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Show DAILY I H AID A B7 2008 MWC BASKETBALL TOURNAMENTS 2008 r.iwc bien's basicetdall touiutaivient WEDNESDAY TODAY SATURDAY FRIDAY (8) Wyoming63 lp.m, ' Noon(No y.. (Mtn, 68 cs 7:30 p.m. (4) San Diego St. (4) 5 p.m. (Versus) , "' (Mtn.') 10 p.m. " BYU 2006: Utah Air 47 Force 2002 ; 3:30 p.m. ' BYU (Mtn) (3) Wyoming 2001: Colorado St. (Mtn.) : times; also on CBS College Sports (Formerly : CS7V) Continued from Bl 1 BYU approximate times: : ; '. V , VJ CBS College Sports (Formerly CSTV) tape delay at Midnight and 2 a.m. vs. (25-6,14-- 2) No. 9 Colorado State Today, 1 p.m., MT, Thomas -- two-wor- : (6) SDSU (late) approximate No. 75-2- : 2000: Utah Men - ; j : No. 8 Wyoming on Wednesday afternoon. The No. 1 seed has only lost a first round game once (Air Force, 2004, to Colorado State) in eight years. ; "We need to make sure that our players understand that we want to play the next night. And the only way you can play the next night is to win," BYU coach Dave Rose said. BYU players didn't watch their eventual opponent live at Thomas & Mack Center. In-- 1 stead, they lounged around the hotel while assistant coaches John Warderiburg (CSU) and Terry Nashif (Wyoming) focused from two rows behind the floor on preparing game plans for either case. The team practiced at 2 p.m., about an hou.r after the play in game ended. The Cougars insist they weren't leaning one way or another in preparation, even though the Cowboys had defeated CSU twice and a5astin league play during went the regular season, not Lee. Cummard, the of the year with New Mexico's J.R. Giddens, admitted to being "a little surprised" the Rams 5 won. He gave the Cowboys odds. "CSU probably feels like they've got new life." guard Sam Burgess said, He mentioned a pair of key d phrases, no doubt written on a board sometime in the past few days matching energy, playing hard. The Cougars are undoubtedly in the NCAA tournament (25-- 6 overall), and it remains to be seen how much the showing here helps or hinders. Rose seemed to push the right burtons the last few months, however necessary. BYU went on the road and won some tough games when the odds looked to be stacked against. When things are good, when it appears the Cougars are untouchable, they haven't suf-fered a major letdown. After WOMEN'S CHAMPION j 2003: New Mexico (CBS - ' 2 p.m. (Versus) '(2) TCU (6) Utah BYU ''V:: 60 2005: New Mexico y NewMexiCO 9:30 p.m. 2000: unlv '. ; ..:;' 411 BYU (2) TCU (7) 2003: Colorado St. 2002: San DiegoSt. Mexico 59 .. 2007: New Mexico MEN'S CHAMPION TCU (7) N. (Mtn.") Champions k)L 7 p.m. Mexico 1 p.m. (5) i'r. .2004: Utah 2001: 68 y- WHERE: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas ColoSt60J (5) New Mexico 2007: univ 2006: San Diego St. (9) Colorado St. LL9! (9) Colo. St. WHEN: 52 Utah: 3:30 p.m. (Mtn.) (5) Air Force Tournament Champions New (CBS SATURDAY Tuesday-Saturda- 49 (8) UNLV WHERE: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas (9) Colorado St, TV) (9) Colo. St. 2005: .. FRIDAY WEDNESDAY TUESDAY WHEN: Wednesday-Saturda- tUBYU ; 200orJwcwomrsBAsin7i & (7-2- 4f 6) Mack Center (18.500) only right that CSU coach Tim Miles has one. He couldn't recall if center Stuart Creason even played against the Cougars in the two meetings. I Ie indeed missed the first one, in Provo, but played Feb. 13 and 24 points and put up a game-hig- h six rebounds. He hit all 10 attempts and made a nice second-hal- f showing considering his ragged health. It was one of the few games he was available, and it's not expected again. Creason didn't play against Wyoming and still has his fractured foot in a boot. "I don't recall, did Stu play against BYU last time or did we play totally small?" Miles quizzed media. "I think we were totally small that game. So we didn't have any centers last time ... we just kind of hung around." CSU lost by an average of 16.5 points in the pair of meetings, but doesn't feel threatened. "This sounds crazy, but I like the matchups," he said. "You like some, don't like some. ... So they're (ranked) in the country. They're really good. That's not saying that I feel, you know, like we're a favorite or anything. But I feel like it's a good matchup and I look forward to playing the game." . I Radio: I V guards Colorado State's Stuart Creason when the Cougars played in Colorado earlier this season. Creason is unlikely to play in today's game. BYU's Trent Plaisted, left, home winall, their ning streak is intact until next season, and a few teams that appeared to have zero chance (like the Rams today) came in. "You use as many examples as possible around the country. You try to find games where it looks like one team has an advantage, but maybe another team is playing with a little more desperation," Rose said. "When you come into a tournament like this, our No! 1 goal is to make sure our players are playing with a sense of urgency needed ... in order to be successful in these kinds of games." The top seed, which BYU is for the second consecutive year, has only won it all twice since 2000. The Cougars lost last year's championship game toUNLV. That drama, on (stop if you've read this before) 47-ga- free-thro- d . FILEAssociated Press -- FM CSU center Stuart Creason, who had I 24 points against BYU on Feb. 13, did not play Wednesday against Wyoming and appears doubtful again. ... Marcus Walker had 22 points on shooting against the Cowboys; he went for 24 in Provo and seven at CSU against the Cougars. ... BYU won both meetings by an average of 16.5 points. ... BYU has won 13 of its last 14 games. )' ..... -- 1160 AM102.7 TV: The mtn. Tip-in- v KSL UNLV's home floor, could tran- spire again. The Rebels are the No. 2 seed. the game come to me and try to help the team." BYU has two players who call Las Vegas home, Jonathan Tavernari and Mike Loyd, and surely they'll come in contact with old friends or family at the arena or team hotel. "It's not a distraction," Tavernari insists. "We don't get paid, but I think I do a pretty good job of being professional center Trent Plaisted. "It's hard to do it, but I think the coaching staff does a great job of keeping us focused, keeping us hungry and on the task at hand," Plaisted said. "The thing we understand, especially coming into this kind of atmosphere, where you lose a game and you're out, how could you think to look ahead? "It wasn't a skill of mine at about that." first. I think because of me beFrom the NBA world, there ing here a while, being around will be 23 scouts and 20 teams coach Rose arid his staff, I've represented. That's in line with been able to develop that kind of mentality." the other eight years' tournaments, and more than a few 1 will be focused on I Short memory: Maybe it's junior 6-- 1 That's taboo talk there, looking ahead to Saturday. "There are so many parts of this game you can't control," Rose said. "And whatever the situation is, we've got to put it in a light that your players think they can get it done." And make them want to get . it done. I Distracted?: The lurking ntion-grabbers are out there for BYU, all of which the players and Rose downplay. Cummard acknowledged the difference in arriving at the arena with inflated status. Will it get to him sometime this week? "I hope I don't have a problem with that in any of the games we have left this year," the 6 junior said. "Just let atte- OMfS . J tfS' vl Colorado State upsets Wyoming in play-i-n game THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Marcus LAS VEGAS Walker scored 22 points and Andre McFarland had 18 to lead Colorado State to a win over Wyoming in Wednesday's play-i- n game of the Mountain West Conference tournament. Walker added five assists from the field, and shot while McFarland was 68-6- 3 from3-poin- t range. f Me i " i A - Ninth seeded Colo- Av rado State did not win a (7-2- 68 COLO. ST. WYOMING 63 confer- ence game t in 16 tries. The victory ended a losing streak and keep their season alive for another day. The Rams will play BYU in the quarterfinal ' top-seed- round Thursday afternoon. was No. 8 Wyoming ) led by Brandon Ewing's 29 points, 19 coming in the first-halfrom Ewing was line. the Wyoming built its largest with lead of the game, 14:33 left. But the Rams went on a 174 run and took the lead for good at 0 with 9:10 left on a layup by Adam Nigon. The Cowboys trailed when Ewing went for a layup with 32 seconds '' i f. V.' jy - (12-18- -- 'I'm. JAE free-thro- 46-3- .;y C. HONQAssociated Press Colorado State's Marcus Walker, left, drives past Wyoming's Ryan Dermody during the second half at the Mountain West Conference men's basketball tournament at Thomas center in Las Vegas on Wednesday. & Mack 51-5- 64-6- 3 d left in the game but was stripped by Nigon. After two free-thro- from Walker with i. mi, 28 seconds left, Ewing missed from a potential tying the left arc with 17 seconds left. M,Ut m iiiiHni m Mi w.lW 4 li1k,iVkm4i. vest d' |