Wyoming forward Justin Williams turned in his first career triple-double Friday night to give coach Steve McClain at least one more game with the Cowboys and put them 40 minutes from an improbable NCAA bid.
Wyoming, the No. 7 seed in the Mountain West Tournament, turned back No. 6 seed Utah to advance to the title game at 8 p.m. Saturday against regular-season champion San Diego State.
Williams had 15 rebounds and 12 blocked shots when he went to the free-throw line with 1:54 left, and he made the shot first to give him 10 points.
Speculation has swirled that McClain is in danger of losing his job, but no change may be necessary after Wyoming became the first No. 7 seed in MWC history to reach the final.
Utah twice cut Wyoming’s lead to three midway through the second half, and Wyoming missed two shots on a subsequent possession that would have doubled the margin. But the Utes also missed two shots. Steve Leven, who missed his first four shots, hit his first points to extend Wyoming’s lead to 44-38 with 7:39 left. Leven came right back with a 15-footer.
The Aztecs (23-8) are in good shape to make the NCAA Tournament regardless, while an automatic bid is the only hope for Wyoming (15-14). It will be Wyoming’s first appearance in a MWC Tournament championship. The last time Wyoming reached a title game was 1988 in the Western Athletic Conference.
The Cowboys came out with more energy than Utah. Both teams played draining games against regional rivals, but Utah’s win over BYU didn’t end until 12:15 a.m. Friday. The fatigue showed as the Utes shot just 25 percent in the first half.
Williams, the two-time MWC defensive player of the year who broke Theo Ratliff’s school season blocked shot record Friday, rejected seven Utah shots in the first half and altered several others.
The Cowboys led 27-19 at halftime, using three straight shots by guard Brad Jones in the last 3:51 to pull away.
While admitting he has no idea what will happen in his standard postseason review with Wyoming athletic director Gary Barta, McClain said before the game, “I plan on being the coach at Wyoming next year.”
But the coach’s demeanor was relatively subdued by his standards in the upset of Air Force on Thursday.
Most athletic directors have attended postgame news conferences, but Barta was conspicuously absent.
Associate athletic director Kevin McKinney on Friday denied some Internet reports that McClain had to win the tournament to save his job.
“He and Gary will go over the season and the future, and Gary will make a determination,” McKinney said.
The most animated coach in the MWC, rival crowds love to taunt McClain. When he gets really mad, he stomps up and down and his face reddens.
His candor was well received by the media until an expletive-laced tirade when a reporter asked him about his job status a week ago after a loss at San Diego State.
McClain shared the 2001 MWC title, winning 2002 outright and upsetting sixth-ranked Gonzaga in the first round of the 2002 NCAA Tournament. He inherited a banner freshman class from predecessor Larry Shyatt that included eventual all-league picks Josh Davis and Ugo Udezue.
He then showed he could recruit, bringing former standout Marcus Bailey, four-year starting point guard Jay Straight, current senior forward Williams, the two-time MWC defensive player of the year and freshman point guard Brandon Ewing.
Staff writer Natalie Meisler can be reached at 303-820-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com.
