea Tokumura are the lone seniors, leaving coach Anthony Levrets ample talent to work with in 2011-12. Eleven players are either sophomores or freshmen.

"We've had a lot of young kids who have had to play," said Levrets, whose roster next season will also be bolstered by the return of 6-foot-3 sophomore forward Taryn Wicijowski, the 2009-10 MWC Freshman of the Year who was lost for the season after suffering a knee injury in late November. "We're not where we want to be in terms of wins, but I think it bodes very well for the future. This is a talented young group. They've been very resilient. Every time I think they've finally been hit by that one crushing blow, because they're so young, they come to practice the next day as eager to learn as they were the first day of practice. That has really made this season a lot of fun."

Preparing for the Unknown

With three teams --- Colorado State, Utah and San Diego State --- tied for fourth place heading into action Wednesday night, Aztecs coach Beth Burns is currently facing the unknown heading into next week's MWC Tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

Defending tournament champion SDSU (12-14, 6-8) hosts third-place Wyoming on Wednesday before closing out the regular season at Colorado State on Saturday. CSU visits Utah on Wednesday.

"I've never gone into a tournament week having no earthly idea how to practice relative to who you might potentially play," said Burns, whose team held a 16-point lead at first-place BYU on Saturday before falling 56-52. "Usually, when you say anything can happen, it's a bit of an exaggeration, but when you say anything can happen in this instance, you truly feel that way.

"The only thing I can say with any certainty is that we'll be playing either Colorado State, Utah, New Mexico, Air Force or UNLV. The positive you can take from that is that with the exception of our home game against BYU, we've been in every game. That said, I still think anybody can beat anybody in this league on any given night. If we can put a complete game together for 40 minutes and sustain it, I think we've got as good of a chance as anybody else."

Curtain Call

When Air Force (8-19, 3-11) hosts New Mexico on Saturday in the regular-season finale for both teams, the Falcons will honor a player who can arguably lay claim to being the best in the program's history.

Guard Raimee Beck, the team's lone senior, will be playing her final game at Clune Arena. She will exit as the program's all-time leader during the Division I era in scoring average, free-throw percentage, steals, field goals attempted, three-point field goals made, three-point field goals attempted and points in a season. Saturday's game will also mark her 116th career start. The previous record was 107, set by 2007 graduate Alicia Steele.

Prior to the Falcons ending a 40-game conference losing streak against San Diego State on Jan. 19, Beck had been the team's only player to have ever won a game against an MWC opponent.

"She's meant so much to the program, both on and off the court," said first-year coach Andrea Williams. "It's been great having her as a senior to serve as the connection between the team and a new staff. Even though we brought in a new style and a new tempo, it was easy for her to make the transition. We just want to be able to send her out with some great wins and some great memories for a kid that has endured these last four years. I've thoroughly enjoyed the one year I've been with her."

A Freshman No More

Colorado State faces its most crucial two-game stretch of the season this week when it visits Utah on Wednesday before hosting San Diego State in the regular-season finale on Saturday. The Rams (13-14, 6-8), who beat both teams during the first round of league play, are currently tied for fourth place with the Utes and Aztecs.

Yet if CSU holds a trump card, it may be 6-foot-2 freshman forward Sam Martin, who after being limited by a knee injury during her senior year at Chaparral High in Parker, Colo., last year, is currently ranked in the top 15 in seven statistical categories in the MWC.

After turning in her best performance against a conference opponent this season by scoring 21 points in Saturday's 70-49 win over Air Force, Martin ranks as the second-leading scorer (12.6 ppg) among MWC freshmen. Overall, she ranks 11th in the league in rebounds (6.4 rpg), second in field-goal percentage (56.6), fifth in free-throw percentage and sixth in blocked shots (1.3). She has shot 50 percent or better in 10 of 12 games against conference opponents.

"She's far exceeded what I thought she would do, not that I didn't think she was a very capable player, but you're anxious to see what any player will do coming back from a knee injury," said coach Kristen Holt. "She's had a lot of added pressure, especially from the standpoint that there were really no other post players on our team during the majority of conference play. She's had to play a lot of minutes and she's had to learn on the run. Her ceiling is very high. I think she already has the best post presence of any player on our team."

Long Range Bombers

In TCU's 84-71 win at New Mexico (10-17, 4-11) on Saturday, the teams tied a MWC record by combining for 26 three-point baskets.

The Frogs (20-9, 12-3) were 12-of-21 beyond the arc (57.1 percent), the ninth-best three-point shooting performance in school history. Guards Emily Carter and Helena Sverrisdottir combined to go 8-for-13 from three-point range, helping to counter a New Mexico performance highlighted by five three-pointers apiece from Lauren Taylor and Megan Toben. The Lobos connected on a season-high 14 three-pointers on 37 attempts.

The difference came In the second half, however, when TCU shot an overall percentage of 66.7 percent.

"In all the games I've ever been a part of at The Pit, that second half was the best shooting performance I've ever seen," said New Mexico coach Don Flanagan, who is in his 16th season. "They shot the lights out, and not just their premiere players, but kids who came in and played 10-12 minutes.

"We just couldn't stop them, but I wasn't unhappy with the way we played except for late in the game. We competed. But it's tough to win when a team shoots 67 percent."

The Final Chapter

Wyoming (21-6, 11-3), which has thrived this season under the senior leadership of guards Aubrey Vandiver and Randi Richardson and forwards Hillary Carlson and Jade Kennedy, will bid farewell to all four when the Cowgirls host BYU in their final regular-season home game on Saturday.

Together as a complete group the past two seasons, the quartet has helped lead Wyoming to a mark of 109-48, the 2007 WNIT championship, an NCAA appearance in 2008 and a berth in the 2010 WNIT Tournament. Vandiver, a fifth-year player for the Cowgirls, sat out the 2008-09 season with an illness and was an integral part of the 2007 WNIT championship team as a freshman. Richardson sat out the 2007-08 season after transferring to Wyoming from the University of San Francisco.

"The time goes by very quickly," said coach Joe Legerski. "I can remember when Aubrey and Hillary and Jade came in as freshmen. It seems like you have so much time on your side, and then all of the sudden it's Senior Day.

"What this group has accomplished, with the number of wins, the number of postseason appearances, they're definitely going to go down as being among the best in the history of the University of Wyoming."

Nothing Like Home Cookin'

While UNLV (10-19, 3-12) has advanced past the second round only once under the current format of the MWC Tournament, coach Kathy Olivier is hoping for a reversal of fortune when the event kicks off for the fifth straight year next week at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

The Lady Rebels gained the semifinals in 2009 before falling to runner-up San Diego State.

"The Mountain West Tournament is really electric," said Olivier, a former UNLV All-American who spent 15 seasons as the head coach at UCLA before returning to her alma mater in 2008. "I'm definitely convinced that anyone can win it. BYU is probably the favorite just because they're very deep and shoot the ball extremely well. But (defending tournament champion) San Diego State probably has the two best post players (Paris Johnson and Jessika Bradley) in the league and they're starting to play well as of late. But there's no doubt in my mind this year that anyone could win it."

The Big Chill

TCU senior Helena Sverrisdottir, nicknamed "Ice" for her native Hafnarfjordour, Iceland, is now the only player in program history to amass 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists in a career. Earlier this month, she also became the program's all-time leader in career starts. Sverrisdottir made her 122nd career start Tuesday night against Utah, a win to improve the Horned Frogs record to 19-9 overall and 11-3 in MWC play.

Sverrisdottir currently ranks fifth in the MWC in both scoring (15.0 ppg) and assists (4.1).

"She came in as a freshman and made an immediate impact," said coach Jeff Mittie. "She's a great person on and off the floor and a great ambassador for TCU. She's just one of those players who is a difference-maker in your program.

"Her basketball skills are very unique. There aren't many 6-foot point guards out there who can do what she does. We're very lucky to have her."

Buzzer Beaters

The Utah men's team wasn't the only squad on campus to win with a last-second shot on Saturday.

While Chris Hines' three-pointer at the horn proved the difference in the men's 62-60 win at New Mexico, it was Iwalani Rodrigues who did the honors for the Utah women's team (13-15, 6-8), knocking down a three-pointer at the buzzer to beat New Mexico 61-58 in Salt Lake City.

"It was a good day to be a Ute," said coach Anthony Levrets. "The funny thing was that I think (Rodrigues) had missed five three-point shots in a row and she was a little down. I called her over and told her, 'At one point this season, you made 13 straight threes,' which was one away from the NCAA record. I told her, 'You can't stop shooting; you're going to make the next one and before the game is over you're going to make a huge one for us.' I just wanted to keep her confidence up. Sure enough, because she is a good shooter, if she gets opportunities, she's going to make a lot of shots."

Small Steps, Major Milestones

An Air Force program that had struggled to find success in recent seasons continues to make significant strides under first-year coach Andrea Williams.

The Falcons' point total in their 91-87 victory over UNLV last Wednesday marked their second-highest scoring output since moving into Division I, and the most in a Mountain West Conference game.

The victory gave Air Force (8-17, 3-9) its eighth home win of the season, the team's highest total in the Division I era.

"We've brought excitement back to the program and gotten it back to the point of respectability," said Williams, whose team is two victories removed from tying its highest win total since the conference's inaugural season in 1999-2000. "Teams aren't thinking that they can come in here and walk all over us anymore.

"But we still have a lot of things we want to accomplish. We need to win a road game. One of our goals at the beginning of the season was not to finish in last place, so we need to continue to get wins. We also have a goal of winning a Mountain West Tournament game (something the Falcons have done only once). We've done some good things, some great things, but we have to have higher expectations.

"As a new (coaching) staff, we came here being used to winning, so splitting (a season series) is a different kind of focus. But it's a good focus. We understand where (the program) is coming from. We're very happy with what we've been able to accomplish, but we've got a lot of work to do."

Falcons Have Fan in Legerski

Wyoming coach Joe Legerski is one win away from guiding his team (19-6, 9-3) to its fifth 20-win season in six years.

Nonetheless, Legerski is keenly aware that pocketing win No. 20 at Air Force on Wednesday will not come without a tussle. Among the Falcons' victims at Clune Arena this season have been San Diego State, the defending MWC Tournament champion and a NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 qualifier a year ago; defending regular-season conference champion TCU; and UNLV, a team that until last Wednesday had beaten Air Force 26 times in the teams' previous 29 meetings.

"Air Force has some big wins at home this season and they're going to come out and compete for 40 minutes," Legerski said. "They've shown that they're capable of getting on a roll just like any other team in this league. When everything is going well for them, they can be a very tough out."

Inexperience: The Double-Edged Sword

While injuries and transfers have left Colorado State (12-13, 5-7) with only eight players this season, a factor that figures heavily in the team's current four-game losing streak, coach Kristen Holt can take solace in knowing that at least nine of the 12 players on her roster this season are scheduled to return in 2010-11.

Among those players is Kim Mestdagh, the fourth-highest scorer (16.4 ppg) in the league and the only active junior in the MWC with 1,000 career points; Sam Martin, who currently ranks second among MWC freshman in scoring (12.4 ppg) and rebounding (6.1 rpg); and sophomore Meixandra Porter, who tallied a career-best 19 points against TCU last week.

CSU's has also signed Kara Spotton, a 6-foot-2 forward from Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins who is rated as a top 100 prospect by ESPN.

"This season is going to help our younger players in the long run, because when we do get all of our pieces back, then they're just going to be that much better," Holt said. "But with these last four games, we've got to find a way to win. We've got to find a way to grit it out and get out of this losing streak."

Lobos Look to Rebound

For the first time this season, New Mexico (9-15, 3-9) failed to hit a three-point shot in Saturday's 61-58 loss at Utah. Conversely, Utah, which won on a three-pointer at the buzzer, was 4-of-10 beyond the arc as it rallied from a 12-point deficit in the second half.

But while shooting woes have proven problematic for the Lobos the majority of the season, coach Don Flanagan is nonetheless convinced that his team is better now than it was a month ago. "I feel now like we can compete with most teams in the conference," said Flanagan, whose team has won three of its last five league games after opening conference play 0-5. "If you had asked me that 10 games ago, I'm not sure I could have given you the same answer.

"We're playing harder now, we're playing with more confidence. We're defending better. We're defending man-to-man, which we couldn't do 10 games ago. We just need to get enough production out of our offense and be able to keep teams in the 50s. Then we'll be playing where we have to play with this team."

Better Late Than Never

Defending MWC Tournament champion San Diego State (12-13, 6-7) may be finding its stride at an optimal time.

The Aztecs, who from Jan. 19-Feb. 5 lost five straight, have suddenly won four in a row, the team's longest winning streak of the season.

SDSU's next hurdle will come at first-place BYU on Saturday. The Cougars beat the Aztecs 65-55 in San Diego on Jan. 26.

"They are probably the deepest, most talented, most experienced team in the league," said coach Beth Burns. "Each one of their perimeter players at one point was the exclusive point guard on their team. Mindy Bonham has been a point guard. Jazmine Foreman has always been a point guard and Haley Hall has always been a point guard. When you look at their assist stats (No. 3 in the nation), who are you going to try and cover? They can hurt you so many different ways. Very few teams have five players who can shut them down.

"We played at a pretty high level the first time we played them. We had a week to prepare and we prepared well, but we didn't have five people who could compete with them. Our inexperience was dramatically exposed. We couldn't match their intensity, especially in the second half. We have to hope they don't bring their best game and we're going to have to play really, really well."

Reserves to the Rescue

BYU coach Jeff Judkins has sung the praises of his bench all season. And in light of Kim Parker's performance against TCU on Saturday, Judkins isn't likely to stop singing that tune anytime soon.

Parker, a reserve freshman guard, was named the MWC Player of the Week after pacing the Cougars with a team-high 14 points in a 70-60 win over the Horned Frogs, who were bidding for a share of first place. Parker finished 4-for-4 from the free throw line and was 4-for-5 from the field, including 2-for-3 from three-point range. She also had two rebounds and a steal in 22 minutes of action.

"Kim came in and gave us a real big lift," said Judkins, whose team (19-7, 11-1) holds a game and a half lead over TCU and a two-game lead over Wyoming heading into Wednesday's game at Colorado State. "Having a deep bench, especially when the season is winding down and people are tired and sore, it's nice to have some fresh legs and some players who can come in and really help you. Our (bench players) are always ready to come in and step up for us."

Double-Double

UNLV ended a six-game losing streak overall and a six-game losing streak against Colorado State on Saturday with a 72-60 win. The losing streak matched the Lady Rebels' longest since the 2007-08 season.

Sophomore guard Kelli Thompson scored a career-high 27 points and Jamie Smith scored 19 points and collected 12 rebounds as UNLV improved to 10-17 overall and 3-10 in conference play.

"I never got to the point where I began wondering if we were going to win again, because I'm not that type of person," said coach Kathy Olivier. "Honestly, I just kept thinking that we were capable of beating any team in our league if we just started playing well, and we did that. We came out playing really hard and we made shots. We had a lot of energy all day.

"Now we need to make it two in a row (UNLV hosts New Mexico on Wednesday). As happy as our players were after that game, there are a lot of them who are just as disappointed we haven't been playing that way all season. They feel like they can beat anyone. That doesn't mean we're going to, but they do have the confidence that they can beat anyone."

Rachel Messer and the Utah women's basketball team show their support for BYU's Alexis Kaufusi, who will miss the remainder of the season after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Cougars Rally Around Teammate

While BYU (18-7, 10-1) could be facing a showdown for first place against TCU on Saturday at the Marriott Center, it's still nothing more than a game.

This is not: Cougars sophomore forward Alexis Kaufusi has been diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma and will miss the remainder of the season. Coach Jeff Judkins said Kaufusi, who was averaging 4.9 points and 2.8 rebounds after appearing in 20 games this season, will undergo chemotherapy treatments for the next six months.

"We're a very close team," Judkins said. "Obviously, she's scared, but she's very positive. Her family is extremely supportive and she has a lot of friends. As a team, we want to be supportive of her in any way we can, and we hope she can get herself back to the point where she can start getting ready to rejoin us in November."

Hodgkin's Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system, which is part of the immune system. It is considered one of the most curable forms of cancer. Former San Diego State men's basketball player Kelvin Davis, diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma during the 2007-08 season, overcame the disease and was awarded the 2009 U.S. Basketball Writers Most Courageous Award winner.

Meanwhile, BYU's meeting with TCU on Saturday could well determine the league's regular-season champion. The Cougars suffered their only conference loss of the season at TCU on Jan. 19, falling 54-51.

"It's probably the biggest game of the season," Judkins said. "If we win, we're going to be in really good position. We also feel like we should have won (at TCU). It's going to be a great game."

Unfinished Business

While BYU will have had a week to prepare for TCU, the Horned Frogs' meeting with the Cougars on Saturday won't mean anything if they don't win at Colorado State Wednesday night.

TCU (17-8, 9-2), which took sole possession of second place with Saturday's win over Wyoming, beat the Rams 66-40 in Fort Worth on Jan. 15.

"We know that (the BYU) game realistically only means something if we focus on what we have to get done Wednesday night," said coach Jeff Mittie. "For us, it's not really that hard not to look ahead."

Senior guard/forward Helena Sverrisdottir, who became the school's all-time leader in career-starts (119) against Wyoming, led TCU with 16 points in the Frogs' initial meeting with BYU.

Growing Up Fast

With a roster comprised of no fewer than 14 underclassmen, and without injured sophomore standout Taryn Wicijowski, it's hardly surprising that Utah has endured its share of ups and downs in 2010-11.

Yet the Utes (5-6, 12-13) are nothing if not resilient. In the wake of last Wednesday's 50-49 last-minute loss to San Diego State, Utah came within an eyelash of knocking off first-place BYU, falling 61-58. BYU had won its previous six games by an average of nearly 21 points.

"I keep thinking I'm going to have to talk to them about not hanging on to losses, but I don't," said coach Anthony Levrets. "They show up the next day as eager to learn and as eager to get better as they did the first day of practice. It's been an amazing group to coach. They take losses hard, but they don't feel sorry for themselves.

"We're not done getting better. If we get our offense going (in the MWC Tournament), with five or six kids contributing for three or four straight games, I think we can be a really dangerous team down the stretch."

Missing Pieces

Colorado State (12-11, 5-5) has battled its share of adversity this season, particularly where injuries are concerned. Among the missing are 6-foot-3 junior forward Kelly Hartig, a transfer from Virginia, and senior guard Zoi Simmons. Hartig (knee) has played in just five games this season, while Simmons (foot), who started 25 games last season, has played in only 13.

Rams coach Kristen Holt is keeping her fingers crossed in hopes that at least one, if not both, players will be available for the MWC Tournament, which tips off March 8.

"Obviously, when you get into a three- or four-game tournament, depending on your seeding, depth is nice to have because your kids at the end of the year are already tired and worn out," Holt said. "We're trying to remain optimistic (about Hartig and Simmons returning). Both of them really want to come back and they're doing everything they can, but it's a matter of whether they can heal quickly enough to get ready."

Down to the Wire

For seniors, the clock is always ticking as the final season of competition draws to a close. There's an urgency to extend the season one more game, to make the postseason a memorable one.

That's particularly true at Wyoming (18-6, 8-3), where the senior quartet of Aubrey Vandiver, Hillary Carlson, Randi Robinson and Jade Kennedy has clearly left its mark on the program.

"It's a very important time for seniors," said Cowgirls coach Joe Legerski. "They understand just how little of the season there is left. But they're also dealing with situations like where they're going to be next year, whether or not they'll apply for graduate school. What does the future hold? For seniors, that's the difficult part, not just the fact that you're running out of basketball games to be played. Underclassmen always know they're coming back, but a senior is also making plans to move on with their lives."

Power in the Paint

After dropping five straight, defending MWC Tournament champion San Diego State (11-13, 5-7) won consecutive games last week and on Tuesday night at The Pit for the first time since mid-January.

As to reasons why, look no further than the senior duo of center Paris Johnson and forward Jessika Bradley.

Johnson, who was named the MWC's co-Player of the Week along with TCU's Starr Crawford, combined to shoot 86.7 percent from the field in wins over Utah and UNLV, hitting 13-of-15 shots. She also averaged a double-double with 15.0 points and 10.5 rebounds while blocking eight shots. Johnson was a perfect 8-for-8 from the field against UNLV in helping SDSU post a 77-60 win, its highest scoring game of the season.

Bradley, meanwhile, who along with Johnson comprises the Nos. 4 and 3 rebounders in the league, respectively, averaged 11.5 points and 6.0 rebounds in the two games.

"If Paris and (Bradley) can continue to play at a really high level, that makes a difference," said coach Beth Burns. "They patrol the paint, clean up a lot of errors and trigger a lot of things for us.

"But it goes back to consistently getting good guard play. If we get that, I think we can win some games, because I do think (Johnson and Bradley) are capable of playing at the next level."

Lobos Find the Range

It's been a perplexing season for New Mexico coach Don Flanagan, who has routinely watched his team make shots in practice, only to see the Lobos struggle to find the mark in games.

Such was certainly not the case against Colorado State last week, as New Mexico (9-14, 3-8) shot 53.3 percent from the field (42.3 percent from three-point range) in an 86-53 win over Colorado State. The Lobos hit 11-of-26 three-point attempts, including seven by guard Jasmine Patterson, in posting their highest point total of the season.

"It's just basically about confidence," Flanagan said. "Somebody gets hot and it gets contagious. We have shooters on this team, but a lot of them are just inexperienced. It's taken awhile, but it's all about getting accustomed to playing at the college level. We also get a lot of fan support here. When you're trying to please all the fans, young players tend to get nervous instead of blocking that out and focusing on the game. I think we will shoot better from now on and I think it was a big step to have a game like that."

One Step at a Time

Despite a record of 7-16 overall and 2-8 in league play, Air Force has made some significant strides under first-year coach Andrea Williams.

The Falcons have matched their second-highest win total since the MWC's inaugural season (1999-2000), ended a 40-game losing streak against conference opponents and set a single-game attendance record (2,907 vs. Colorado State on Jan. 25).

The next step? Winning a MWC Tournament game, a hurdle Air Force has cleared only once.

"We could be a little bit of a dark horse depending on which team shows up," Williams said. "Our goal is to win at least one game in the tournament and go from there. That's what our focus will be, that's what we'll talk about. For the first time in a long time we're playing for seeding, and we'll be able to do some things if we can get some wins."

Styles Change

A year ago, UNLV's Markiell Styles was a role player, coming off the bench to average 5.5 points per game.

Having started the last six games, however, the 6-foot-3 junior center appears to be coming into her own. After recently posting a double-double (13 points, 13 rebounds) in a game against first-place BYU, Styles finished with a career-high 16 points and collected six rebounds in Saturday's contest at San Diego State.

"She's a bright spot and she's been playing really well," said coach Kathy Olivier, whose team (2-9, 9-16) visits Air Force Wednesday night. "She has a new-found enthusiasm for the game, and that makes it that much more fun to watch her."

Cougars Hitting Their Stride

The BYU men's basketball team isn't the only squad on campus making life miserable for opponents.

At the moment, no one seems to have an answer for the women's team, either.

The Cougars (16-7, 8-1) were positively dominant last week, leveling Wyoming 73-48 in a showdown for first place, then drubbing UNLV 79-44. For those keeping score, that's a combined scoring differential of 30 points per game.

"I think we're playing our best basketball right now," said coach Jeff Judkins. "Everybody on our team knows what their roles are and what they need to do. We're just putting a lot of phases of our game together right now. We have good balance and good depth. But we know it's a long season, and hopefully we'll just continue to get better."

While BYU has yet to garner a single vote in the Associated Press poll, it's difficult to imagine there are 25 teams in the nation better than the Cougars. BYU, which has the luxury of utilizing as many as 10 players, presents a formidable challenge in the frontcourt in 6-foot-7 freshman Jennifer Hamson and 6-foot-1 senior forward Coriann Fraughton. Hamson leads the team in field-goal percentage (65.1), while Fraughton is averaging 11.0 points and a team-high 7.0 rebounds per contest.

The Cougars are also a handful at the guard spot, where senior Mindy Bonham (12.1 ppg) ranks among the school's all-time top players in career scoring (1,164 points), assists (422) and steals (215).

Add to that mix a player like reserve 6-foot-3 junior center Kristen Riley (9.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg), and the Cougars, who are averaging a league-high 70.3 points per game, could be a tough assignment for any team in the postseason.

Slump Buster

TCU coach Jeff Mittie, whose team's shooting woes clearly contributed to consecutive losses to New Mexico and Air Force, may have identified a cure-all in sophomore forward DeLisa Gross.

Gross, who entered Saturday's game against San Diego State averaging 7.8 points, scored a career-high 20 against the Aztecs in the Horned Frogs' 63-52 win. But it wasn't simply Gross' point total that was noteworthy. She hit all seven of her shot attempts from the field, tying Ashley Davis, who went 7-of-7 in 2007, for the best single-game field goal percentage in school history.

"She had a great game," said Mittie, whose team improved to 15-8 overall and 7-2 in league play. "She got a lot of high-percentage looks. And even though we didn't shoot great in the last 30 minutes of the game, overall we shot well as a group. DeLisa was big for us, as was Briesha Wynn (career-high 13 points). It was a good performance by those two."

Lobos Guard at Her Best

With running mates Nikki Nelson and Sara Halasz lost for the season due to injuries, New Mexico senior guard Amanda Best has been left to do the majority of the heavy lifting in the backcourt this season.

In Saturday's 64-59 win over Air Force, Best arguably turned in her top performance of the season, narrowly missing a triple-double when she scored 15 points to go along with nine rebounds and eight assists.

"I think it was her best game of the season, just a great all-around game" coach Don Flanagan said of Best, who led the team in scoring seven times last season while pacing New Mexico in rebounding on seven occasions. "She had a very good assists-to-turnover ratio, she scored, she rebounded, she did a lot of things to help us."

Best wasn't alone. The Lobos, who have endured their share of shooting struggles this season, shot 52.2 percent from the field. In addition to Best, three other players scored in double figures, including Jessica Kielpinski (13), Lauren Taylor (11) and Porche Torrance (10).

"Improving our shooting percentage has been a concern all season," Flanagan said. "When we can do that, we're usually in games."

The Lobos are 8-13 overall and 2-7 in MWC play after Tuesday night's 78-65 loss to Wyoming in Laramie.

Johnson Standing Tall

Though her team may be enduring a challenging season after advancing to the NCAA Sweet 16 last year, San Diego State senior center Paris Johnson has refused to let frustration mar her final year with the Aztecs (8-13, 2-7).

Johnson, who is averaging a team-best 14.8 points per game and ranks second in rebounding (7.7 per outing), became the school's all-time career blocks leader last Wednesday when she rejected three shots against Colorado State. Her final block gave her 252 in her career, surpassing the previous record of 251 set by Michelle Suman (1991-92, 1994-95).

On pace to break the school record for consecutive starts, which currently stands at 122 set in 2010 by former teammate Quenese Davis, Johnson has started all 118 games since beginning her collegiate career in 2007-08. She currently ranks second in the MWC in career blocks, trailing only New Mexico's Jordan Adams, who had 344 from 1999-2003.

"The versatility she's displayed, the commitment to do anything we ask her to do to keep us moving forward, for all of those things, she has been terrific," said coach Beth Burns. "I'm going to miss her terribly, as much as a person in addition to what she does on the court. She hasn't missed a beat. She hasn't bought into frustration, she just keeps working really, really hard and I'm very proud of her for that. Her body of work at San Diego State will speak for itself."

So Much for First-Year Jitters

Michelle Plouffe, Utah's 6-foot-4 freshman forward, earned MWC Player of the Week honors by averaging 25.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 1.5 steals per game in wins over UNLV and Air Force.

After scoring a career-high 30 points against UNLV, Plouffe scored 12 of the team's final 14 points after Air Force had narrowed the deficit to four with 9:30 left in Utah's 55-40 win.

"She's really talented," said coach Anthony Levrets, whose squad improved to 12-11 overall and 5-4 in league play. "Not only is she a great player, but she's a great person, too. She works all the time on her game.

"Early in the year, we knew she was a good shooter. But when you combine her talent with her work ethic, I think the sky is the limit for her."

Changing a Mindset

First-year coach Andrea Williams knew that reversing the fortunes of Air Force women's basketball wasn't going to happen overnight. The key was trying to eliminate a pattern of one step forward, two steps back, which occurred last week when Air Force (2-7, 7-15) dropped a pair of games to New Mexico and Utah after knocking off former league leader TCU.

"It's difficult to learn how to win," Williams said. "That's where you need an experienced quarterback or an experienced point guard to be able to take the team on their shoulders and make other players listen to them, not just what the coach is saying. Megan (sophomore guard Muniz) has been trying to do that, but this being her first year as a starter, that role is kind of new to her.

"It's just going to be a process. I think we've already overcome some big hurdles where we now think we can be in every game."

Start Fast, Finish Strong

Colorado State (12-10, 5-4) held its own against Wyoming on Saturday. Unfortunately, the Rams did so in the second half after digging themselves a 41-22 hole at intermission.

After playing what coach Kristen Holt defined as possibly her team's best game of the season in a 56-51 win at San Diego State last Wednesday, CSU was late answering the bell against the Cowgirls, who got a career-high 35 points from senior Aubrey Vandiver.

"We had a similar situation against Utah, but we were able to come back and win," Holt said. "I don't think it was a case of our kids not being ready to play against Wyoming, but sometimes when things haven't gone our way we haven't always had that grit that you need to keep going. I just didn't see the same intensity and fight as I did in the San Diego State game, where we came out and got the lead. That shouldn't be what motivates you to play hard."

No Peeking

With a road date against TCU set for Saturday, in a game that could factor heavily in the MWC Tournament pairings, Wyoming (18-5, 8-2) knew it could ill afford to look past New Mexico heading into Tuesday night's home game. The Cowgirls held off the Lobos for a 78-65 win, led by Aubrey Vandiver's double-double (28 points and 10 rebounds) and a career-high 23 points from Jade Kennedy.

The Lobos entered the contest having won two of their last three, with one of those victories coming at TCU.

"We talk about that each and every night out," said coach Joe Legerski. "That's just how we approach the season. We always look at the game at-hand, that's all we worry about. I only watch film of the opponent we're going to play in the next game and I only look at the statistics of the opponent we're going to play in the next game. We keep everything focused on the game that's coming up next on our schedule. We don't have the luxury of looking down the road. If we start peeking down the road, we're going to get beat."

Lady Rebels Searching for Answers

With her team having dropped three straight and seven of its last nine, UNLV coach Kathy Olivier is getting back to the basics.

"It's just doing the things we really take pride in, and that's everything you could possibly think of," Olivier said. "Getting our hands up, getting in a good defensive stance, blocking out, taking care of the basketball, setting better screens. It's all about making the game easier for everybody by doing the little things that are so important in this game. We just need to focus on fundamentals."

The Lady Rebels (9-14, 2-7), who will host TCU on Wednesday, got a double-double from junior Markiell Styles (13 points, 13 rebounds) in Saturday's loss at BYU. It was Styles' second double-double of the season.

First Place on Line

The winner of Wednesday night's showdown between Wyoming and BYU will open the second half of the conference season in sole possession of first place.

Wyoming (16-4, 6-1), which has proven itself a formidable foe on the road this season, heads into Provo having won five straight. BYU (14-7, 6-1), which has won three straight and six of its last seven, holds an 18-8 advantage in the series in games played at the Marriott Center.

The Cowgirls feature two of the top three scorers in the league in seniors Hillary Carlson (18.7 ppg) and Aubrey Vandiver (17.0). The Cougars, meanwhile, had four players --- Mindy Bonham (17), Coriann Fraughton (17), Jennifer Hamson (15) and Kristin Riley (11) --- finish in double figures in Saturday's 76-54 win over New Mexico.

BYU's bench has outscored opponents 322-224.

"Wyoming doesn't beat themselves," said BYU coach Jeff Judkins. "They're very smart and very experienced. They shoot the three-point ball extremely well and cause a lot of matchup problems with Carlson and Vandiver. I hope we can switch enough people around so that we don't get in foul trouble. The one thing that we have that a lot of people don't is we have a lot of depth, especially with our bigs."

Said Wyoming coach Joe Legerski: "It all starts with (BYU's) pressure. They make you play 94 feet. They zone press you, they create traps and they try and get the game going up and down the floor to create easy baskets. We're going to have to handle their pressure to begin with, and once we get into the half-court we have to move in our offense, we have to execute and we have to make shots, especially on the perimeter. BYU creates a lot of problems with its great size."

TCU Looks to Rebound

After jumping out to its best start ever (6-0) in Mountain West Conference play, TCU tumbled out of first place last week when it suffered consecutive losses for the first time since late November.

In dropping a 65-54 decision to New Mexico, the Horned Frogs lost at home for just the second time this season, falling to a team that had yet to win a conference game. That setback preceded a 60-55 loss at Air Force, a team that only a week earlier had snapped a 40-game losing streak against conference opponents.

In both cases, TCU (14-8, 6-2) struggled to score, shooting 27.3 percent against New Mexico and 34.7 percent at Air Force. Against New Mexico, the Horned Frogs hit 2-of-22 shots in the first half, a season low. TCU was also outrebounded in both contests (46-39 and 42-32).

"We have not shot the ball particularly well most of the conference season," said coach Jeff Mittie. "But we had been winning, so it was getting covered up. Any time you're shooting 31-32 percent, you can lose any given night and probably deserve to lose.

"New Mexico and Air Force did some very good things against us. New Mexico controlled tempo and Air Force just hung in there; we were never able to sustain any type of offensive consistency. We're not playing very well right now. The kids were down, but we've got a good group. It's a long season, and we'll take advantage of the bye we have this week and regroup."

Levrets Shares Mittie's Pain

In a 53-48 loss at Colorado State last week, Utah, which beat UNLV Tuesday night to improve to 11-11 overall and 4-4 in MWC action, led 25-14 at the break before succumbing to a 20-3 second-half blitz that began with a layup by CSU's Meixandra Porter with 12 minutes remaining.

In suffering their first regular-season loss to the Rams since 2003, the Utes attempted 21 shots in the paint and made one. Utah got to the free throw line twice.

"In the first half, we probably defended as well as we have all year," Levrets said. "We had an opportunity to be up by 20 or 25. We had 11 shot attempts in the paint in the first half and didn't make one. In the second half, we guarded well for about eight or nine minutes before we started giving them easy layups and we kept coming away with empty possessions.

"However, I still think that we have enough pieces that if we're playing our best basketball at the end of the season that we're going to be dangerous. This a young team, but our focus and our goal has always been to be playing our best basketball at the end of the season."

Falcons Taking Game to New Heights

Ten days after beating defending conference tournament champion and NCAA Sweet 16 participant San Diego State to snap a 40-game losing streak against conference opponents, Air Force opted for an encore.

Behind a team-high 11 points from sophomore Dymond James and a bench that produced 25 points, the Falcons knocked off conference leader TCU 60-55 on Saturday, beating the Horned Frogs for the first time since 1988.

Air Force (2-5, 7-13), which has never won three league games through the first half a MWC season, will have the opportunity to do Wednesday night at New Mexico.

"Everyone who is involved now or anyone who has been involved in the past with our program is very excited," said first-year coach Andrea Williams. "When you beat a team like TCU, a team that's receiving national votes, it's huge. It can build a lot of confidence.

"We're a young team, and sometimes the best part about young players is that they don't know any better. As a team, we're starting to erase any doubts we had little by little and we're starting to believe."

Rams' Rally Nets Big Win

Colorado State (11-9, 4-3) hadn't beat Utah in a regular-season game since 2003, and the opening 20 minutes of Saturday's contest in Fort Collins didn't give anyone reason to think the streak would end.

Utah led 24-15 at the half, despite going 0-for-11 on shot attempts in the paint.

But CSU rectified matters in the second half, using a 20-3 run to take a 41-34 lead en route to a 53-48 win. The Rams shot 62 percent in the second half.

"I told our players at halftime that you can either lose by 30 or you can come back and make a game of this," said CSU coach Kristen Holt. "We didn't change anything scheme wise, it was just their mental approach.

"It was a really good win for the program and for our kids. We've had our share of adversity this season, so it really neat to see our team respond like that."

Sharing the Workload

It's not been the easiest of seasons at San Diego State, which won the regular-season conference title in 2008-09 before capturing the league tournament title last season and advancing to the NCAA Sweet 16.

Heading into Wednesday night's matchup against Colorado State, the Aztecs, whose backcourt was decimated by graduation last season, are 2-5 in conference play and 8-11 overall.

It can be trying for the team's upper classmen, who have experienced a significant amount of success.

"Our older players are working their tails off; it's the first-year players who have been really disappointing in terms of their work capacity," said coach Beth Burns. "It hasn't been about their physical performance, it's about their work capacity. I don't know if we can solve it. Our older players are doing everything they can, but this is a team game.

"You can say it's emotional immaturity on the part of 18- and 19-year-old kids who are away from home for the first time, but at the end of the day they've got to listen to their teammates; they've been there. I care about the seniors on this team so much. I want their legacy to be better. We're going to keep working hard. You usually don't remember the middle of the book, you remember how it ends."

Shooting Woes Plague Rebels

While no one disputes UNLV's ability to defend and rebound (the Lady Rebels are the top rebounding team in the MWC), shooting has been another matter. As UNLV (2-6, 9-13) concluded the first half of the conference season at Utah Tuesday night, they ranked eighth in the nine-team league in field-goal percentage (35.9) and ninth in 3-point field goal percentage (28.9). Equally troubling was an assist/turnover ratio that ranked last in the conference.

"We've just been inconsistent," said coach Kathy Olivier. "Defensively, we have a lot of confidence in what we do. Offensively, we don't have a consistent shooter or a consistent scorer, so we have to score points off rebounds and get to the free-throw line a lot. That's not always easy to do."

Think Pink

All nine MWC women's basketball programs are teaming up with the Women's Basketball Coaches Association to participate in the 2011 WBCA Pink Zone. The WBCA began the initiative in 2007 to raise breast cancer awareness on campuses and in communities. In 2007, more than 120 schools took part in the effort, a number that grew to more than 1,800 in 2010 to surpass $1,045,000

Drought Buster

It's over. And none too soon.

Air Force, which hadn't won an MWC game since March 3, 2008, when it beat BYU 54-40, ended a 40-game league losing streak with last week's 61-58 win over San Diego State, a team that advanced to last year's NCAA Sweet 16.

"It was phenomenal," said first-year coach Andrea Williams. "Having a monkey like that on your back can really weigh you down, but we knew it was coming. We knew we were going to beat somebody this year. That's been our mantra.

"Our senior, (guard) Raimee Beck, had been our only player up to that point who had ever won a conference game. We've talked a lot in the past few days about how it wasn't only a win for them, but also for the people who have supported the program through the years. Now we just have to keep pushing through."

Beck, who became Air Force's all-time leading scorer at the Division I level, paced the Falcons with 14 points. The Falcons (6-13, 1-5) also snapped a six-game losing streak against San Diego State.

Navigating Uncharted Waters

Annually recognized as one of the top programs in the nation, injury-ravaged New Mexico has fallen on hard times. The Lobos (6-11, 0-5), who face a daunting task at first-place TCU Wednesday night, have dropped five straight and nine of their last 10.

And coach Don Flanagan, now in his 16th season in Albuquerque, knows full well that brow-beating is not going to help put his team back on the road to success.

"There's no use in me jumping on them," Flanagan said. "Because of the success we've had over the years, they're already hearing it enough around campus and in the media. All of that is negative; there's nothing positive.

"I knew I was going to have to teach this year. When (junior guards) Sara Halasz and Nikki Nelson went down with injuries (prior to the start of the season), I knew we were going to have to teach, because we only had two players with game-time experience. We're hanging in there; we're close. I'm just not sure we're capable right now of matching up against the better teams in the league."

Cougars Take Measure of TCU

BYU (12-7, 4-4) heads into San Diego State Wednesday night knowing where it stands in the MWC. And while that position is currently second place (tied with Wyoming), the top rung of the ladder isn't far away.

Facing a road test at first-place TCU last week, the Cougars fell 61-58, but not before limiting the Horned Frogs to 29.8 percent shooting and finishing with a 45-34 advantage on the boards.

"For the most part, I thought we played pretty well," said coach Jeff Judkins. "We just didn't shoot well enough (3-of-21 from three-point range). TCU's zone is a little different than what everybody else really plays, and it took us a while to figure things out. We have some things we need to do a little bit better, but I thought we gave them a pretty good run."

Judkins was particularly pleased with the play of 6-foot-7 freshman Jennifer Hamson, who led the Cougars with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Hamson had 12 points in the second half, including four in the final two minutes, giving BYU a shot to tie at the buzzer.

Blinded by the Lights

UNLV may be below .500 overall (9-11) and 2-4 in MWC play, but Wyoming coach Joe Legerski is understandably leery of the Cowgirls matchup against the Lady Rebels in Las Vegas Wednesday night.

Over the past 10 seasons, Wyoming has lost eight times at UNLV, including a 62-56 setback last year.

"We've had our challenges playing in Las Vegas," said Legerski, whose team improved to 14-4 overall and 4-1 in league play with victories last week over Seattle and Air Force. "I think sometimes just going to Las Vegas there are so many distractions. The players are excited to go to Las Vegas. It's a different atmosphere in and of itself.

"It just all comes down to shooting the basketball. When (UNLV) shoots the three, they're a very tough out. We're going to have to get out on their shooters. You just have to hope they're not sharper shooting the ball. But we also have to be able to handle their pressure. It's going to put a lot of responsibility on our guards."

Ranks are Thin, But Rams Push On

Injuries and the decision by junior forward Chatilla van Grinsven to transfer have left Colorado State coach Kristen Holt with just eight players. Yet the Rams (10-9, 3-3) are holding fast, posting wins against UNLV and Air Force around a loss at BYU.

"I'm happy with what these kids are doing and the intensity they're playing with," Holt said. "I'm as happy with it as I've ever been. That part of our program is moving forward.

"The smoke screen is that we don't have those four or five players right now who have played major parts in the program. If that were the case, I'd have a better idea of where we stack up."

The Other Side of the Coin

A year ago, San Diego State enjoyed its best season in school history, winning the MWC Tournament and advancing to the NCAA Sweet 16.

This season, the Aztecs head into Wednesday night's game against BYU sporting a mark of 8-9 overall and 2-3 in league play, their most recent setback coming in a 61-58 loss at Air Force in which the Falcons snapped a 40-game conference losing streak.

"Our inconsistency has been a real challenge," said coach Beth Burns. "You tell me how we can have 50 rebounds in (a 56-53) win over New Mexico and three days later have 29 rebounds against Air Force. That's pretty disparate.

"We're going to have to have some things go right against BYU. We can't get into a shooting match, because they are a lot more offensively skilled than we are. But can we win? Sure. I fully expect it to be a very competitive game. I don't think there's any great degree of separation between any of the nine teams in this league. I'm not surprised to see anybody win."

All five of the Aztecs' conference games have been decided by three or fewer points.

Looking for Signature Win

UNLV coach Kathy Olivier's Lady Rebels host Wyoming Wednesday night with an opportunity to beat the Cowgirls for the third time in the teams' last five regular-season meetings. Wyoming is currently tied for second place in the league with BYU.

"I've always told our staff that if we can get two or three consecutive wins, you never know what this team can do," said Olivier, whose squad rebounded from a loss against Colorado State to beat New Mexico at The Pit on Saturday. "I know this team believes they can beat anyone in our conference. We have the majority of our (road) games against the top teams out of the way. Now we just need to get on a roll."

UNLV plays three of its next four games at home.

A Mystery in the Making

Utah (10-10, 3-3) built a 21-15 lead against visiting TCU on Saturday, only to see it disappear when the Utes went scoreless for final 8:30 of the first half and the opening 2:21 of the second.

Utah ultimately rallied to tie the contest at 41-41 with 6:08 remaining, but fell 56-46 in a game in which the Utes were undone by 25 turnovers. Utah is averaging 16.4 turnovers per game.

"I was really happy with the way we played against New Mexico's zone (a 56-53 win) on Wednesday, but when TCU went zone against us, we struggled," said coach Anthony Levrets. "Their length really causes you problems. But not only did we not score, they scored on our turnovers.

"After our games against BYU and Wyoming, we talked about how we needed to do a better job on the boards, and we've done that ever since. But with a young team, you're always moving on to the next thing, and now we know we have to do a better job of avoiding turnovers and playing better against the zone. You just keep addressing things a piece at a time and hope all of them are curtained off by the time the tournament starts."

A Milestone and a Major Statement

While a substantial portion of the conference schedule remains, TCU coach Jeff Mittie's 400th career win might also prove to be one of the biggest of the season.

Facing a road game at Wyoming last week that featured a battle of conference unbeatens, the Horned Frogs rolled to a 68-47 win by shooting 50 percent from the floor, including an eye-popping 69 percent from three-point range. TCU followed the victory with a 66-40 rout of Colorado State, a game in which it forced 31 turnovers.

"That (Wyoming) game was a total team effort for us, particularly considering our top two scorers (Emily Carter and Helena Sverrisdottir) were a combined 0-for-12 from three-point range," Mittie said. "Early in the season, I don't think we could have won a game like that. But virtually everyone who came into the game gave us something positive."

The Frogs (12-6, 4-0), who face another first-place showdown at home Wednesday night against BYU (11-6, 3-0), got 24 points from their bench against the Cowgirls.

"I think everyone on our team understands and embraces their roles so much better than they did a month ago," said Mittie, whose team has won six straight. "We're playing much better at the defensive end of the floor and we have better balance offensively."

Utah Facing Battle on Boards

What goes up must come down, but too often lately it's come down in the hands of the opponent.

Utah (9-9, 2-2), which dropped a pair of games last week to BYU and Wyoming, yielded a combined 34 offensive rebounds in the two contests. As such, BYU finished with 19 second-chance points while Wyoming tallied 14.

"What's disappointing to me is that we played great defense, but then we didn't finish," said coach Anthony Levrets. "If (BYU and Wyoming) get seven or eight offensive rebounds as opposed to 15 and 19, those games are completely different. Whether we win or lose, I don't know, but, ultimately, in both of those games, we gave them second chances. We can't guard for 26-27 seconds, get our opponent to miss, then give them a second chance and have to guard again. Over the course of a game, that just wears you down."

Freshman Michelle Plouffe, who is tied for the conference lead in double-doubles, posted her sixth of the season (20 points, 11 rebounds) against BYU.

Lobos' Fast Finishes Belie Slow Starts

New Mexico has proven a formidable foe this season in the second half. It's getting out of the gate that has proven troublesome.

The Lobos (6-9, 0-3) once again rallied at San Diego State on Saturday, only to fall 56-53 when they were unable to overcome a 12-point halftime deficit.

"We've emphasized not giving up and maintaining a strong effort no matter what the score is, but getting off to a fast start builds confidence, and as the season goes along, confidence is probably more important than anything else," said coach Don Flanagan. "If you can have a lead, or at least be even, at halftime, you're going to have a lot more confidence than if you're down by 10 or 12. If not, you're always going to be facing a battle in the second half."

Freshman Jasmine Patterson scored in double figures against both Colorado State (a 71-60 loss) and San Diego State last week, while senior Jessica Kielpinski had a career-high 11 rebounds against the Aztecs.

Mestdagh Nears Milestone

Colorado State junior Kim Mestdagh needed 18 points against UNLV Tuesday night to reach the 1,000-point plateau for her career and got 25. She entered the contest ranked fourth in the MWC in scoring with an average of 16.4 points per game.

"When you think of where our program has been, what she's done is even more phenomenal because she's a player that teams target each and every night," said Rams coach Kristin Holt, whose team sits at 9-8 overall and 2-2 in league play after splitting a pair of games last week with New Mexico and TCU, and beating UNLV on Tuesday night. "She continues to find ways to score, but when Kim is at her best, she's getting rebounds and setting screens, playing great defense and running the floor. Those things free her up. If she's only focusing on getting open in the offense, sometimes she can get discouraged and isn't as good."

After Tuesday night's game, Mestdagh has reached double figures in 14 of the Rams' 17 games this season and has scored 20 or more points five times.

SDSU Hopeful Slow, Steady Wins Race

Defending MWC Tournament champion San Diego State, which swept a pair of games against UNLV and New Mexico last week, is back at .500 for the first time since Dec. 30.

The Aztecs (8-8, 2-2) play at Air Force Wednesday night.

"When you start the season 1-4, 8-8 has a whole different look to it," said coach Beth Burns. "This game (against Air Force) is really big in giving us any kind of a puncher's chance to stay in the hunt."

SDSU, which had been out-rebounded in every game save one since Dec. 28, held a 50-26 advantage in that department in Saturday's 56-53 win over New Mexico.

"Rebounding is the only way we can have a winning season," Burns said. "We've continued to improve in every other area, but we've been focusing on rebounding more than I ever have at this time of year."

Wyoming Tough at Tough Venues

With its 55-48 win over Utah on Saturday, Wyoming (12-4, 3-1) won a game in Salt Lake City for just the third time in the program's history.

The Cowgirls' 63-53 win against New Mexico on Jan. 8 marked the team's first win at The Pit since 1995.

"What it shows is our senior leadership," said coach Joe Legerski. "We've been through so many games with Aubrey (Vandiver), Hillary (Carlson), Jade (Kennedy) and Randi (Richardson). It's very difficult to find breakthroughs on the road. You look at any conference in the country and it's the same scenario. Wins at Utah have been few and far between for the Wyoming women's basketball program. Hopefully, that gives us the kind of confidence we're going to need to play with the rest of the way."

Wyoming will host Seattle University in a nonconference matchup Wednesday night.

A Double Shot of Nzeukou

UNLV junior forward/center Sadrine Nzeukou posted consecutive double-doubles last week in helping lead the Lady Rebels (8-11, 1-4) to their first conference win.

After finishing with 16 points and 10 rebounds in a 55-52 loss to San Diego State, Nzeukou had 11 points and 14 rebounds in a 63-52 win against Air Force as the Lady Rebels snapped a three-game losing streak.

"She came back this season in really good shape," coach Kathy Olivier said of the 6-foot-2 Nzeukou, a team captain the past two seasons. "We have four or five good post players, but she's kind of separated herself. She's a confident player with very good fundamentals and it shows in games. She plays under control, she does what we ask her to do and she's finding success."

Falcons Settling In

Though her team is still in search of its first conference win, first-year Air Force coach Andrea Williams said the Falcons (5-11, 0-3) played their best conference game of the season in Saturday's 62-53 loss at UNLV.

Sophomore guard Alicia Leipprandt fueled a late rally, scoring six of her 12 points during an 8-0 run in which Air Force cut the deficit to 57-52 on a layup by Leipprandt with 1:19 to play. The Rebels were able to put the game away by hitting six straight free throws.

"We came up short, but that's really the first time we've competed for a full 40 minutes," Williams said. "We put ourselves in position to win, and that's good progression for us. We grew a lot as a team."

The Falcons host San Diego State (8-8, 2-2) Wednesday night. All four of the Aztecs' conference games have been decided by three or fewer points.

Picking Up the Pieces

For a team that won the MWC Tournament last season before advancing to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, losing your starting guard tandem is not something you care to ponder.

Yet such is the case for San Diego State (7-8, 1-2), which is attempting to replicate last year's success minus Jene Morris, a first-round WNBA draft pick, and Quenese Davis. The two combined last season to average 30.3 points while contributing 270 assists and 173 steals.

And while Arizona transfer Courtney Clements was tabbed the league's preseason Newcomer of the Year and is averaging 12.3 points after scoring a career-high 29 in Saturday's 70-67 overtime loss to Utah, it's been a work in progress for Aztecs coach Beth Burns.

"If you're going to replace your backcourt, it's a process," said Burns.

"You can't even begin to fathom how much you have to teach them, because you can't even remember what you have to teach them. When you think of every aspect of the game, every possession of the game, and you have young guards, it's just an adventure.

"The good news is, we took it on the chin early. The only way you're going to get experience is to play. We've continued to improve. We were really frightening defensively in early November, as inexperienced teams usually are. We have speed, length and great shot-blocking in our front line, but we don't have speed in our backcourt. It's just a matter of finding things both offensively and defensively that can put us in position to be successful. As a staff, you obviously don't want to come off a Sweet 16 appearance and change everything."

Frogs Brace for Early-Season Showdown

Tabbed to win the conference in the preseason coaches' poll, TCU (10-6, 2-0) is about to find out just how far it's come when it squares off against Wyoming on Wednesday night in Laramie. One of four conference teams sitting at 2-0, the Cowgirls boast the best overall mark in the league at 11-3.

"It's a game where if you win, you can get off to a really good start," said TCU coach Jeff Mittie. "It's a road game for us, so it's really a great opportunity to set the stage for the rest of the year. But it's a long season playing 16 league games, and I think it's one of those years where there's so much parity, you may see a lot of close games."

The Frogs have won four straight after dropping five of their previous nine. The turnaround, Mittie said, came in a 76-69 win over then-No. 14 Oklahoma on Jan. 1. TCU followed that with a 49-47 win at San Diego State.

"We just lost so many close games early where we just weren't able to get over the hump," Mittie said. "We played a really tough (nonconference) schedule, and you can't play average in those games and expect to win. And that's what we were doing, playing average basketball. But I think the Oklahoma game got us going in the right direction, and to win a close game at San Diego State did a lot for our confidence."

Piecing Together the Puzzle

If it wasn't enough that Utah interim head coach Anthony Levrets was stepping into the shoes of a coach (Elaine Elliott) who is one of just 16 to post 20 20-win seasons, he has also had to find a way to win without the team's best inside player. Sophomore forward Taryn Wicijowski, last year's MWC Freshman of the Year, was lost to a season-ending knee injury in November.

Nonetheless, the Utes, who are 9-8 overall, are one of four teams with a mark of 2-0 thus far in conference play. The loss of Wicijowski, meanwhile, who averaged 18.5 points in last year's MWC Tournament, has been offset by the emergence of sophomore guard Iwalani Rodrigues and freshman forward Michelle Plouffe. Rodrigues is averaging 15.2 points, while Plouffe is averaging 13.4, both of which rank among the top 10 scorers in the league.

"We're not done getting better," said Levrets, whose team travels to Provo Wednesday night to face rival BYU. "We're really young (one senior). We have players in new roles who are still growing into them."

Inexperience was evident early, as the Utes, despite holding on, too often surrendered double-digit leads. It happened again on Saturday, when Utah needed overtime to beat San Diego State after building a 12-point lead at the half.

"It happened at New Mexico State where we were up 20 in the first half and they came back, and the same thing happened at Utah State," Levrets said. "We didn't play poorly against San Diego State; they played pretty well down the stretch. But we managed to hold on. We got a stop when we needed to and we made a play when we needed to. I think that's a sign of a team growing up."

Injuries Have Hampered Lobos

With a career record of 333-157 at New Mexico, coach Don Flanagan ranks among the premiere coaches in the nation. But not even a coach of Flanagan's stature can overcome the loss of two of his team's top returning players in Sara Halasz and Nikki Nelson, both of whom have been lost to season-ending knee injuries. Halasz was the team's top returning scorer. In addition, senior center Jessica Kielpinski has been limited by a foot injury..

As such, the Lobos (6-7, 0-1) have struggled offensively. New Mexico, which visits Colorado State Wednesday night, ranks last in the league in scoring offense (60.5 ppg) and field-goal percentage (33.8).

"We're playing hard, but we're having problems offensively in not being able to score consistently," Flanagan said. "We're shooting too low of a percentage. We're trying to improve our defense to get to a point where we can be in games, but we've got to shoot a higher percentage. Shooting 30-35 percent from the field is not going to win you a lot of games.

"We've lost two experienced players. Obviously, that's been a problem. I've had times this season when I've had five freshmen on the floor. I don't think there's ever been a year (Flanagan is in his 16th season at New Mexico) where I've ever had more than two. The positive is that each one of those freshman is playing 15-20 minutes per game, and that's going to help at some point."

Falcons on Rise Under Williams

Inheriting a team that has finished with double-digit wins (10) only once since the MWC's inception in 1999-00, first-year Air Force coach Andrea Williams knew there were challenges ahead.

After 15 games, however, the Falcons (5-10, 0-2) already have more wins than in eight of their previous 11 seasons in the MWC.

"I think we've made a lot of progress considering that we've put in a whole new offensive and defensive system," Williams said. "We've overhauled everything, and we're playing at a tempo that our players aren't used to. It's a new experience for everyone involved, so everybody is trying to figure out their roles. Right now, we're just looking for that one key win to get the monkey off our back."

One player who could help expedite that objective is sophomore forward Dymond James, who is averaging 9.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.

"She has the ability to finish with a double-double every night, which we need in the post," Williams said. "Getting her to stay focused and play 30-35 minutes without getting into foul trouble is going to be one of the biggest steps for her. As a sophomore, she's going to have to become a go-to player. But I think she's understanding that role and showing more maturity. She needs to bring it every night."

Getting Defensive

In putting the skids on a four-game losing streak last week against UNLV, BYU not only got double-digit scoring from four players, it also turned up the heat defensively. The Cougars (10-6, 2-0) held the Lady Rebels to 32.7 percent shooting for the game and 25.0 percent in the second half.

It was a similar story in Saturday's 88-60 win at Air Force, where the Falcons shot just 35.8 percent and turned the ball over 24 times.

"The team that wins the conference is going to have to play defense, because some nights the ball just won't go into the basket," said BYU coach Jeff Judkins. "I think our team defense has gotten better, but we still need to work on our individual defense, especially in the post and having teams beat us off the dribble. But we did a lot better job of that against Vegas. We didn't give them a lot of easy baskets and we didn't give them a lot of offensive rebounds."

Wiping the Slate Clean

Colorado State, which hosts New Mexico Wednesday night, has been doing some serious soul-searching in the aftermath of its 83-43 loss to Wyoming in its conference opener last week, the worst loss in coach Kristin Holt's two-plus seasons at the university.

"I know we're a better team than we've been the last couple years and we've had some good showings, but the Wyoming game was just a shock to me," said Holt, whose team is 7-7 overall. "The disappointing part to me is that we gave up. We could have lost by 50 or 60. It was tough to see. I certainly think it woke our team up.

"I've got a good core group of kids that wants to win. That loss bothered them and it should. I don't see that kind of effort ever happening again. The response at practice has been that we're not going to have a season that's reflective of that game. If you get blown out by 30 or 40, and you're working your tail off, that's one thing. I just didn't like our competitiveness. We've talked a lot about our approach and that your attitude and effort have to be there. If you have those things and you lose, that's OK. But if you don't, it's unacceptable. And that's the part we want to fix this week."

Wyoming Wary of Defending Regular-Season Champs

With the best overall record in the conference, Wyoming (11-3, 2-0) hosts preseason conference favorite TCU (10-6, 2-0) in a key matchup Wednesday night.

"We have to limit the amount of good looks that TCU gets and make sure that we move in our motion offense," said Cowgirls coach Joe Legerski. "I think it's going to come down to the team that shoots the higher percentage and, of course, the team that wins the rebounding battle. But TCU is very talented, a team with a tremendous amount of experience. They were the No. 1 (preseason) pick in our league and they've played like that. It's going to be a real challenge for us."

As it will be for TCU. Wyoming has won five straight games by an average of 24 points.

"We just go out each and every night and try to win four-minute segments; that's all we talk about," Legerski said. "I never worry about where the score is at as long as we're playing well and competing in four-minute segments."

Finding the Handle

While UNLV coach Kathy Olivier has been pleased with her team's defensive effort thus far, as well as its performance on the boards, it's turnovers that have hurt the Lady Rebels (7-9, 0-2).

UNLV ranks first in the conference in field-goal percentage defense (35.3) and rebounding margin (+8.3), but is seventh in turnover margin (- 3.19).

"I like what we're doing defensively, but we've struggled to get into a flow offensively because we've had too many turnovers," Olivier said. "We have to be able to take care of the basketball and play together down the stretch."

Tresa (Spaulding) Hamson holds a place in the BYU Hall of Fame. As a member of the women's basketball team, she once scored 50 points in a game. During her senior year in 1987, she led the nation in scoring and was dubbed the "Best Center in America."

So it stands to reason, naturally, that Hamson's daughter, Jennifer, currently a freshman at BYU, grew up with a basketball in her hands.

Uh, no.

"I was definitely not one of those kids," Jennifer Hamson said. "When I was little, my best friend was really small. Crazily enough, she got me interested in gymnastics. I really enjoyed it. But I stopped competing when I was in the eighth grade and started playing basketball and volleyball."

And still is.

While Jennifer Hamson's mother may have been a member of the 1984 Olympic Team, may have earned All-America honors four straight years and may hold BYU records for points in a single game (50), field-goal percentage (.609, minimum 150 attempts), career blocks (494) and blocks in a single game (11), she never pulled off the kind of feat her daughter did last Saturday.

After contributing five rebounds, five blocks, one point and one steal in the basketball team's 80-55 win over Washington at the Marriott Center, Jennifer Hamson headed straight to Smith Fieldhouse for BYU's volleyball match against New Mexico, the second-place team in the Mountain West Conference. In the Cougars' 3-1 upset of the Lobos, she finished with 13 kills, a .423 hitting percentage, one dig and four blocks.

Top that, Mom.

"I was really excited because both teams played really well and both teams won, but I was pretty tired the next day," said Hamson, one of the MWC's top candidates for Freshman of the Year in volleyball. "You don't want to disappoint your team if you're not there to play."

Heading into Wednesday night's volleyball match at Wyoming, Hamson ranks second among MWC freshmen (ninth overall) in points and third overall in service aces. After enduring a volleyball season that has spanned 28 matches with two to play, she has played in two of BYU's three basketball games but is averaging 5 blocks and 3.5 rebounds per game.

In the basketball team's first exhibition game of the season, Hamson finished as the Cougars leading scorer with 16 points.

"I think you saw a young lady who could be a great player someday," coach Jeff Judkins told the BYU Universe, the school's student newspaper. "Jen Hamson can be a real force."

Even if it's not in gymnastics, where going through a growth spurt that takes you from aspirations of being the next Shawn Johnson to being 6-foot-6 puts a bit of a damper on your dreams. In addition to BYU, the former Pleasant Grove (Utah) High School standout was offered the opportunity to play both volleyball and basketball at Utah, Oklahoma and Louisville.

Not that there was a considerable amount of consternation involved in her decision to attend BYU. Not only is she following her mother's basketball legacy, an uncle, Ben Hamson, and an aunt, Britt (Hamson) Kelly, also played volleyball at BYU.

"I had one person tell me I was crazy to try and play both (volleyball and basketball), but it really hasn't been that difficult at all," she said. "The coaches have been really good about working it out and allowing me to play both (sports), and my mom has been a huge influence. She got me into basketball and she really encouraged me to play both (sports) in college. It's really awesome, because she's helped me learn a lot about the game.

"It's a lot of work, but it's also a lot of fun."

Shots from the Heart

Six Mountain West men's basketball coaches will put their free throw shooting skills to the test during the 2010-11 season as part of "Shots from the Heart," a project designed to help raise awareness for the growing problem of heart disease. Created by CollegeInsider.com, the bracket-style tournament event will benefit the American Heart Association while also paying tribute to the late Skip Prosser, the Wake Forest head coach who passed away on July 26, 2007 of a heart attack.

Taking part in this year's inaugural event from the Mountain West will be head coaches Tim Miles (Colorado State), Steve Alford (New Mexico) and Lon Kruger (UNLV), and assistant coaches DeMarlo Slocum (Colorado State), Craig Neal (New Mexico) and Greg Gensing (UNLV).

The event is formatted after the NCAA Tournament with two 64-person fields, one for head coaches and one for assistant coaches. Each round will consist of 25 free throws, shot by the coaches at their convenience, with the winners advancing to the next round. The coaches' results will be recorded by a member of their respective athletic department. First-round competition will be held in November, followed by second-round action in December. The Round of 16 and Round of 8 are slated for January and February, respectively, with the semifinals and finals scheduled to take place at the NCAA Men's Final Four in Houston. To avoid ties, the first 20 shots made in each round will be worth one point, shots 21-24 will be worth two points and shot 25 will be worth three points.

Below are the first-round match-ups for each of the six MWC coaches taking part in the event. Fans can follow their coach's progress by clicking on the respective tournament links. For more information, or to make a donation to the American Heart Association, go to CollegeInsider.com.

The Mountain West Conference will track our coaches' progress and post the results on Twitter and on Facebook. Check back often to see who advances!

• HEAD COACH TOURNAMENT
• ASSISTANT COACH TOURNAMENT

Week of Nov. 15-21
HEAD COACHES - EAST REGION
Tim Miles (Colorado State) vs. Jeff Bzdelik (Wake Forest)

ASSISTANT COACHES - SOUTH REGION
DeMarlo Slocum (Colorado State) vs. Eric Konkol (George Mason)
Steve Merfeld (Creighton) vs. Craig Neal (New Mexico)
Rick Croy (St. Mary's) vs. Greg Grensing (UNLV)

Week of Nov. 22-30
HEAD COACHES - NORTH REGION
Kermit Davis (Middle Tennessee) vs. Steve Alford (New Mexico)
Lon Kruger (UNLV) vs. Bob McKillop (Davidson)

TCU's Sverrisdottir and San Diego State's Johnson Get Look from ESPN.com

In its 2010-11 preview, ESPN.com women's basketball writers Mechelle Voepel, Graham Hays, Charlie Creme and Melanie Jackson ranked the top five players in the nation at each position. TCU's Helena Sverrisdottir ranked fifth among the small forwards, while San Diego State's Paris Johnson received at least one vote from the panel at her position. Click HERE for the full story.

Record Performance by TCU's Carter

On Tuesday night TCU needed two overtimes to beat metroplex rival SMU, 87-73. But it was senior Emily Carter's performance on the court that opened a lot eyes to the options available to the Horned Frogs. Carter scored a TCU-record 43 points in the game, the second most points scored in a single game in MWC history. Combine that with Carter's first game scoring performance of 26 points against Houston Baptist, the Bossier City, La. native is averaging 34.5 points per game to start the season.

Editor's note: The Mountain West Conference staged its annual media day for women's basketball on Wednesday at The Mtn. Studios in Denver. MWC Correspondent Mick McGrane sat down with each the conference's nine coaches to discuss the upcoming season. The following are excerpts from those conversations, presented in order in which the teams were selected to finish in this year's preseason media poll. Last year's overall and MWC records are in parenthesis.

1. TCU (22-9, 12-4)
Coach Jeff Mittie has the reigning MWC Player of the Year in Helga Sverrisdottir, a first-team all-conference performer in Emily Carter, a team picked to finish first in the preseason poll --- and a new approach to how his team will run its offense.

Mittie, who previously employed a triangle-based system that often utilized set plays, has opted to switch to a motion-based offense.

"I didn't like the way we were playing at the end of the shot clock," said Mittie, whose team has made nine appearances in the NCAA Tournament in the last 10 seasons. "I felt like we were too one dimensional in those situations. I wanted to be able to give us more (offensive) options. I felt like we had a veteran team that could understand shot selection so that I didn't need to dictate as much. And I really feel like our players have adjusted to it very well."

2. San Diego State (23-11, 10-6)
The Aztecs, who advanced to the Sweet 16 last year after winning the conference tournament, must somehow find a way to fill the sizable voids left by guards Jene Morris, a first-round WNBA draft pick, and Quenese Davis. The two combined last season to average 30.3 points while contributing 270 assists and 173 steals.

In their absence, much of the focus will turn to the inside play of first-team all-conference preseason pick Paris Johnson (11.1 points and 6.3 rebounds in 2009-10) and senior Jessika Bradley (7.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg).

"Paris and Jessika have to be lights out, it's that simple," said coach Beth Burns, who recently signed a five-year contract extension. "We could win last year if our front line had an off night. That won't be the case this year."

Guard Courtney Clements, a transfer from Arizona and former Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, was tabbed the MWC Newcomer of the Year.

3. BYU (23-10, 11-5)
The Cougars, who advanced to the Elite Eight of the WNIT last season, return four starters, including Mindy Bonham, the team's leading scorer. Also back is Kristen Riley, the team's leading rebounder, and Haley Hall, who paced BYU in assists and steals.

Bonham, a two-time MWC All-Defensive honoree, averaged 11.1 points last season and ranked second on the team in assists per game (3.79).

"Mindy has been a real blessing to have," coach Jeff Judkins said of Bonham, a second-team All-MWC selection in 2009-10. "She's changed positions every year, from playing point guard as a freshman to playing the two guard as a sophomore and last year she played small forward. This year, she's probably going to play more of the two guard spot again. She's always had to change her role, and now she's our captain. She's one of the most dedicated, hard-working players I've ever had."

4. Utah (23-12, 10-6)
Former assistant Anthony Levrets will act as interim head coach this season while Elaine Elliott takes a year's leave of absence to consider retirement.

Levrets steps into the shoes of a coach who is one of just 16 to post 20 20-win seasons, has guided the Utes to 15 NCAA Tournament appearances in 31 seasons and has a career record of 582-234 (.713).

"It's been great," Levrets said. "Our kids have responded really well. Obviously, it's not easy following Elaine. She's such a great basketball coach. But you can't focus on that; you have to focus on your team. I tell everybody I'm just glad I'm not preparing to play against her."

5. Wyoming (21-12, 9-7)
Coach Joe Legerski, who recently received a five-year contract extension, returns four starting seniors to a team that posted its fourth 20-win season in five years in 2009-10.

What Legerski will be looking for over the course of the next month is someone to emerge as the team's fifth starter, a competition that currently includes sophomores Ashley Sickles, Chaundra Sewell and Bec Campigli.

"I expect our practices are going to be very competitive, and I hope they are," said Legerski, whose team will be led by a pair of All-MWC honorees in Hillary Carlson and Aubrey Vandiver. "We need to have someone step up and emerge as that fifth starter."

6. New Mexico (23-11, 10-6)
The Lobos lost four seniors from last year's squad, including standout point guard Amy Beggin, a two-time All-MWC selection and one of only 16 players in school history to score 1,000 points.

Coach Don Flanagan, who is in his 16th season with the Lobos, is hoping that senior Amanda Best can fill the void left by Beggin. Best started 30 games last season, scoring in double figures 12 times. She led the Lobos in scoring on seven occasions and finished as the team's top rebounder eight times.

"I think she's going to surprise people," Flanagan said of Best, who assumes the team's point guard spot. "She handles the ball well, she's explosive, and as long as she learns how to distribute rather than worrying about scoring, I think she's going to do a great job."

7. UNLV (23-12, 10-6)
In addition to returning all five starters, including two-time MWC rebounding champion Jamie Smith, coach Kathy Olivier's squad also figures to get a boost from the arrival of 6-foot-3 Lenita Sanford, a former McDonalds All-American from Lynwood High (Calif.).

Sanford originally attended Trinity Valley Community College in Texas but suffered a knee injury and sat out the 2007-08 season. She then transferred to Chipola Junior College in Marianna, Florida, where she averaged 7.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 53% from the floor. Sanford attended El Camino College in California during the 2009-10 school year, but did not play basketball.

"Lenita brings that intimidation factor," Olivier said. "She's a shot-blocker who has a mean streak about her. She's the type of player we've never really had, a physical player who we're really excited about having."

8. Colorado State (13-17, 5-11)
The Rams return four starters, including Kim Mestdagh, a second-team All-MWC pick last season, and junior forward Chatilla van Grinsven, who ranked second on the team in points, rebounds and blocks.

Mestdagh, a junior guard/forward, averaged 16.3 points last season while leading the MWC with 89 three-pointers.

"We need to get to the middle of the conference, and I think that's something we can do," said coach Kristen Holt, whose team finished eighth last season. "The one big thing that has really changed is the mentality of our kids. There was such a low-expectation kind of outlook when I came here (two years ago), but I'm not going to have to say much this year about finishing eighth last season. Our kids are motivated."

9. Air Force (3-27, 0-16)
Andrea Williams, a former assistant at South Florida, takes over as head coach at the Academy.

No stranger to the challenges of coaching at a service academy, Williams spent two seasons as an assistant at Navy, where she helped the Midshipmen win 29 games from 2002-04.

At Big East Conference member South Florida, Williams was part of a staff that guided the Bulls to the WNIT championship in 2008-09.

"I'm not going to shy away from the challenges associated with a service academy," Williams said. "There are plenty of talented and academically-qualified players out there that have the ability to play Mountain West Conference basketball. We're going to go into living rooms offering not only top caliber basketball, but a high-paying job in a well-trained field."

Attention Mountain West Conference Fans! Can't wait for the start of the 2010-11 college basketball season? The MWC has a solution - engulf yourself in the activities of the 2010 Men's and Women's Basketball Media Days!

TheMWC.com is the place to be for all 2010 MWC Men's and Women's Basketball Media Day activities. Join the action online Tuesday, October 12 and Wednesday, October 13 as the coaches gather to discuss the 2010-11 season at The Mtn. studios in Denver.

In addition to video of one-on-one interviews with each of the men's and women's basketball coaches, TheMWC.com will feature blogs and photos throughout the event to provide fans with an inside look at the 2010-11 season. Live updates and photos of the event can also be obtained via the Conference's Facebook and Twitter pages.

For a complete MWC Basketball Media Day experience, fans should follow this easy three-step program:

Step 1: Between now and Tuesday morning, submit questions to the head men's and women's coaches of your favorite MWC teams by clicking HERE. A random selection of fan questions will be included in one-on-one interviews during media days. Check out TheMWC.com later in the week to watch video clips of your favorite head coach and see if your question was one of those chosen.

Step 2: Check out "Inside the MWC," the official blog of the Mountain West Conference, beginning on Tuesday, October 12. Mick McGrane, the MWC Correspondent, will provide reports as they come in from the 2010 Men's and Women's Basketball Media Day events, including the media's preseason all-Conference selections and the teams' predicted order of finish.

Step 3: Share your favorite MWC men's or women's basketball memory and you can win. It's simple: become a fan of the league's official Facebook page by clicking "Like" at the top of the page, then post your story to the 2010 MWC Basketball Media Day wall! Your fellow fans will vote for their favorite story by clicking the "like" button for that wall post. Votes will be accepted until 5 p.m. MT on Friday, October 15, and the men's and women's stories with the most votes will win autographed MWC basketballs, signed by all nine head men's and women's basketball coaches!

This contest is open to all fans of the Mountain West Conference Facebook page, excluding those who are employees of a member institution or are involved with the administration and/or execution of the contest. The MWC encourages camaraderie and team spirit, but prohibits the use of objectionable content, such as alcohol, smoking, firearms, violence or nudity, and well as content that is defamatory to any group or individual and/or violates the law.

The Mtn.'s Coverage of 2010-11 MWC Basketball Media Day
The Mtn.-MountainWest Sports Network will provide media day updates on the network's Web site, TheMtn.tv, and will broadcast men's and women's preview shows at 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday, October 12 and Wednesday, October 13, respectively. In addition, The Mtn. will be producing three shows with the head men's and women's basketball coaches, as well as members of The Mtn. announce team. Each of those programs will air later in October, so visit TheMtn.tv for programming information.

In the Academic Progress Rates (APR) report released by the NCAA this week, Air Force football coach Troy Calhoun ranked No. 1 among all BCS coaches with a lifetime APR average of 986 out of a possible 1,000. Calhoun posted a 981 in 2006-07, a 989 in 2007-08 and a 987 for 2008-09.

Two other Air Force coaches -- men's basketball coach Jeff Reynolds and track coach Ralph Lindeman -- also had rankings in the high 900s. Reynolds has a three-year average of 955, including a perfect 1,000 for 2006-07. Lindeman has a six-year average -- the APR didn't start until 2003-04 -- of 981 for women's indoor track and 996 for women's outdoor track.

The APR provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete on scholarship. The APR accounts for eligibility, retention and graduation.

The NCAA average score was 944 for football, 940 for men's basketball, 966 for women's basketball, 967 for women's indoor track and 969 for women's outdoor track.

In other APR news around the Mountain West Conference:

• Under coach Dave Rose, the BYU men's basketball program received a perfect score of 1,000 for the third time in four years.
• The four-year APR for San Diego State football (931) is program's best score ever. SDSU had six teams in 2008-09 with scores of 1,000: men's golf, men's tennis, women's cross country, women's soccer and volleyball
• Colorado State coach Brian Bedard's indoor and outdoor women's track teams received a score of 1,000 for 2008-09.
• In 2008-09, the Wyoming's women's basketball program scored 1,000 under coach Joe Legerski for second time since 2005-06.

  Another interesting note to ponder: if there were an eight-team playoff in college football that factored in team APR and BCS standings, it would include current MWC members TCU and Utah, as well as future MWC member Boise State. Other institutions that would meet both standards are Florida, Georgia Tech, Penn State, Miami and Wisconsin.

The Mountain West Conference had three women's basketball institutions recognized for top 2009-10 recruiting classes according to ESPN.com's HoopGurlz. San Diego State has the league's highest ranking at No. 31, while TCU was ranked 51st and BYU was listed as "On the cusp". The HoopGurlz national recruiting class rankings are based solely on high school prospect signings.

San Diego State finished its 2009-10 campaign with a 23-11 record, winning the program's first MWC Tournament championship and advancing to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. The Aztecs also earned a No. 20 ranking in the final ESPN/USA Today Coaches top-25 poll.

TCU brought home its first regular-season title as a member of the Mountain West Conference last season, while advancing to its ninth NCAA Tournament appearance in 10 years. The Horned Frogs finished with a 22-9 overall record during the 2009-10 season.

BYU finished 2009-10 with a 23-10 record, marking its fourth 20-plus win season under head coach Jeff Judkins. The Cougars also had their best postseason showing in program history in 2009-10, advancing to the quarterfinals of the WNIT.

Below is a list of the 2009-10 recruiting classes for BYU, San Diego State and TCU:

SAN DIEGO STATE
Player	Position	Height	Hometown (Previous School)
Sajoyia Griffin	Point Guard	5-5	San Antonio, Texas (Wagner HS/South Plains College)
Jasmine Porter	Forward	6-3	Layton, Utah (Layton Christian Academy HS)
Melissa Sweat	Guard	5-10	Bakersfield, Calif. (Stockdale HS)
Courtney Clements	Guard	6-0	Long Beach, Calif. (Millikan HS/Arizona)
Malia Nahinu	Center	6-6	Hayward, Calif. (Moreau Catholic HS/Arizona)
TCU
Player	Position	Height	Hometown (Previous School)
Jacqueline Chandler	Guard	5-2	Cleburne, Texas (Cleburne HS)
Meagan Henson	Guard	5-0	Yukon, Okla. (Heritage Christian Academy)
Latricia Lovings	Center	6-2	Fort Worth, Texas (Paschal HS)
Briesha Wynn	Guard	6-0	Fort Worth, Texas (North Crowley HS)
Aron Garcia	Guard	6-2	Houston, Texas (Clear Lake HS)
Whitney Williams	Guard	5-7	Fort Worth, Texas (Iowa State)*
*Will sit out 2010-11 season due to NCAA transfer rules.
BYU
Player	Position	Height	Hometown (Previous School)
Morgan Bailey	Center	6-2	Orem, Utah (Timpanogos HS)
Jennifer Hamsun	Center	6-7	Pleasant Grove, Utah (Pleasant Grove HS)
Stephanie Rovetti	Guard	5-6	Reno, Nev. (Reno HS)

Mountain West Conference women's basketball finished the 2009-10 season ranked sixth nationally in home attendance, according to figures released by the NCAA on May 27. The MWC welcomed an average of 2,258 fans to its home venues in 142 total games on the season. The No. 6 ranking marks the 11th consecutive year the league has finished among the top-six nationally in attendance. In addition, the Conference had two institutions in the top-30 for average home attendance. New Mexico ranked ninth nationally with a league-best average of 7,090 fans in 18 home contests at The Pit in 2009-10. The Lobos have finished in the top-10 all 11 years as members of the Mountain West. Wyoming brought in an average of 3,596 fans in 16 games at the Arena-Auditorium, to rank 30th in the nation. Overall, the Mountain West is one of six conferences (ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC) with at least two teams ranked in the top-30.

Rk.	School	No. of Teams	Games	Attendance	Average
1.	Big 12	12	208	1,091,289	5,247
2.	Southeastern	12	185	740,993	4,005
3.	Big Ten	11	184	735,453	3,997
4.	Big East	16	260	778,916	2,996
5.	Atlantic Coast	12	209	568,184	2,719
6.	MOUNTAIN WEST	9	142	320,676	2,258
7.	Pacific-10	10	160	331,392	2,071
8.	Missouri Valley	10	148	275,960	1,865
9.	Western Athletic	9	137	181,234	1,323
10.	Atlantic 10	14	204	253,367	1,242

The 2010 WNBA season opened on May 15 with six former women's basketball players and one current assistant coach from Mountain West Conference institutions on WNBA rosters to begin the season.

Two former UNLV Lady Rebels are on WNBA squads, while BYU, Colorado State, San Diego State, TCU and Utah each have one alum in the WNBA ranks.

Below is a full list of former women's basketball representatives from MWC institutions who are on WNBA rosters to begin the 2010 season:

CHICAGO SKY
Sandora Irvin, TCU
Erin Thorn, BYU

INDIANA FEVER
Jené Morris, San Diego State

NEW YORK LIBERTY
Nikki Blue, UNLV Assistant Coach
Leilani Mitchell, Utah

PHOENIX MERCURY
Sequoia Holmes, UNLV

SAN ANTONIO SILVER STARS
Becky Hammon, Colorado State

The women's basketball programs in the MWC have made an impressive showing in the 2010 postseason. The league received two bids into the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship and four berths into the WNIT. Heading into this weekend, San Diego State and BYU are still alive in their respective tournaments.

The Aztecs will be in Memphis, Tenn., to take on No. 2 seed and sixth-ranked Duke in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. The SDSU-Duke contest is set to begin at 1:04 p.m. CT and will be televised live on ESPN. Competing in the WNIT quarterfinals, BYU will take on the University of California. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. PT from Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, Calif.

San Diego State opened the tourney by defeating No. 6 seed and 17th-ranked Texas on its home court, 74-63, then surprised No. 3 seed and 10th-ranked West Virginia, 64-55, in a second round contest to advance to its first Sweet 16 since the NCAA Tournament field expanded to 64 teams in 1994. The Aztecs are the lowest seed to advance this deep into the postseason since 13th-seed Marist in 2007. SDSU is also the first No. 11 seed to advance to the Sweet 16 since UC Santa Barbara in 2004. Overall, only 12 double-digit seeds have advanced this far in the past 16 years.

SDSU is the fourth Mountain West institution to compete in a NCAA Tournament regional semifinal since the inception of the league (Utah - 2001 and 2006, BYU - 2002, New Mexico - 2003). Overall, MWC programs have made four appearances in the Sweet 16, with the last coming in 2006 (Utah). The Aztecs are looking to become just the second MWC team to move into a regional final. Utah competed in the Elite Eight in 2006, losing to eventual national champion Maryland (75-65 OT) in Albuquerque, N.M.

Overall, the MWC is 2-1 in 2010 NCAA Tournament play. No. 9 seed TCU fell to No. 8 seed Dayton, 66-67, in first round action in Knoxville, Tenn.

In WNIT action, BYU was victorious over Pepperdine (62-58) in the opening round. In second-round play, the Cougars topped Arizona State (61-53) in Tempe, Ariz. BYU's third-round game was against conference foe Wyoming in Laramie, Wyo. The Cougars prevailed over the Cowgirls, 67-63, in front of 7,142 fans in the Arena Auditorium. The BYU-Wyoming contest marked the second time in league history that two Conference teams met in the postseason. With the win, BYU advances to its first postseason WNIT quarterfinal since joining the league. The Cougars are also the fourth Conference institution to compete in a WNIT quarterfinal in the last four seasons and are looking to become the first team to advance to the WNIT semifinals since Wyoming in 2007. The Cowgirls went on to win the WNIT championship that season, defeating Wisconsin, 72-56, in Laramie.

The Conference compiled a 7-3 record through the first three rounds of the postseason Women's National Invitational Tournament, including a perfect 4-0 mark in the first round. New Mexico defeated SMU (66-51), BYU was victorious over Pepperdine (62-58), Wyoming beat Nevada (74-53) and Utah collected a 66-53 win over St. Mary's. In second-round play, BYU topped Arizona State (61-53) and Wyoming defeated Texas Tech in overtime (68-57), while Utah lost at California (64-54) and New Mexico fell at Oregon (93-67).

• 2010 Conoco Mountain West Basketball Championships Central

2010 TOURNEY SETS ATTENDANCE, REVENUE RECORDS
The 2010 Conoco MWC Basketball Championships drew a record 71,946 over its five-day run and generated record-setting revenue for the conference. This year's total attendance of 71,946 included the first-ever sellout in the tournament's 11-year history when 18,500 were on hand for Friday's men's semifinal session at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.  On Saturday, 12,728 witnessed the championship finals.
 
FOUR MEN'S TEAMS PROJECTED TO RECEIVE NCAA TOURNAMENT BIDS
Heading into "Selection Sunday," a record four MWC men's basketball teams should receive bids in the NCAA Tournament. The following is the Rating Percentage Index (RPI) of each team as of Saturday. This is the first time the conference has had four teams with a top 50 RPI going into March Madness. The previous high was three teams (2000, 2003, 2007, 2009).

• New Mexico (9 RPI) --- Projected seeds: 4-ESPN; 3-Sporting News; 3-College RPI
• BYU (22 RPI) --- Projected seeds: 5-ESPN; 6-Sporting News; 6-College RPI
• San Diego State (24 RPI) --- Projected seeds: 12-ESPN; 11-Sporting News; 10-College RPI
• UNLV (42 RPI) --- Projected seeds: 7-ESPN; 11-Sporting News; 8-College RPI
  

Another important fact to note is that the MWC has had two teams (BYU, New Mexico) ranked for seven consecutive weeks. The MWC is one of five conferences (Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC) with two or more of the same teams ranked in the Top 15 of both the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches polls. Also, the league has had three different teams (UNLV) ranked in the national Top 25 polls at some point during the regular season.
 
TCU, SAN DIEGO STATE TO NCAA WOMEN'S TOURNEY
The MWC's 2010 women's basketball champion TCU, as well as the tournament champion San Diego State, also should receive NCAA Tournament bids. As of Saturday, at-large candidate TCU (22-8) had an RPI of 36. San Diego State (21-10) gained an automatic bid by winning the conference tournament.
 
BETTER AND BETTER, HIGHER AND HIGHER
Last year, a MWC-record five teams reached the 20-win mark prior to postseason play. In 2009-10, four teams had already hit that benchmark heading into the final week of the regular season. In the league's previous 10 years, all 28 teams with 20 or more wins prior to "Selection Sunday" received postseason invitations.

The MWC currently ranks No. 7 in conference RPI for the 2009-10 season. That is the highest since finishing the 2002-03 season with a ranking of No. 6 in conference RPI. The MWC has ranked in the top 10 of the conference RPI in nine of the previous 10 seasons.

MWC teams have tallied 90 wins in non-conference play for the third time in four years, posting a collective 90-38 (.703) record overall this season. That is the second-best win percentage vs. non-conference opposition in league history (96-37, .722 in 2006-07).
 
CLIMBING THE LADDER OF SUCCESS
Last year's No. 5 and No. 8 seeds by MWC teams in the NCAA Men's Basketabll Tournament marked the two highest seeds the MWC has received in the same NCAA Tournament. Since 2007, all MWC representatives in the NCAA Tournament have received a single-digit seed. For the 2000-2006 tournaments, only three of 16 MWC teams received single-digit seeds. MWC teams have a 7-9 record as single-digit seeds in the NCAA Tournament, compared to a 1-13 mark as double-digit seeds.
 
MWC LEAVING ITS MARK
The MWC has had a team participate in the NIT Final Four in two of the last three years (Air Force in 2007 and San Diego State in 2009).

UP, UP AND AWAY
When San Diego State women's basketball coach Beth Burns returned for her second stint at the school in 2005, the Aztecs were coming off consecutive 8-20 seasons. Burns' first season back produced a mark of 3-24 overall and 0-16 in Mountain West Conference play.

On Saturday, San Diego State won its first MWC Women's Basketball Tournament title, putting the Aztecs into the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year. It's the sixth time the Aztecs have advanced to the NCAA Tournament under Burns.

"I think we've had such great growth," Burns said after San Diego State beat defending champion Utah to clinch the tournament crown on Saturday. "We had great senior leadership that really helped us raise the whole team to understand the sense of urgency and focus that's needed when we all do something together."
 
A FRESHMAN BY DESIGNATION ONLY
San Diego State freshman forward Kawhi Leonard, who earned first-team all-conference honors, was named the 2010 Conoco MWC Men's Basketball Tournament MVP after setting a Conference tournament record with 21 rebounds. He also scored a game-high 16 points as the Aztecs won the MWC Tournament title with a 55-45 win over UNLV on Saturday.

"You just got to be fearless and just have heart and just crash, just crash every board that goes up, try to hit a body," Leonard said. "Coach (San Diego State coach Steve Fisher) is always telling me, 'Just hit a body.'  (My teammates) were helping me out by getting rebounds, too. It's just easier for me to get the rebound if my whole team crashes."

SAN DIEGO STATE WINS TITLE
Kawhi Leonard scored 16 points and reeled in a career-high 21 rebounds as No. 4-seeded San Diego State beat No. 3-seeded UNLV 55-45 on Saturday to capture the 2010 Conoco MWC Men's Basketball Tournament championship at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

As Conference champions, the Aztecs (25-8), who won their first MWC title since 2006, received an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. It will be San Diego State's first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2006. The Aztecs also won the conference title in 2002.

Leonard, a 6-foot-7 freshman forward who earned first-team all-conference honors and was named the tournament MVP, hit 8-of-8 free throws in the final 1:54. His rebound total broke the MWC Tournament record of 19 set by San Diego State's Marcus Slaughter in 2006 and also eclipsed the conference record for rebounds by a freshman (18).

In the lowest scoring men's championship game in conference history, the Aztecs, who led 25-22 at the half, finally gained the upper hand on a three-pointer by junior guard D.J. Gay to take a 46-40 lead with 5:33 left. In the final 6:04, the Rebels (25-8) were able to connect on just 2-of-11 shots from the floor.

Sophomore guard Oscar Bellfield and junior guard Tre'Von Willis shared scoring honors for UNLV with 11 points. Sophomore forward Chace Stanback added 10.

In three tournament games, Leonard averaged 14.3 points and 13.0 rebounds. He was joined on the all-tournament team by teammate Billy White. Willis and Stanback were also named to the all-tournament team, as were BYU's Jimmer Fredette and New Mexico's Darington
Hobson, the 2010 MWC Player of the Year.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE
For only the second time in school history and the first time since 1985, both the San Diego State men's and women's teams are headed to the NCAA Tournament after winning championships on Saturday at the MWC Tournament. Both teams from Utah achieved the feat a year ago, as did the men's and women's teams from New Mexico in 2005. 

AZTECS HOLD LEAD AT HALF
Senior forward Kelvin Davis scored seven points and freshman forward Kawhi Leonard had six points and 13 rebounds as the No. 4-seeded San Diego State men's team held a 25-22 lead over No. 3-seeded UNLV on Saturday at halftime of the 2010 Conoco MWC Men's Basketball Championship final at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

The Aztecs, last year's runners-up, are bidding for their first tournament title since 2006. UNLV has pocketed three previous conference championships, the most recent coming in 2008.

In a game in which the two teams combined to miss their first 12 shots, San Diego State finally broke the ice when Davis scored on a dunk with 4:08 gone in the game. Neither the Aztecs nor the Rebels, who split their regular-season series, enjoyed a lead of more than six in the opening 20 minutes.

Sophomore guard Oscar Bellfield led UNLV with six points in the first half. 

SDSU WINS FIRST TOURNEY TITLE
For the San Diego State women's basketball team, hump day was Saturday.

The Aztecs, who finished as runners-up the past two years, finally took the summit on Saturday, turning back defending champion Utah 70-60 in overtime in the 2010 Conoco MWC Women's Basketball Championship final  at the Thomas & Mack Arena in Las Vegas.

San Diego State, which entered the tournament as the No. 3 seed, gained an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with the win. The Aztecs (21-10) advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last year before falling to Final Four semifinalist Stanford.

Senior guard Quenese Davis, who earned tournament MVP honors, scored a game-high 22 points for the Aztecs, who also got 21 points from senior guard Jene Morris.

The Aztecs trailed 56-48 with four minutes left before staging an 8-0 run, tying the game on a basket by Morris with 2:25 to go.

Freshman center Taryn Wicijowski (19 points, seven rebounds) put the No. 4-seeded Utes back in front with a pair of free throws at the 2:06 mark, but a basket by San Diego State junior guard Coco Davis with 1:04 to play left the game tied 58-58 at the end of regulation.

The Aztecs outscored Utah 12-2 in the extra session, with Morris scoring six points.

Utah, which was bidding to become the first team since New Mexico (2007-08) to win consecutive titles, fell to 22-11.

Quenese Davis was joined on the all-tournament team by Wicijowski and Utes senior guard Kalee Whipple, who had 15 points in the title game and averaged a double-double (12.8 ppg, 11.0 rpg) in the Utes' four tourney games. Wyoming's Hillary Carlson also was named to the all-tournament team.    

MWC WOMEN'S TITLE GAME IN OT
At the end of regulation, the final game of the 2010 Conoco MWC Women's Basketball Tournament No. 3-seeded San Diego State and defending championship and No. 4-seeded Utah, is tied at 58-58. Aztecs junior guard Coco Davis forced overtime on a short jumper with 1:04 to play.

• 2010 Conoco Mountain West Basketball Championships Central

UNLV KNOCKS OFF BYU
Junior guard Tre'Von Willis scored 18 points and No. 3-seeded UNLV made 7-of-8 free throws in the final 1:35 to beat No. 2-seeded BYU 70-66 Friday night in the semifinals of the MWC Tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

The Rebels (25-7) will face No. 4-seeded San Diego State (24-8) in Saturday's championship game at 4 p.m.

Before a sellout crowd of 18,500, the first sellout in the tournament's 11-year history, UNLV advanced to the title game for the seventh time. The Rebels won in 2000, '07 and '08.

BYU (29-5) had won seven of its last eight but lost its eighth straight against UNLV at the Thomas & Mack Center.

The Cougars trailed by 11 with 16:49 left, but regained the lead at 61-59 on a jumper by Michael Loyd, Jr. with 2:51 left.

But UNLV reserve sophomore center Brian Massamba, who scored a career high 13 points, hit a pair of free throws with 1:35 left to put the Rebels ahead to stay.

BYU senior guard Jimmer Fredette, who established a single-game tournament record with 45 points against TCU in Friday's quarterfinals, finished with a game-high 30 points.

Sophomore forward Chace Stanback added 17 points for UNLV, which split with San Diego State during the regular season. The Rebels won 76-66 in Las Vegas on Jan. 13 before the Aztecs got even with a 68-58 victory in San Diego on Feb. 13. San Diego State beat UNLV 78-75 in the 2002 championship game.

BOMBS AWAY
San Diego State's No. 4-seeded men's team hasn't exactly been the picture of perfection from three-point range this season. In fact, the Aztecs entered Friday night's MWC Tournament semifinal game against No. 1-seeded New Mexico shooting just 33.0 percent from beyond the arc, a figure that ranked no better than No. 6 among the conference's nine teams.

Against the Lobos, however, San Diego State shot a season-best 62.5 percent from long range, connecting on 10-of-16 attempts. Freshman forward Kawhi Leonard and freshman guard Chase Tapley were both 3-of-4 from three-point range. Leonard, who was shooting just 18.8 percent beyond the arc, hit a pair of threes in the first 1:20.

"When we came out (to start the game), we wanted to trap the post," said New Mexico coach Steve Alford. "Maybe it was a coach's mistake. We started the game by trapping the post because we didn't want to get our bigs in foul trouble. (San Diego State) swings the ball to Leonard, who is shooting less than 20 percent from three and he makes back-to-back threes to open the game. If you tell me, 'Do you want Leonard to shoot two threes to open the game, I tell you yes.' But they made them."

The Aztecs had shot better than 50.0 percent from three-point range only four times in their previous 31 games this season and had never surpassed the 60.0 percent mark.

San Diego State's win over the Lobos, ranked No. 8 in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches polls, was its first against an AP Top 25 team since an 82-80 win over No. 7-ranked BYU in 1988.


UNLV LEADS AT HALF
Sophomore forward Chace Stanback scored 11 first-half points and No. 3-seeded UNLV shot 70.0 percent (7-of-10) from three-point range to build a 41-34 lead at intermission over No. 2-seeded BYU in a MWC Tournament men's semifinal game at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

Stanback was 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. Junior guard Tre'Von Willis added eight for the Rebels, who have beaten the Cougars seven straight times at the Thomas & Mack Center.

In the front of an MWC-record 18,500 fans, the first sellout in the tournament's 11-year history, each team hit three three-point shots to open the scoring.

BYU senior guard Jimmer Fredette, who scored a tournament-record 45 points in the Cougars' quarterfinal win over TCU, had a team-high 12 points at the half.

The winner will meet No. 4-seeded San Diego State (24-8) in the title game on Saturday at 4 p.m. The Aztecs beat No. 1-seeded New Mexico 72-69 in the first semifinal game.

SDSU DOUBLES UP AGAIN
For the second consecutive year, both the San Diego State men's and women's teams have advanced to the MWC basketball championship final games. Both lost a year ago, with the women's team falling to Utah 63-58 and the men losing to Utah 52-50.

The women's team, seeded No. 2, will face Utah once again in Saturday's final at 1 p.m. at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. San Diego State defeated No. 2-seeded BYU on Friday, while Utah, seeded No. 4, turned back No. 1-seeded TCU.

The San Diego State men will be looking for their first tournament crown since beating Wyoming 69-64 in overtime in 2007.  San Diego State's women's team has never won the title.

AZTECS OUST TOP-SEEDED LOBOS LOBOS LEAD THE HALF
Senior guard Dairese Gary hit a short jumper in the lane with 5.6 seconds left to give No. 1-seeded New Mexico a 39-38 halftime lead over No. 4-seeded San Diego State Friday night in the first of two 2010 Conoco MWC Men's Basketball Championship semifinals at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

The Aztecs raced out to an 11-0 lead on a three-pointer by junior forward Billy White with 17:36 left in the half, but the Lobos, ranked No. 8 in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches polls surged back, tying the game 26-26 on a layup by sophomore guard Nate Garth at the 8:58 mark.

Gary had 14 first-half points to lead New Mexico, while White paced the Aztecs with 17.

The teams split during the regular season, with San Diego State winning 74-64 in San Diego and the Lobos pulling out an 88-86 overtime victory in Albuquerque.

The winner will face either No. 2-seeded BYU or No. 3-seeded UNLV. The second semifinal game is schedule to tip off at 8:30 p.m.  

THE HUNGER WITHIN
Under a new format last year in which the top two women's seeds in the MWC Tournament were granted byes into the semifinals, San Diego State was idle for six days, waiting to see what team would emerge as its opponent. This year, as the No. 3 seed, the Aztecs were forced to take the court a day earlier. Nonetheless, they advanced to the championship game for the third straight year, beating No. 2-seeded BYU 77-47. It was the largest margin of defeat in a women's semifinal game in the tournament's 11-year history.

 "I think (it was) hunger," said San Diego State senior guard Jene Morris, who finished with a game-high 28 points. "You know, we came in as the third seed and we had to play more games than we did last year. We knew we needed to make it back to the championship. We made it (to the title game) two years in a row and came back empty-handed. We wanted to show how good we can be. I would say that hunger definitely contributed to that."
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Although BYU women's coach Jeff Judkins and his players had to search hard for solace in the wake of Friday's loss to San Diego State, there's hope on the horizon --- plenty of it.

The Cougars have one senior.

"I think if they come back, improve as much as they improved this year for next season, we will be a contender," said Judkins, whose team fell to 20-9. "If we don't win the league, I think my team would be disappointed."

"We played very well this year," Judkins added. "We've played three games where we just got outplayed completely. That's kind of what I told my after the game. I said, 'You know, we can't play three games like this. A game like this should be once in your career, where you get blown out, you're not mentally into the game. ' We've got to figure out what causes that."

SDSU SETS UP REMATCH
The Mountain West Conference preseason favorite in women's basketball appears to have saved its best for last.

San Diego State, voted No. 1 in the conference's preseason coaches' poll, came out firing on all cylinders Friday as it raced past No. 2-seeded BYU 77-47 in the semifinals of the 2010 Conoco MWC Women's Basketball Championship at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

It was the largest margin of victory in a women's semifinal game in the tournament's 11-year history.

The win vaulted the No. 3-seeded Aztecs into Saturday's championship game against No. 4-seeded Utah at 1 p.m. The game will be a rematch of last year's title game, won by Utah 63-58.

San Diego State (20-10), which went 6-5 over the course of its final 11 regular-season games, held a 44-29 advantage at the half after leading by as many as 19 in the opening 20 minutes.

Senior guard Jene Morris, chosen by coaches and select media members as the conference's Preseason Player of the Year, finished with 28 points for the Aztecs. In seven career MWC Tournament games, Morris, who connected on 10-of-14 shots from the floor, has scored 20 or more points five times. Senior guard Quenese Davis pitched in 18 points for SDSU.

BYU (20-9), bidding for its first appearance in the championship game since 2007, was led by junior forward Coriann Wood's 11 points. Junior guard Mindy Bonham added eight points for the Cougars.
       
NO EXCUSES
With the MWC having introduced a new format for the women's tournament last year in which the top two seeds receive byes into the semifinals, TCU coach Jeff Mittie was asked if his team's six-day layoff had any impact on his No. 1-seeded team falling to No. 4-seeded and defending champion Utah on Friday.

Said Mittie: "No. I was glad to be sitting around.  It means you won the league. The thing that was a little challenging for us was we didn't get as much practice time as I would have liked this week.  Different things, circumstances. But I thought we kind of survived that. I thought we had a good workout (on Thursday).

"You know, you can go on and on about those things, explanations. I tell the team all the time, "I don't want to hear explanations; I don't want to hear excuses." I try to stay away from those things. I think Utah played excellent. I think they deserve all the credit in the world. I won't judge my team off of one game, because I've got a great group. They have worked hard all year long."

AZTECS LEAD AT HALF
San Diego State went on a 14-4 run midway through the first half on Friday as the No. 3-seeded Aztecs built a 44-29 halftime lead over No. 2-seeded BYU in the second women's semifinal game of the 2010 Conoco MWC Basketball Championships on Friday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

A San Diego State win would set up a rematch of last year's championship game against Utah, won by the Utes 63-58.

Senior guard Jene Morris, the conference's third-leading scorer (15.8 ppg), had 16 points for the Aztecs in the opening 20 minutes. Senior guard Quenese Davis added 13, hitting 4-of-5 shots from the floor.

Junior guard Mindy Bonham led BYU with eight first-half points.

San Diego State and BYU are the only MWC schools still represented by both a women's and men's team in the semifinals.
     

RIGHTING THE SHIP
With 14 games gone in the season, the Utah women's basketball team was 9-5 and about to lose three of its next four. The Utes had lost three starters from their 2009 MWC Tournament championship team, and putting the puzzle back together was proving a bit complex, particularly with a roster that included six freshmen.

On Saturday, the Utes, seeded No. 4 in the 2010 Conoco MWC Women's Basketball Championship, will be making their sixth appearance in the title game, after dispatching No. 1-seeded and regular-season champion TCU 69-57 in Friday's semifinals. Utah had been swept by the Horned Frogs during the regular season.

"I'm not surprised," said Elaine Elliott, who is in her 27th season as coach of the Utes. "You know, we really believed that we would continue to get better.  That's what this team really was about. We weren't made up of juniors and seniors coming back from a (season) that said you were going to start strong and rip through.  We had so many players that are used in our rotation that didn't know what their capabilities would be at this level. We believe they'll be very good at some point in their career, but the expectation that's going to happen as freshmen and sophomores is not a normal one to have at this level."

GET 'EM WHILE THEY'RE HOT
As of 3 p.m. PT on Friday, fewer than 2,000 tickets remained for tonight's semifinal contests of the 2010 Conoco MWC Men's Basketball Championship.

For just the second time in the tournament's 11-year history and the first time since 2001, the top four men's seeds will be in action when No. 1-seeded New Mexico meets No. 4-seeded San Diego State at 6 p.m. and No. 2-seeded BYU squares off against No. 3-seeded UNLV at 8:30 p.m.

In both games, there will be a score to settle. New Mexico (29-3) and San Diego State (23-8) split their regular-season series, with the Aztecs winning 74-64 in San Diego and the Lobos, ranked No. 8 in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches polls, prevailing 73-71 in overtime in Albuquerque.

BYU (29-4), ranked No. 14 in the AP poll and No. 15 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll, edged UNLV 77-73 in Provo, before the Rebels (24-7) got even in Las Vegas 88-74.

To purchase tickets, call UNLVTickets at (702) 739-FANS(3267) or (866) 388-FANS(3267), or visit UNLVTickets.com.  Act fast - supplies are limited!

UTAH ADVANCES TO CHAMPIONSHIP
The No. 4-seeded Utah women's team used an 18-0 run at the outset of the second half to defeat No. 1-seeded TCU 67-59 in the first of two MWC Women's Basketball Championship semifinal games on Friday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

The Utes will face either No. 2-seeded BYU or No. 3-seeded San Diego State in Saturday's championship game at 1 p.m. PT. Defending champion Utah (22-10) will be making its sixth appearance in the title game, having previously pocketed championships in 2000 and 2006.

The Utes, who were swept by TCU during the regular season, held the Horned Frogs scoreless for the first 6:58 of the second half. TCU was limited to fewer than 60 points for just the fourth time this season. The regular-season champion Horned Frogs (22-8) entered the contest averaging a conference-best 72.8 points.

Utah senior forward Halie Sawyer posted her fourth double-double of the season, finishing with career highs of 24 points and 15 rebounds. Senior forward Kalee Whipple, the 2010 MWC Player of the Year, had 14 points for the Utes, who owned a 41-24 advantage on the boards.

Senior guard TK LaFleur had a team-high 15 points for TCU, which became the first No. 1-seeded women's team in the tournament to lose to a No. 4 seed in the semifinals since 2002.  Senior guard Eboni Magnum had 13 points for the Horned Frogs, while junior guard Helen Sverrisdottir scored 12.

UTAH HOLDS LEAD AT HALF
With 11:10 left in the game, the No. 4-seeded Utah women's team is in the midst of an 19-3 run and holds a 48-26 lead over No. 1-seeded TCU in the first of two MWC Women's Basketball Tournament semifinals on Friday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

Senior forward Halie Sawyer, hitting 7-of-10 shots from the floor, has 17 points and eight rebounds for the Utes.

Senior guard Eboni Magnum has 10 points for the Horned Frogs, who were held scoreless over the first 6:52 of the second half.

TCU swept Utah during the regular season.

The winner will face either No. 2-seeded BYU or No. 3-seeded San Diego State in Saturday's championship game at 1 p.m.   
 
NO EASY WAY OUT
If the No. 2-seeded BYU men's team is to find success against No. 3-seeded UNLV in tonight's semifinals (8:30), it will have to do so in a building that has become nothing short of a house of horrors for the Cougars.

While the two schools split the regular-season series with BYU winning in Provo (77-73) on Jan. 6 and UNLV winning in Las Vegas (88-74) on Feb. 6, the Rebels have beaten the Cougars seven straight times at the Thomas & Mack Center. UNLV has won four of the last five meetings overall and six of the last eight. In addition, the teams have met three times in the championship game, with the Rebels winning all three.

BYU enters the contest having set a single-season school record with 29 wins, while the Rebels have won five straight, averaging 74.4 points during the winning streak.
 

• 2010 Conoco Mountain West Basketball Championships Central

UNLV SETS UP SHOWDOWN WITH BYU

Freshman guard Anthony Marshall collected the second double-double of his career with 13 points and 12 rebounds and No. 3-seeded UNLV beat No. 6-seeded Utah 73-61 in the fourth MWC men's basketball tournament quarterfinal game Thursday night at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

The win vaulted the Rebels (24-7) into Friday's semifinal game against No. 2-seeded BYU (29-4) at 8:30 PST. The two teams split during the regular season, with BYU  winning 77-73 at home on Jan. 6 and UNLV returning the favor at the Thomas & Mack Center, 88-74, on Feb. 6. The Rebels have defeated the Cougars, ranked No. 14 in the AP poll, three times (2000, '07, '08) in the conference championship game.

It was the fifth straight win for the Rebels, who were swept by Utah (14-17) during the regular season.

UNLV opened up a 21-8 advantage on a three-pointer by junior guard Tre'Von Willis with 6:12 left in the first half, but Utah surged back, connecting on 3-of-4 attempts from three-point range in the final 2:05 to pull within 29-25 at the break.

The Utes trimmed the lead to 31-30 with less than two minutes gone in the second half, but UNLV, which has averaged 74.4 points during its five-game winning streak, responded with a 10-0 run.

The Rebels got 13 points and five rebounds from Willis and 10 points from sophomore forward Chace Stanback.

Junior guard Carlon Brown led Utah with 13 points, while senior guard Luka Drca posted his 27th double-digit scoring game of the season with 12 points.

Utes 7-foot-3 sophomore center David Foster, the conference's Defensive Player of the Year who was questionable for the game with a sprained left ankle, played 20 minutes scored six points. Senior forward Kim Tillie, also nursing a sprained ankle, played 14 minutes and finished with three points.

QUOTE OF NOTE

"I didn't know what to expect.  I was just coming out here to do the best I possibly could, go out and shoot the ball well, be aggressive. Really, I was worried about getting that first win, no matter how we did it.  I don't care if we scored, had to pass all the time or whatever it was.  I was just worried about getting the win, getting to the second round, proving our team, that we could win this tournament."  ----  BYU senior guard Jimmer Fredette, who set a MWC Tournament single-game scoring record with 45 points and also eclipsed the mark for free throws attempted and free throws made (23-of-24) in a quarterfinal win over TCU.

UNLV LEADS AT HALF
First-team all-conference selection Tre'Von Willis had five points and three rebounds and No. 3-seeded UNLV held No. 6-seeded Utah scoreless for more than four minutes to build a 29-25 lead at the half of tonight's MWC men's basketball tournament quarterfinal game at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

With the game tied 8-8, UNLV, which boasts the top scoring defense in the conference (63.0 ppg), went on a 13-0 run in which it held the Utes without a point for 4:11.

Utah, however, which swept the Rebels during the regular season, surged back, connecting on 3-of-4 attempts from three-point range in the final two minutes.

Ute 7-foot-3 sophomore center David Foster, the conference's Defensive Player of the Year who was questionable for the game with a sprained left ankle, played 11 minutes in the first half and scored six points. Teammate Kim Tillie, also nursing a sprained ankle, played eight minutes and had one point.

BYU ADVANCES
Senior guard Jimmer Fredette set a MWC Men's Basketball Tournament record with 45 points and No. 2-seeded BYU rallied from a one-point halftime deficit to beat No. 7-seeded TCU 95-85 Thursday night in a men's quarterfinal game at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

Fredette, the conference's leading scorer at 20.6 points per game, poured in 30 in the second half to surpass the 40-point mark for the second time this season. He eclipsed the tournament's single-game scoring mark of 35 set by UNLV's Lou Kelly in a game against New Mexico in 2002 and also established a single-game tournament record for free throws attempted and free throws made. He finished 23-of-24 from the line,besting the mark of UNLV's Ricky Morgan, who hit18-of-19 against Wyoming in 2005.

Fredette has had six games of 30 or more points this season and 19 games of 20 or more. He set a single-game BYU scoring record with 49 points in a 99-69 rout at Arizona in December.

TCU (13-19), which dropped a 107-77 decision to the Cougars just four days earlier, led 40-39 at the half but was unable to respond after BYU staged a 12-1 run with 12:17 left.

The Cougars, who set a school record with their 29th win of the season (29-4), also got 15 points from junior guard Jackson Emery.

The Horned Frogs had five players finish in double figures, led by sophomore guard Ronnie Moss' 22 points. Greg Hill had 15 points for TCU, while Edvinas Ruzgas and Nikola Cerina each had 12.
     
CLOSE SHAVE
In its bid to upend No. 4 seeded San Diego State, No. 5 seed Colorado State hit 8-of-15 three-point shots. Conversely The Aztecs were 1-of-10 beyond the arc in their 72-71 win.

Said SDSU coach Steve Fisher:    "I told (Colorado State coach) Tim Miles after the game, I said, 'We got lucky.  Your team deserved to win.'  Our team did not deserve to lose, but your team played with a fervor that I know you liked to see. I've been in this game long enough to know that things happen. We contested. Of the eight threes they made, seven of them we could not have guarded it better. They made hard shots."


TCU LEADS AT HALF
The No. 7-seeded TCU men's basketball team, having endured a 30-point loss to the same team just four days earlier, held a 40-39 lead over No. 2-seeded BYU at the half of Thursday night's MWC men's basketball championship quarterfinal game at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

Horned Frog sophomore guard Ronnie Moss, a second-team all-conference pick, hit a running jumper in the lane with less than one second remaining to give TCU the advantage at the break. Moss, the conference leader in assists, led the Horned Frogs with 15 points in the opening 20 minutes.

BYU, ranked No. 14 in the AP poll, led by eight with 9:17 left in the half, but TCU responded with an 11-1 run. Cougars senior guard Jimmer Fredette, the conference's scoring leader, had 15 first-half points.

BYU beat TCU 107-77 in the final game of the regular season for both teams.
     
QUOTE OF NOTE
 "You know, these guys are going to represent the United States Air Force Academy in an unbelievable fashion. They do things beyond what most student athletes do. Sometimes it goes unrecognized by those outside of the field of athletics. They continue to amaze me with their sticktoitiveness." ---- Air Force men's basketball coach Jeff Reynolds, after his No. 9-seeded team was eliminated 65-59 Thursday by No. 1-seeded New Mexico in the MWC Tournament men's quarterfinals

AZTECS HOLD OFF RAMS
Junior guard D.J. Gay hit two free throws with 23.6 seconds left as No. 4-seeded San Diego State escaped with a 72-71 win over Colorado State at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

The Rams (16-15) had two chances to tie in the waning seconds, but turned the ball over on their possession following Gay's free throws. Aztecs freshman guard Chase Tapley was fouled on the ensuing inbound pass, but missed the front end of a one-and-one with 5.6 seconds left. Tapley's miss was rebounded by Colorado State's Travis Franklin, but a desperation shot by Rams senior forward Travis Busch sailed wide of the backboard as the buzzer sounded.

Colorado State junior forward Andy Ogide, the team's leading scorer (11.9 ppg) and rebounder (6.6 rpg), was ejected from the game with 6:27 left in the first half after becoming involved in an altercation with Aztecs junior center Brian Carlwell and was whistled for an intentional technical foul. Ogide had six points and four rebounds.

San Diego State (23-8), who will face No. 1-seeded New Mexico in Friday's semifinals at 6 p.m. PT, had four players finish in double figures. Tapley, junior forward Malcolm Thomas and junior forward  Billy White all had 15 points.

Junior guard Adam Nigon had a game-high 18 points for Colorado State, hitting 4-of-7 three pointers.

NEW ATTENDANCE RECORD
Thursday's afternoon session of the 2010 Conoco MWC Men's Basketball Championship established a new attendance record since the conference went to a nine-team format in 2006. The New Mexico-Air Force game and the San Diego State-Colorado State contest drew a combined 11,031 fans, eclipsing last year's mark of 10,586.

BYU'S ROSE AMONG FINALISTS
BYU men's basketball coach Dave Rose has been named a finalist for the 2010 Skip Prosser Award. All of the finalists have led their respective teams to 18 or more victories this season. Rose enters Thursday's MWC Tournament quarterfinal game against TCU with a 64-16 (.800) record in the MWC, the second-most wins and best winning percentage all-time in conference history. The No. 2-seeded Cougars (28-4) are a win removed from equaling a school record for victories in a season.

The other finalists include Northwestern's Bill Carmody; Pittsburgh's Jamie Dixon; Temple's Fran Dunphy; Loyola Marymount's Max Good; Xavier's Chris Mack; Sam Houston State's Bob Marlin; Utah State's Stew Morrill; Vanderbilt's Kevin Stallings; Maine's Ted Woodward; East Tennessee State's Murray Bartow; Portland's Eric Reveno; Butler's Brad Stevens; Wofford's Mike Young; Oakland's Greg Kampe; and Murray State's Billy Kennedy.

The award was established last year to honor recipients who not only achieve success on the court, but display moral integrity off of it as well.  The award will be presented at the Final Four in Indianapolis on April 2.

AZTECS LEAD AT HALF
Freshman guard Chase Tapley, who missed the final regular season game because of a broken bone in his left (non-shooting) hand, scored 13 points in the opening 20 minutes Thursday as No. 4-seeded San Diego State built a 41-33 halftime lead against No. 6-seeded Colorado State in an MWC Men's Basketball Tournament quarterfinal game at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
      
Colorado State junior forward Andy Ogide, the team's leading scorer (11.9 ppg) and rebounder (6.6 rpg), was ejected from the game with 6:27 remaining in the first half after becoming involved in an altercation with Aztecs junior center Brian Carlwell and being assessed an intentional technical foul. The Rams were whistled for three technical fouls in the first half.

OGIDE EJECTED
Colorado State junior forward Andy Ogide, the team's leading scorer (11.9 ppg) and rebounder (6.6 rpg), was ejected from Thursday's MWC Men's Basketball Tournament quarterfinal game against San Diego State after becoming involved in an altercation with Aztecs junior center Brian Carlwell. As the two players contested for a loose ball, Ogide was whistled for an intentional technical foul against Carlwell, resulting in his ejection with 6:27 to go in the first half. 

TAPLEY, SHELLEY RETURN

San Diego State freshman guard Chase Tapley and sophomore guard Tyrone Shelley, both of whom missed their last two games because of a broken bone in their non-shooting hand, were on the court within the first five minutes of Thursday's MWC Men's Basketball Tournament quarterfinal game against Colorado State at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. Prior to his injury, Tapley had made 15 straight starts. Shelley has scored in double figures nine times this season.

NEW MEXICO ADVANCES
If Darington Hobson needed to provide any additional argument for being named the Mountain West Conference men's Player of the Year, the case he made Thursday was airtight.

Hobson, in line to become the first player to ever lead as New Mexico in scoring, rebounding and assists in the same season, posted his eighth double-double in nine games by scoring 28 points and pulling down 15 rebounds as the No. 1-seeded Lobos escaped a quarterfinal scare from No. 9-seeded Air Force 75-69 in a MWC Men's Basketball Tournament quarterfinal game at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

Hobson, a 6-foot-7 junior guard who has 13 double-doubles this season, has scored 20 or more points in three straight games.

Air Force (10-21), which nearly upset New Mexico in Albuquerque before losing by three points on Feb. 20, closed to within 51-49 on a tip-in by forward Michael Lyons with 11:48 left. But the Falcons were repeatedly undone by Hobson, who scored 10 points in the final 11:23.

Junior guard Dairese Gary, who joined Hobson on this year's MWC first team, finished with 20 points for the Lobos as New Mexico (29-3) set a school record for wins in a season.

The Falcons, who won for just the second time in 17 games when they ousted No. 8-seeded Wyoming in Wednesday's first-round game, got a team-high 17 points from junior forward Tom Fow. The Air Force bench combined for 23 points.
 
HITCHIN' A RIDE
The family that thrives together, drives together.

While accolades are certainly not in short supply where the New Mexico men's basketball team is concerned this season, transportation, it would seem, is a bit harder to come by.

Upon the arrival of head coach Steve Alford in 2007, the Lobos were informed by their new mentor that they would heretofore be living in on-campus housing, The arrangement would put them on equal footing with their fellow students, with the possible exception of the latter group's ability to elevate along the baseline.

Today, the team's 12 players, as well as walk-on Kevin Nelson and UCLA transfer Drew Gordon, live in the Student Residence Center smack dab in the middle of the UNM campus.

And while the digs are fine, any mass commute presents a potential cause for concern. Of the Lobos' 12 players, only four --- Gordon, Nelson, sophomore forward A.J. Hardeman and senior guard Roman Martinez --- have cars.
 
WELCOME BACK
San Diego State sophomore forward Tim Shelton was in uniform for Thursday's quarterfinal game against New Mexico but did not play. Shelton, who is out for the season after undergoing exploratory knee surgery on Feb. 3, has endured three major knee surgeries since arriving from Fresno Clovis West High in 2007.

FALCONS CLOSING FAST
With 9:20 left in the game No. 1-seeded New Mexico holds a 55-49 lead over No. 9-seeded Air Force in the first of four MWC Men's Basketball Championship quarterfinals.  New Mexico led by nine with 14:04 to play in the first half, but the advantage was erased by an 8-0 run by the Falcons, who won for just the second time in 17 games when they ousted Wyoming in the first round. The Lobos, ranked No. 8 in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today
Coaches polls, has won 14 straight. New Mexico's Darington Hobson, the conference's Player of the Year, has posted his eighth double-double in the last nine games.