MWC title games go to Utah

Well, I guess it is good to be a Utah basketball fan.

I know what you are thinking, Wyoming fans, but let's keep it clean.

Utah made it a clean sweep over San Diego State on Saturday in Las Vegas in the Mountain West bConference tournament, as the Utes edged the Aztecs 52-50 for the men's title. Earlier in the day in the women's title game, Utah bested San Diego State 63-58.

In the men's tilt, defense was the name of the game as tournament MVP Luke Nevill scored 10 of his 18 points in the second half and Shaun Green's steal right before the buzzer clinched the two-point victory.

Lawrence Borha scored 12 points and hit three free throws in the final 12.8 seconds for the second-seeded Utes (24-9). They won their second Mountain West tournament title by limiting San Diego State star Lorrenzo Wade to 12 points on 5-of-16 shooting.

Richie Williams hit back-to-back 3-pointers in the final 14 seconds for San Diego State to make it 51-50. After Borha missed his last free throw with 7.6 seconds left, Williams drove downcourt for a final shot - but Green swiped it cleanly from his hands on the perimeter.

Wyoming senior Brandon Ewing was one of five players named to the all tournament team. Ewing scored 33 points in two games -- a 75-67 win over New Mexico and a 68-55 loss to the Utes in the semifinals.

The rest of the all-tournament team included Nevill and Borha, Wade and BYU's Jimmer Fredette.

In the women's game, Utah's dynamic duo of Morgan Warburton and Kalee Whipple took over in the second half and especially late as the Utes rallied from a four-point deficit with just over four minutes to play.

Warburton, the tournament MVP, scored 24 points and hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:57 left. Whipple scored all 21 of her points in the second half for the Utes (22-9), who trailed throughout the second half until scoring 11 consecutive points in a blistering 3 1/2-minute stretch. Warburton scored nine of those points and assisted on Whipple's layup for the other two.

Leading 54-50 with 4:16 left, San Diego State missed six straight shots and a free throw, failing to score again until 7 seconds remained.

The women's all-tournament team included Warburton and Whipple, Amy Beggin of New Mexico, Jene Morris of San Diego State and Shamela Hampton of UNLV.

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